The Student Room Group

University failing me for uploading wrong file type

I need some help please. I accidentally submitted the wrong file type (.zip) file to Turnitin. This was because the assignment brief asked us too upload presentation slides, presentation notes and an informal presentation report. It did not state to include it in one document and as I was doing my dissertation at the time, I didn't think about it.

Any how, my university have just emailed me telling me that they can open the file, read the contents and can see that the report was uploaded in time. However, they have to fail me and mark me as a 'Assignment Not Submitted' due to the file type.

I will therefore likely get a 2:1 instead of a first because I uploaded the wrong file type. I have asked if I can resubmit the report as a single document, that I made an honest mistake and that I was also writing my dissertation at the same time but they will not budge. Does this sound right? Surely if they can see that the report was submitted on time and the contents of the report, a simple resubmission would suffice.

Shall I look a complaints or potentially a lawsuit, I am curious for advise. Thank you in advance!
Original post by connorrjones
Shall I look a complaints or potentially a lawsuit, I am curious for advise. Thank you in advance!


Why do you people always seem to think of the most overdramatic remedy the moment something goes wrong? A lawsuit - seriously?!

Anyway...

The first port of call should be to engage in the university's complaint process - it usually comprises an informal and formal path - and you need to exhaust each in turn in order to have your complaint properly heard. Your tutor/director of studies will be able to help you initiate this.

However, you do need to be sure of your facts before you do this - are you certain that no-where in your course regs, on the upload site for coursework or elsewhere there isn't a note to say which file types are accepted? There usually is - and it would be embarrassing for you to enter into a formal complaints process only to have this pointed out to you in fairly short order.

I appreciate that you think it's unfair, but a lot of people also think it's unfair to have their work capped at 40 for submitting it 5 seconds late. It's sort of the same thing. If there genuinely isn't a note anywhere regarding accepted file types, then I think you've got a case. However, if there is (and I suspect there will be somewhere), then I don't see how you can argue it.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by connorrjones
I need some help please. I accidentally submitted the wrong file type (.zip) file to Turnitin. This was because the assignment brief asked us too upload presentation slides, presentation notes and an informal presentation report. It did not state to include it in one document and as I was doing my dissertation at the time, I didn't think about it.

Any how, my university have just emailed me telling me that they can open the file, read the contents and can see that the report was uploaded in time. However, they have to fail me and mark me as a 'Assignment Not Submitted' due to the file type.

I will therefore likely get a 2:1 instead of a first because I uploaded the wrong file type. I have asked if I can resubmit the report as a single document, that I made an honest mistake and that I was also writing my dissertation at the same time but they will not budge. Does this sound right? Surely if they can see that the report was submitted on time and the contents of the report, a simple resubmission would suffice.

Shall I look a complaints or potentially a lawsuit, I am curious for advise. Thank you in advance!


1. What do the rules say about file formats?
2. How come everyone else was able to manage it? What format did they use?
3. Appeal or complain.

It would appear you broke the rules, but I think they are being a bit unreasonable. I still wonder about how everyone else managed to comply with the rules?
Firstly, thank you for your advise. Here is my point, if I submitted the report late, I would be fine with a 40. I am an older student, have years of practical work and life experience and I understand that if I do not do something correctly, it is fair to face the consequences. In this case however, the tutor can read the files that I submitted and has told me that they can see that the file was submitted in time. This in turn means that actually I would have been better off submitting the file late and receiving a 40 rather than submitting it in time but in the wrong file type, which will see me being rewarded a zero. This seems unfair to me.

Also, it is not overdramatic in my opinion to seek a potential legal route. As the file type of upload is not specified anywhere in the brief that I or my tutor can find, the fact that I will be rewarded a 0 will result in a lower degree and loss of future earnings. I did the work, submitted it on time but made a simple mistake.

Why do you people always seem to think of the most overdramatic remedy the moment something goes wrong? A lawsuit - seriously?!

Anyway...

The first port of call should be to engage in the university's complaint process - it usually comprises an informal and formal path - and you need to exhaust each in turn in order to have your complaint properly heard. Your tutor/director of studies will be able to help you initiate this.

However, you do need to be sure of your facts before you do this - are you certain that no-where in your course regs, on the upload site for coursework or elsewhere there isn't a note to say which file types are accepted? There usually is - and it would be embarrassing for you to enter into a formal complaints process only to have this pointed out to you in fairly short order.

