Assignments
Canvas Assignments
Assignments are the main submission tool in Canvas. They are commonly used for file submissions such as DOCX, PDF, and MP4, but they also support other submission types, group work, peer review, rubrics, and assignments with no online submission. Teachers can review submissions, give grades, and provide feedback in SpeedGrader, including written comments, annotations on supported documents, rubrics, and audio or video feedback.
When assignments are set up and published early in the semester, due dates appear in students’ calendars and help them plan their work across courses. Assignments can also be used when no online submission is needed, for example for oral exams, presentations, performances, or lab activities, while still providing a due date, feedback, and a grade in Canvas.
What to include in the assignment description
A good assignment description should help students understand both the task and the reason for doing it.
Purpose of the assignment
Explain why the assignment matters. State what students are expected to learn, what skills they will practise, and how the work connects to the course learning outcomes.
The task itself
Describe clearly what students should do and how they should approach the work. Include any required steps, common mistakes to avoid, format requirements, and whether students may choose their own topic.
Assessment criteria
Make it clear how the work will be assessed. Students should be able to see what counts as a successful submission before they submit. A rubric or checklist can help make expectations clearer, and Canvas supports rubric-based grading in assignments and SpeedGrader. (Instructure Community)
Scope and submission format
State what form the submission should take, such as a PDF, video, text entry, media recording, annotated document, or website URL. Canvas supports multiple online submission types, though the teacher decides which are allowed for each assignment. (Instructure Community)
Additional instructions
Include any other practical information students need, such as late-work rules, whether the work is individual or group-based, whether collaboration is allowed, and links to related course policies or the syllabus.
AI use
If students may use AI tools in their work, explain whether this is allowed, to what extent, and how such use should be acknowledged.
Similarity checking
If Turnitin or another plagiarism-review tool is used, explain what students should know about it and what the review is for. Canvas also supports plagiarism-review workflows in SpeedGrader. (Instructure Community)
Make the instructions easy to use
Write the assignment description in a clear, scannable way. Use headings, short paragraphs, and lists where helpful. This makes the instructions easier to follow and more accessible for students using screen readers or other assistive tools.
It is also helpful to encourage questions. For some assignments, a discussion linked to the assignment can be a good place to answer student questions while they are working.
Other topics related to assignments
- Grades and feedback (SpeedGrader)
- Assignment weighting
- Rubrics
- For group assignments, see also how to divide students into groups and common group assignment problems and how to prevent them
- Peer review: setup and grading
- Submitting on behalf of a student
- Deferred and resit exams
- How do I bulk update due dates and availability dates as an instructor?
- A Canvas assignment that receives grades from Inspera