Turnitin Spotlight Interview with Aiko Onitsuka - #MyGiving Story

In a world filled with new AI systems and trends, it is hard to tell what is original and what is computer-generated. From students to professors alike, Turnitin's mission is to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness.

We at Giving Tuesday Japan had the exclusive opportunity to interview Aiko about why she joined the company, what inspires her to give back, and what her and the company's future goals are.

Take a look at the My Giving Story interview between Aiko and our Global Community Team Leader, Jasmine, below!

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Jasmine: Thank you so much for taking the time to interview with us! Let's jump right into today's questions. Give an introduction about yourself. Where you are from, what you do, your (and your family's) charitable background (how you give back, WHY you give back, ways you would like to encourage others to do so), etc.

Aiko: I’m Aiko Onitsuka, Training and Implementation Consultant at Turnitin, and I’m based in Tokyo, Japan. 

In the past, our team in Tokyo has participated in a range of volunteer activities, from providing language support at the Tokyo marathon to packing supplies for families in need and fundraising for a non-profit organization. By actively volunteering and sharing those experiences with my teammates, I hope to show that even the smallest contributions have the power to create real change. 

We are also fortunate enough to work for a company that supports giving back, with policies like volunteer leave making it easier for all of us to turn our intentions into action.

Jasmine: What is Turnitin?  Who started it?  What inspired them to create  Turnitin? What do you specialize in?

Aiko: Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and meaningfully improving learning outcomes. For more than 25 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness across all subject areas and assessment types. 

Jasmine: What is  Turnitin's mission? Who is the target audience for Turnitin?

Aiko: We are a diverse, passionate group of people who have served the global education community since 1998. Our technology promotes honesty, consistency, and fairness across all areas of education and academic research. Turnitin products are used by educational institutions, equipping students and professionals with the tools they need to do their best, original work.

Jasmine: What services do you offer?

Aiko: Turnitin offers solutions supporting the global education community across research, learning, and assessment. Our key services in Japan include Turnitin Feedback Studio,Turnitin Clarity, iThenticate 2.0, and Gradescope. 

Jasmine: You mentioned on your website that you wanted to ‘Guide responsible AI use’. Can you tell me what exactly you mean by that, and how professors, students, and content creators alike can use AI responsibly?

Aiko: For students, responsibility means following institutional guidelines, being transparent about how and where AI assisted their work, and ensuring the final submission is original and truly reflects their own understanding of the topic. 

Educators can guide students by scaffolding assignments with iterative drafts, reflective practice, and peer review. Using tools like Turnitin Clarity helps educators see how a student's writing evolves, allowing them to provide actionable, formative feedback that encourages growth and ensures grades are representative of the student’s actual learning. 

For content creators, AI is powerful for efficiency. However, the responsibility lies in maintaining "human-in-the-loop" oversight. AI lacks nuanced, contextual interpretation, so creators must maintain critical human judgment to prevent issues like hallucinations, bias, and improper attribution. 

Jasmine:. Where can people learn more about news and updates on Turnitin? 

Aiko: On our website! https://www.turnitin.jp/

Jasmine: Have you heard of or participated in Giving Tuesday before coming to TedX event? Is there anything you would like to do in the future in collaboration with Giving Tuesday? How can we (Giving Tuesday Japan) support Turnitin?

Aiko: I hadn't been familiar with Giving Tuesday prior to our meeting at the TEDx event, but I am very glad we connected and am excited about the potential for collaboration.

We would welcome your guidance on best practices for effective local engagement or opportunities to connect with other mission-aligned NPOs. 

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