I appreciate that you think it's unfair, but a lot of people also think it's unfair to have their work capped at 40 for submitting it 5 seconds late. It's sort of the same thing. If there genuinely isn't a note anywhere regarding accepted file types, then I think you've got a case. However, if there is (and I suspect there will be somewhere), then I don't see how you can argue it.
Original post by connorrjones
I need some help please. I accidentally submitted the wrong file type (.zip) file to Turnitin. This was because the assignment brief asked us too upload presentation slides, presentation notes and an informal presentation report. It did not state to include it in one document and as I was doing my dissertation at the time, I didn't think about it.

Any how, my university have just emailed me telling me that they can open the file, read the contents and can see that the report was uploaded in time. However, they have to fail me and mark me as a 'Assignment Not Submitted' due to the file type.

I will therefore likely get a 2:1 instead of a first because I uploaded the wrong file type. I have asked if I can resubmit the report as a single document, that I made an honest mistake and that I was also writing my dissertation at the same time but they will not budge. Does this sound right? Surely if they can see that the report was submitted on time and the contents of the report, a simple resubmission would suffice.

Shall I look a complaints or potentially a lawsuit, I am curious for advise. Thank you in advance!

Take them to court. If they want to magnify the issue, then you should play by their rules and teach them a lesson.
Original post by connorrjones
I need some help please. I accidentally submitted the wrong file type (.zip) file to Turnitin. This was because the assignment brief asked us too upload presentation slides, presentation notes and an informal presentation report. It did not state to include it in one document and as I was doing my dissertation at the time, I didn't think about it.

Any how, my university have just emailed me telling me that they can open the file, read the contents and can see that the report was uploaded in time. However, they have to fail me and mark me as a 'Assignment Not Submitted' due to the file type.

I will therefore likely get a 2:1 instead of a first because I uploaded the wrong file type. I have asked if I can resubmit the report as a single document, that I made an honest mistake and that I was also writing my dissertation at the same time but they will not budge. Does this sound right? Surely if they can see that the report was submitted on time and the contents of the report, a simple resubmission would suffice.

Shall I look a complaints or potentially a lawsuit, I am curious for advise. Thank you in advance!

I would check the coursework/assignment brief, does it state what file type? .zip is a fairly normal file type as long as they can unzip it & it doesn't violate the brief it should be no problem.

If the brief stated it should be .pptx or .pdf etc its your fault, harsh punishment... but still your responsibility
Reply 6
Before you start anything I would thoroughly check the assignment brief and your module handbook if applicable as I knew someone in a similar situation and the file type had been specified in the handbook so the student was at fault, also check the university policy as at mine if you fail a component you must resist capped at 40 then you still have the opportunity to gain the 40 marks
Hello,

Thank you for your reply. I actually don't know any particular students in this module well enough to ask. As I was preoccupied with my dissertation, I made the error of uploading the wrong file. I have offered to reupload the file in the format that they request providing that I do not change any of the report so that the content is the same (which would take twenty seconds) but they are not having any of it.

I have also asked if I can reupload and they mark me as uploading late work. I understand that I uploaded in time but simply uploaded the wrong file type and that this was a simple mistake but at this point a 40 is better than a 0. They are also uninterested in this route. Their lack of being reasonable / having common sense to overcome problems is astonishing to me.
Original post by 999tigger
1. What do the rules say about file formats?
2. How come everyone else was able to manage it? What format did they use?
3. Appeal or complain.

It would appear you broke the rules, but I think they are being a bit unreasonable. I still wonder about how everyone else managed to comply with the rules?
Reply 8
Or the file type may be in your marking rubric or presentation guidelines
Thank you for your reply. Not only have they opened the file but the tutor has told me that they have downloaded and read over the work and seen that it is all correct and looks good. It is simply the wrong file type and this warrants a 0.

Believe me, I intend on contesting.
Original post by connorrjones
Hello,

Thank you for your reply. I actually don't know any particular students in this module well enough to ask. As I was preoccupied with my dissertation, I made the error of uploading the wrong file. I have offered to reupload the file in the format that they request providing that I do not change any of the report so that the content is the same (which would take twenty seconds) but they are not having any of it.

I have also asked if I can reupload and they mark me as uploading late work. I understand that I uploaded in time but simply uploaded the wrong file type and that this was a simple mistake but at this point a 40 is better than a 0. They are also uninterested in this route. Their lack of being reasonable / having common sense to overcome problems is astonishing to me.

