Assignment Instructions
Related
Show the assignment in a module Can students see the assignment? Set assignment weightWhich settings need to be selected?
The five required settings are marked with an asterisk below. Even so, it is always a good idea to review all settings, because Canvas automatically reuses recently used options. For example, the group assignment setting may already be enabled if the last assignment created was a group assignment.
Assignment created
- Go to Assignments in the course menu on the left.
- Click + Assignment, the blue button in the upper right corner. The assignment settings form opens.
An assignment can also be created by using the plus icon in a module (week) and selecting Assignment from the list.
1. Assignment name and description*
- Give the assignment a clear, descriptive name. Use the same name as in the syllabus.
- Enter the assignment description in the editor below.
Learn more about the editor’s features.
2. Points (maximum score)*
- Assignment points represent the maximum score for the assignment, not its weight. If the grade should be given on a 0–10 scale, the points must be set to 10. It is important to enter points if the assignment is to count toward the final grade. Assignments graded as complete/incomplete must also have points.
- Select the assignment group the assignment belongs to. If assignment groups have not yet been created, that can be done later when weighting is set up.
- Display grade as points means the grade will be shown on a 0–10 scale, if the assignment has 10 points. It is also possible to display the grade as a percentage or as complete/incomplete. In gradebook calculations, complete counts as the maximum score and incomplete as 0.
- If the assignment should not be included in the final grade calculation, select that option here.
3. Submission type*
- Choose Online from the list at the top and select File Uploads. This applies to all file types, such as DOCX, PDF, and MP4. This is also the setting to use when students are submitting a video from Canvas Studio. Only select the submission options that actually apply and that are described in the assignment instructions. Selecting too many options can confuse students and also limits the teacher’s options for providing feedback.
See more about other submission types below.
3.1 Other submission types
The Online option also includes the following:
- Text Entry – When the student submits, the Canvas editor opens, allowing the student to use all its features. Note that the teacher cannot annotate the student’s submission directly when this option is used.
- Website URL – The student submits a link to a website.
- Media Recordings – The student records a video or audio only directly in the submission or uploads a video from a computer. This option is not suitable if students are supposed to use Canvas Studio.
- Student Annotation – The teacher uploads a document that students annotate. Each student sees only their own annotations and the teacher’s comments.
- Restrict Upload File Types – If File Uploads is selected, you can restrict which file types students can submit, for example, DOCX, PDF, or others.
Submission Type: No Submission – Suitable when students are not supposed to submit anything in Canvas, for example, for an in-class lab, presentation, or other work that still receives a grade or feedback.
Submission Type: On Paper – Suitable when students attend in person and hand in a written assignment, essay, or take an in-class written exam.
Submission Type: External Tool – When External Tool is selected, a list of connected tools in Canvas becomes available. Using another tool inside a Canvas assignment allows the teacher to add new functionality to the assignment.
4. Number of allowed attempts
The default setting, Unlimited (most commonly used), means that a student can submit the assignment as many times as they want until the assignment closes based on its availability dates. Both the student and the teacher can access earlier attempts and the feedback given on each one.
The Limited setting allows you to specify the number of permitted attempts.
5. Turnitin plagiarism review
Turnitin can be used to check student submissions for text similarity.
Note:
To make the Plagiarism Review option available, you must select File Uploads under Submission Type.
Turnitin settings:
- Select Turnitin under Plagiarism Review. The Turnitin settings will open.
6. Group assignment
By selecting This is a Group Assignment and choosing a group set, you turn the assignment into a group assignment. When a student in the group submits, the submission appears for all students in that group. The grade and feedback given to one member of the group appear for all students in the same group.
Important:
In group assignments, it is important that all students are placed in a group, including those allowed to work individually, by assigning them to a one-person group if needed. Group membership should not be changed after submissions have begun.
Read Course Groups in a Course and Common problems in groups in Canvas.
7. Peer review
By enabling peer review, you allow students to view each other’s work and provide feedback. The teacher can choose to assign peer reviews manually or let Canvas assign them randomly. For example, each student can be asked to review the work of three classmates. It is helpful to attach a rubric to the assignment so students have clear criteria for their review.
Students cannot assign grades in peer review. They can only write comments and/or complete a rubric. Only the teacher can assign the grade for the assignment.
