Turnitin Revision Assistant Introduces New Content and Assignment Types to Support Formative Writing Instruction

Turnitin has released new content and assignment types for Turnitin Revision Assistant, the company’s fast-growing product for improving student writing skills through formative feedback. The two new assignments types - Spotlight and Expansion Pack - give instructors new ways to engage students in the writing process, measure student writing skills and differentiate instruction based upon actionable data. Click to Tweet.

Spotlight provides a fast, formative snapshot of student writing performance. Instructors can assign informative, argumentative, analysis, and narrative prompts aligned with rigorous writing standards. Instructors receive instant data on student writing performance, which can provide direction for differentiated writing instruction. When teachers integrate Spot Check assignments at several points throughout the year, clear reports give teachers unprecedented insight into student progress over time.

Expansion Pack provides a space where students and teachers can use high-quality content for engaging, targeted writing instruction and practice. The content built into Expansion Pack tasks is diverse and flexible, with many potential uses, including pre- and post-composition activities as well as group work, reflection and independent practice.

With Turnitin Revision Assistant, my students are realizing the holy grail objective of an ELA teacher: the ability to create self-directed, reflective learners who use inquiry and research to communicate and solve problems,” said Samantha Spencer, English instructor at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California. “Plus, student writing scores improved and we ended up with a more cohesive writing instruction plan that worked across departments.” Read a blog post from Spencer about her school’s pilot test of Spotlight here and in AskATechTeacher.

“Spotlight and Expansion Pack are a result of hundreds of hours spent in the classroom with instructors and students,” said Elijah Mayfield, senior vice president of new technologies at Turnitin. “Turnitin Revision Assistant is fulfilling an urgent need of instructors to use tools that extend their reach to each student and provide the special attention and feedback that each developing writer needs.”

Since its introduction in 2016, Turnitin Revision Assistant has grown to offer formative writing support to over 100 school districts and 200,000 students nationwide.