Go over their heads, go to the head of school or head of faculty sit and calmly explain the situation, and ask for help. If they are not capable of opening a .zip their not fit to be a lecturer
I would just like to state that I have read over the brief religiously.

There is nothing on the file type. It asks for the initial presentation (.pptx), presentation notes (.docx) and an informal 1000 word presentation report (.docx) to be uploaded. As you can only upload one item to Turnitin, I automatically thought that including them in all file would be adequate and did not think anything of it. It does not state in the brief that the files are to be merged into one .docx document otherwise I would have done so.
Original post by connorrjones
Firstly, thank you for your advise. Here is my point, if I submitted the report late, I would be fine with a 40. I am an older student, have years of practical work and life experience and I understand that if I do not do something correctly, it is fair to face the consequences. In this case however, the tutor can read the files that I submitted and has told me that they can see that the file was submitted in time. This in turn means that actually I would have been better off submitting the file late and receiving a 40 rather than submitting it in time but in the wrong file type, which will see me being rewarded a zero. This seems unfair to me.


Yes, I appreciate what you are saying but I can't agree with the reasoning. You're saying that you'd be happy to accept the consequences of the work being capped/zero if you'd submitted it late, but you're not happy to accept the consequences because the work has been submitted in the wrong file format? This doesn't seem rational to me - both of these are examples of not adhering to the requirements of the assessment, but you would accept one but not the other? Again, I appreciate your saying that you can't find details of what file types are accepted 'on the brief' but that doesn't mean that there isn't an indication elsewhere (more generic) of which files types are accepted for upload. As I said in my first post, I really struggle to believe that there is absolutely no mention of this - otherwise you could end up with students submitting any old type of unreadable content. This is why I was exhorting you to check everything, not just the specific brief for this assignment.



Also, it is not overdramatic in my opinion to seek a potential legal route. As the file type of upload is not specified anywhere in the brief that I or my tutor can find, the fact that I will be rewarded a 0 will result in a lower degree and loss of future earnings. I did the work, submitted it on time but made a simple mistake.


As I've said, you won't be awarded zero - you'd certainly get the chance to resubmit the work. And, as you will know as a mature student, even simple mistakes can have serious consequences, and that's life. Please note that I'm not trying to be deliberately obstructive or hectoring here - I actually have great sympathy for your situation. But there's no point my doing the whole cheerleading thing for you when I think there could actually be some problems with making a case for this. There's plenty of other people on TSR who'll do the whole 'go team' thing, but I'm trying to play devil's advocate here and make sure you've got all your ducks in a row before moving forward into the complaints process. So, again, I'd exhort you to make absolutely sure that there are no generic instructions as to acceptable file type when submitting electronic assessments.

EDIT - I've just read your note regarding file types. There is clear guidance here as to which files types are acceptable, so I'm struggling to understand why you've been saying that there was categorically no indication in your other posts. If you were expected to submit three separate documents but you could upload only one to Turnitin, what were the instructions for doing this? And how did all the other candidates in the cohort manage to successfully negotiate this? Again, these are questions which will need answers if your complaint is to have any chance of success.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by connorrjones
Hello,

Thank you for your reply. I actually don't know any particular students in this module well enough to ask. As I was preoccupied with my dissertation, I made the error of uploading the wrong file. I have offered to reupload the file in the format that they request providing that I do not change any of the report so that the content is the same (which would take twenty seconds) but they are not having any of it.

I have also asked if I can reupload and they mark me as uploading late work. I understand that I uploaded in time but simply uploaded the wrong file type and that this was a simple mistake but at this point a 40 is better than a 0. They are also uninterested in this route. Their lack of being reasonable / having common sense to overcome problems is astonishing to me.



On the basis you broke the rules by failing to comply with the criteria, then it seems like you are in breach.
Offering to reupload is outside the deadline.

As you say its your error and not theirs.

Again uploading it late is likely to be futile as most essays are marked zero or at such a penalty rate if more than a few days have passed it will be given zero. Everyone else follows the rules and they are set out clearly.

I do think they are being unreasonable, but I would have checked with them and followed the rules exactly, other students managed it.

