Canvas SpeedGrader

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.

Canvas Improvement - SpeedGrader

Canvas have made improvements to the performance and usability of Speedgrader.

The improvements include:

• Document Viewer loading quicker, when displaying students submissions. This will be more apparent in assignments with larger cohorts.
• In the submission navigation menu, an eye icon will now denote the submission you are currently viewing.
• Assignment submission status can be updated within SpeedGrader.
• Navigating to view Sections is smoother and it is now possible to view multiple sections at once.

Further information on the improvements can be found on Canvas guidance for SpeedGrader.

Canvas improvement - Enhanced Rubrics

Canvas have made some improvements to their Rubrics that will help with the usability when creating rubrics and marking submissions. 

The improvements include:

• Alter how you view the rubric. As well as the classic view you can switch between horizontal and vertical views.
• Import and Export rubrics, including the data from rubrics that have been used to complete marking of assignments.
• Save a rubric in draft and archive rubrics that you no longer require.

More information is available on the Canvas website for Enhanced Rubrics.

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.