See more: Peer review – setup and overview
See also peer review with FeedbackFruits, which is better suited for group peer review.
8. Moderated grading
Moderated grading is used when multiple teachers grade an assignment. The teacher who determines the final grade can accept another teacher’s grade or change it. Up to ten teachers can grade the assignment. This option must be enabled in the course settings before it becomes available.
- Click Settings at the bottom of the course navigation menu.
- Click the Feature Options tab near the top of the page.
Scroll down to Moderated Grading, click the red X, and choose Allow. Once this setting is enabled for the course, an additional option will appear in assignment settings to enable moderated grading.
The image below shows the assignment setting options after moderated grading has been enabled.
See more: How do I add a moderated assignment to be graded by multiple reviewers?
9. Anonymous grading
There are two ways to prevent the teacher or teachers from seeing student names during grading.
Anonymous grading enabled in assignment settings
This option allows you to choose in the assignment settings whether grading should be anonymous. Student names will then not appear in SpeedGrader.
You must first enable anonymous grading in the course settings.
- Click Settings at the bottom of the course navigation menu.
- Click Feature Options near the top of the page.
- Under Anonymous Grading, click the red X and choose Allow. After this setting is enabled for the course, an option to select anonymity will appear in assignment settings.
- Open the assignment that should use anonymous grading and click Edit.
- Scroll down, select Graders cannot view student names, and save.
Anonymous grading enabled in SpeedGrader
This option is user-specific. Student names will not appear in SpeedGrader for any of that teacher’s assignments while the setting is enabled. If there are multiple teachers in the course, each must enable the setting individually.
- Open the assignment and go to SpeedGrader.
- Click the gear icon in the upper left corner and then Options.
- Select Hide student names in SpeedGrader and save the settings.
10. Anonymous teacher comments
This option allows you to choose in the assignment settings whether comments added directly to student documents should be anonymous. The option must be enabled in the course settings under Feature Options before it appears in assignment settings.
Note: Only comments added directly in the student document in SpeedGrader become anonymous. General comments entered in the panel on the right side of SpeedGrader always appear with the teacher’s name.
- Click Settings at the bottom of the course navigation menu.
- Select the Feature Options tab near the top of the page.
- Find Anonymous Grading, click the red X, and choose Allow. Once this setting has been enabled, the option will appear in assignment settings.
11. Availability dates*
In the Assign area at the bottom of the page, both the students who should submit the assignment and the availability dates are specified. By default, the assignment is assigned to all students in the course.
Additional date windows can be added for students who should have an extended due date or who should submit at a different time. This is done by clicking + Add at the bottom of the date window.
Due – The formal due date of the assignment. This appears in the course calendar, provided the assignment has been published.
Available from – The date and time when students can begin submitting the assignment, and when they can access the assignment description and any attached materials.
Until – The date and time after which submissions are no longer possible.
12. Give a student an extended due date
To give one or more students an extended due date, add another date window. Be careful not to change the date window for the other students.
- Click + Add below the date window. A new date window appears below the first one.
- Enter the name of the student or students who should receive extra time and set the dates. Several students can be entered in the same window if they all have the same deadline.
If a student’s name does not appear in the list, type the first letters of the name to find it.
You can add as many date windows as needed for students with different deadlines.
13. Assignment for selected students
When an assignment is intended only for some students, this must be specified under Assign to. The assignment will then not be visible to other students, and the gradebook will treat it as an assignment for which they are not expected to receive a grade.
This can be done in three ways:
- By student name
- By sections. See the instructions on how to create course sections.
- By differentiation tags. See the instructions for creating differentiation tags and assigning them to students.
- Go to the bottom of the assignment settings, to the Assign box.
- Remove Everyone by clicking the X.
- Enter the names of the students who should submit the assignment.
If a student’s name does not appear, type the first letters of the name to find it.
14. Save and publish*
After you click Save & Publish, students can see the assignment and its due date appears in the course calendar.
Students do not get access to the assignment description or any attached files until the Available from date and time.
Related
Show the assignment in a module on the home page
If the course is organized into modules, such as weeks or course units, it is logical for a link to the assignment to appear there as well.
- Click the plus icon on the module. A window opens.
- Select Assignment in the top line. The course assignments appear in the window below.
Choose the assignment from the list and click Add Item.