Again other students in your year and previous have managed to follow instructions successfully.
Hello,

I am not looking for cheerleading and I am actually very grateful for your advise. I have been looking for several hours for any piece of information that indicates the type of files that can be uploaded and I cannot find any. Again, I do not want to create a model of myself as perfect and I will throw my hands up in the air if I shouldn't have made the mistake. I feel like it is unrealistic to assume that when a brief indicates that they require three different documents (1 x .pptx, 2 x .docx file's), the student should look through various bureaucratic documents on University Policy pages to see if what file type they require. If the assignment required the three files to be combined into one report, then I hope that we can agree that brief should have explicitly mentioned it. Which it honestly doesn't.




Original post by Reality Check
Yes, I appreciate what you are saying but I can't agree with the reasoning. You're saying that you'd be happy to accept the consequences of the work being capped/zero if you'd submitted it late, but you're not happy to accept the consequences because the work has been submitted in the wrong file format? This doesn't seem rational to me - both of these are examples of not adhering to the requirements of the assessment, but you would accept one but not the other? Again, I appreciate your saying that you can't find details of what file types are accepted 'on the brief' but that doesn't mean that there isn't an indication elsewhere (more generic) of which files types are accepted for upload. As I said in my first post, I really struggle to believe that there is absolutely no mention of this - otherwise you could end up with students submitting any old type of unreadable content. This is why I was exhorting you to check everything, not just the specific brief for this assignment.




As I've said, you won't be awarded zero - you'd certainly get the chance to resubmit the work. And, as you will know as a mature student, even simple mistakes can have serious consequences, and that's life. Please note that I'm not trying to be deliberately obstructive or hectoring here - I actually have great sympathy for your situation. But there's no point my doing the whole cheerleading thing for you when I think there could actually be some problems with making a case for this. There's plenty of other people on TSR who'll do the whole 'go team' thing, but I'm trying to play devil's advocate here and make sure you've got all your ducks in a row before moving forward into the complaints process. So, again, I'd exhort you to make absolutely sure that there are no generic instructions as to acceptable file type when submitting electronic assessments.
Reply 15
Honestly based on that I would have assumed that the PowerPoint would need to be loaded into the word document maybe if you provide A copy of the brief or the presentation section even if you just type it out to avoid identification people may be of more assistance, and again you are expected to read the full handbook which often has guides on presentation for that module as I know all mine do
Original post by connorrjones
Hello,

I am not looking for cheerleading and I am actually very grateful for your advise. I have been looking for several hours for any piece of information that indicates the type of files that can be uploaded and I cannot find any. Again, I do not want to create a model of myself as perfect and I will throw my hands up in the air if I shouldn't have made the mistake. I feel like it is unrealistic to assume that when a brief indicates that they require three different documents (1 x .pptx, 2 x .docx file's), the student should look through various bureaucratic documents on University Policy pages to see if what file type they require. If the assignment required the three files to be combined into one report, then I hope that we can agree that brief should have explicitly mentioned it. Which it honestly doesn't.


That's good then - and you're welcome :smile:

OK - you've clearly stated the two file types the documents needed to be in when submitting them: .pptx and .doc This leaves the following questions for me:

1 - Did all three pieces of work have to run through Turnitin?
2 - If yes to (1), then what were the instructions regarding this? Were the files to be uploaded separately or combined into one file?
3 - If they were to be combined, were there any further instructions regarding the acceptable file type for combination purposes?
4 - If there weren't further instructions, and there was a need to combine three files into one for the purposes of Turnitin, then I think it's reasonable that, in the absence of further instruction, the original instructions regarding file types remained valid and by not adhering to this you are at fault. In other words, the document types specified were .ppx and .doc and whether the submission consisted of one document or multiple documents combined into one, it still needed to be in this specified format which had been made known to you.
Hello everyone!

So I had to go in and present my case to Senior Lecturers at the university and they agreed that the brief was ambiguous in relation to the bf description of the file upload. Although we all agreed that it was somewhat common knowledge to put everything in a single document, they understood that someone who was writing 3 reports at the same time could make the simple mistake of putting all of the files into one singular file format. Therefore, the file is to be marked as normal and they will specifically add in next years brief, to add the documents into a singular word file.

Thank you all for your advise, if it wasn't for a few comments here, I wouldn't have requested to take it to the senior lecturer's and therefore would still be in the situation that I was in before this thread.

Thank you all for your help :smile:
Turnitin wouldn't open a zip file type. It will be quite clearly stated that they wanted pdf or doc. You did a boo-boo and it's your fault.

Quick Reply

Latest