Technology that Promotes Values in Higher Education

A Student Perspective

Boitumelo Olga Mano is a postgraduate student at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden. Her peers and professors come from all over the world to find ways to make the seas safe and cleaner, and shipping more efficient. WMU was established in 1983 by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization, and it supports the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Mano, who specializes in maritime law and policy, recently published a dissertation on mixed migration by sea1 and received a Global Innovation Award from Turnitin for her commitment to academic integrity and quality student writing.

The Need for Academic Integrity

“As a person who plans to study further, academic integrity is vital.”

Mano, explains that academic integrity is what enables a global community of scholars and institutions to work together and trust each other’s research and commitments. She says the importance of learning how to write well and properly cite others’ research using international standards, cannot be overemphasized.

“Learning how to write well is a lifelong lesson that we all should strive to actively partake in.”

Academic integrity is core to writing and research; without it, she explains, we all suffer the consequences:

• Instructors are not able to easily assess what students know or need to learn if they can’t trust that students turn in their own work.
• When students “regurgitate” existing content without adding original insight, they deprive the world of fresh points of view.
• Students cheat themselves of learning opportunities.

Beyond Plagiarism Prevention

At WMU, Mano says her instructors use Turnitin Feedback Studio to check all student assignments for proper citation and style, as well as to spot and prevent possible instances of plagiarism. She says her instructors have taken advantager of the online grading and feedback features.

“Feedback is the one important tool that lets a student know if they are on the right track in terms of achieving the learning objectives of a study program.”

Because Turnitin makes it easier to identify and comment on areas that need improvement, she says students are learning how to analyze and critique at a higher level.

Mano, like many students, also appreciates that Turnitin’s online submission and grading is fast, convenient, and environmentally sound. She says Turnitin helps students and instructors optimize their effort for better outcomes. First and foremost, however, she values that it’s helped her become a critical thinker, honest writer, and valued contributor, both to her industry and the global academic community at large.

“I have learned how to make technology my friend to do my part.”