Turnitin’s slick new iPad app almost erases years of web-based GradeMark trauma

I have in the past griped on Twitter and on my blog about the clunky Turnitin.com web-based interface. You have to do so much clicking and dragging and typing and waiting for the screen to refresh, and there are places where the “delete” button appears right where an “OK” button was a second ago, so if you click out of sync with the screen you can delete a whole category of custom-curated canned paper comments.

I will sometimes illustrate my complaint emails with screenshots and even videos. (Yes, I’m that user.) A couple times, Turnitin has invited me to participate in a user feedback panel, but when I quote them my professional consulting fee, that’s as far as the relationship has ever gone.

So, because I’ve griped about their product in public, and declined their invitation to donate my time to improve their product, it’s only fair that I should make a public comment about something that looks good.

I spent about two minutes with the new iPad app, and I’m very impressed. It’s a tool that lets instructors leave text comments, custom pre-written notes, fill out rubrics, and provide voice feedback.

Oh yeah — and it checks for plagiarism, too.

I am looking forward to making at least some of my marking a “lean back with the iPad” affair, rather than a “hunch forward over the keyboard” affair.