2018 Global Innovation Award Winners

Audrey Campbell

Content Manager

The 2018 Turnitin Global Innovation Awards celebrate students, educators, researchers and institutions with a passion for academic integrity and a commitment to student learning through the use of Turnitin tools. There were 916 nominations representing 17 different countries in this year’s awards. An international panel of academics and previous finalists picked this year’s winners from each of the seven global regions in the categories of Excellence in Academic Integrity and Learning with Integrity. In its four-year history, the Global Innovation Awards have recognized over 200 individuals and learning institutions for outstanding efforts and contributions to education with integrity. We commend these honorees for their dedication to original writing and authentic work across disciplines and educational levels.

This year’s overall winner is Erica Flinspach, Senior Integrity Officer and Turnitin Administrator for the University of South Africa (UNISA). UNISA is one of the largest university systems in the world and the largest distance education institution in the southern hemisphere. Recognized by an international panel of judges for her dedication to the use of Turnitin, Erica also impressed the Turnitin Team itself with her story. Carly Dove, a Senior Marketing Manager for Turnitin based in Newcastle, England, remarked: "Erica is a long time user of Turnitin and Administrator for one of the largest universities in the world as far as student enrollment goes. As Turnitin has evolved to support academic integrity, she has picked up on this and pushed for a role as Senior Integrity Officer, so that Turnitin and academic integrity are synonymous at this institution. It's what we would hope for at most institutions!"

With over 400,000 students, from over 130 countries worldwide, UNISA brings together a diverse and geographically dispersed student body. Erica works with colleagues to create a strong culture of ethical behavior at scale, utilizing Turnitin to create meaningful connections between students and supervisors, as well as establish a lifelong foundation of integrity. She says:

"[Academic integrity] is one of our university values. Being a student or a person who can be proud of the work done and exiting the university with original work, having done their own research, having completed their own study, would also prepare them for the challenges that they might face in the future."

Our Global Innovation Award Runner-Up is Maribel Avila Sastre, Virtual Academic Platforms Administrator from the e-Learning Center at the Universidad del Rosario in Colombia. Maribel and her colleagues strongly believe that that academic integrity is an essential element of education. The e-Learning Center promotes the effective use of Turnitin tools beyond the originality check and formative feedback: with Maribel’s help, instructors work to prioritize students’ needs in order to cultivate a strong, overall learning experience.

"Besides the reports and percentages, we want [Turnitin] to be part of a plan of action... the tool is the main element but it’s not just a tool: it’s a pedagogical instrument we have been given… [E]ducation is changing, it’s evolving. Even when you use new tools and technology, the important thing is to always think about what’s best and positive for the students."

Below is the list of honorees: check out each individual story and learn more about how they champion academic integrity around the world.