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Canvas SpeedGrader

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Marking Canvas Assignments with SpeedGrader

As an instructor, SpeedGrader allows you to review students’ assignment submissions in one place. The tools provide the opportunity to add feedback and assign a grade, which, once released, will be visible to the student.

SpeedGrader is also integrated into the Canvas Teacher app.

Benefits of SpeedGrader

  • Everything in one place: Student work is displayed on the left-hand side of the instructor's screen, with the grading panel on the right.

  • Color-coded student list in the Gradebook: Allows the instructor to see at a glance who has submitted work and needs grading (orange dot), who has already been graded (green check), and who has not yet submitted work (student name is light grey).

  • Time stamps: Shown for each piece of student work. Late assignments are labeled LATE, and the time stamp appears in red.

  • Variety of feedback options: Instructors can provide written, audio, or video feedback.

  • Option to add rubrics: Enables consistent and structured feedback, clearly showing students their current level of achievement and what is required to reach the next level.

  • Delegated Marking: Using sections in Canvas students submissions can be divided between a team of markers. Further information on Delegated Marking. Guidance on Importing Sections for Large Cohorts

  • Annotate student documents: Supports files uploaded as .doc, .pdf, or .ppt.

  • Use the Canvas Teacher app to grade: SpeedGrader functionality is fully integrated into the app for on-the-go grading.

  • Access Turnitin Plagiarism Review: If the assignment has been set up to include a Turnitin Plagiarism review, the similarity report can be accessed via Speedgrader. Please note, no comments should be added on to the Turnitin report as it will not be possible for students to view them.

Identifying students when anonymous marking is used

It is possible to temporarily disable anonymous marking in the Canvas Assignment settings to use the Gradebook to verify which students have or have not submitted an assignment. This may be useful for record-keeping purposes or to contact students who have not submitted.

Important: The anonymous marking setting in Turnitin Assignment settings cannot be changed. Revealing individual student names in the Turnitin inbox is permanent and cannot be reversed.

To temporarily switch off anonymous marking in Canvas:

  1. Go to the Canvas Assignment Settings and follow the Canvas guidance for applying anonymous marking to an assignment.

  2. Un-tick “Graders cannot view student names” in the assignment settings.

  3. Complete the required action (for example, send a message to students who have not yet submitted using the Gradebook).

  4. Re-tick “Graders cannot view student names” in the assignment settings to reapply anonymous marking.