Uploading & submitting

Overview: upload & submission

To give yourself a good overall understanding of the submission process, watch this video (from 0.00-1.20") before reading the more detailed notes and guidance below and in subsequent chapters.


Check your work
  • Make sure that your file name only includes your unit code and your student ID name.
  • Make sure your file size is less than 100MB for written assignments (e.g. Office docs, Powerpoints, PDFs).      
  • Other files (e.g. photoshop, spreadsheets, etc.) can be up to 250MB if set to that limit by your tutor
  • Maximum file uploads can be up to 20 files (if set to that limit by your tutor)

If asked to upload a text-based document, note that Apple Pages (.pages) files are not accepted by Turnitin and will not generate a similarity report (for further information, see information on the Turnitin website about file types.  If a document is written using Pages it can still be saved as a Microsoft Word document through the export feature. 


How to submit your work


1. Go to your unit and click on the 'Assessment' tab.  Find the correct '
Solent Online Learning assignment upload' link.

Image shows assessment tab and link


2. Upload your assignment using the Add draft button.

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3. Files can be uploaded by clicking on the 'Add' button or by dragging and dropping the file into the file area (if your browser is up-to-date). It is a required field, so to save this, there must be a file present.

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4. After uploading the file, you must Save Changes.

Save changes 

The submission status shows 'Draft uploaded' but it is 'not submitted for marking' yet.

Read the instructions on this next screen carefully so you know exactly what to do next.


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If your file is a text-based document and under 100MB, it will go through to Turnitin automatically with a 'draft' status.  You will see a Turnitin icon saying 'Turnitin status: Queued' which means your assignment is being processed with Turnitin.  

If successful, this will later change to a Turnitin ID and percentage icon for your similarity report will appear underneath, which you can click on to check your work.  You will also receive a notification email from Turnitin after submitting a draft.

Use the similarity report to see where you need to correct any referencing or citations to avoid plagiarism. Click here to find out about Using the similarity report in Turnitin.  Click here to find out about Referencing.

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Whilst your assignment is in 'draft', i
t is possible to delete and add as many drafts as you like up until the due date, to check your similarity report. The report can take anywhere between 5 mins and 24 hours to be returned however, after three attempts this report will always take a minimum of 24 hours to be returned. 

To delete your assignment, you must have your next version ready to upload in its place.  Go back to Edit draft and click on your uploaded file.  In the pop-up window, click Delete, add your new version and click Save.

If your file is a non-text-based document (e.g. an image, image-based PDF or PPT, etc.) and Turnitin has been switched off by you tutor, then you will not receive a paper ID or an originality report.

If you receive an error message such as the one below when submitting a non-text-based assessment, it is because your tutor has not disabled Turnitin for the submission.  If you see this message, you can still submit your document - it simply means that your file is not compatible with the Turnitin software.  Your submission will still be successful even with this error message.

Please note that Turnitin is incompatible with non-text-based submissions.  

Turnitin error message

The submission status is still in draft so you must click on the Submit assignment button to fully complete the process . Please be aware that once you click on the 'Submit assignment' button in the next step, you will not be able to make any more changes.  

Note: You can still submit your draft assignment even if the similarity report has not yet been returned. 


5. Click the
Submit assignment button to make your final submission.

Submit assignment button

You must tick the box to confirm that this is your own work and you are asked again if you are happy to made a final submission as no more changes can be made once the assignment is submitted for grading. 

6. Click the Continue button, or if you want to make more changes click Cancel .

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This shows the final screen that you will see once the process is complete. The submission status clearly states 'Submitted for grading'.

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An email notification from SOL will be sent to you to confirm that you have submitted an assignment for the 'assessment' in question.  Keep this in a safe place for future reference.

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