Improvements have been released to Canvas assignments that use SpeedGrader and Rubrics. Visually it will look slightly different, but all previous functionalities will remain, with some additional features available.
Guidance for how to use these can be found on Canvas Assignment page of the Learning and Teaching website
Details of the improved functionalities are as follows:
SpeedGrader
The Document Viewer will load much faster, which is particularly beneficial to modules with large cohorts of students, where there is a long list of assignment submissions.
When navigating through the submissions via the drop-down menu, an eye icon will appear to indicate which submission you are currently looking at in the Doc Viewer.
The assignment submission status now appears in SpeedGrader, allowing you to flag a submission as Excused, Late, Extended etc.
When using Sections to mark, the process of selection the section has been improved. It is less fiddley to click on the right section, as the section menu remains visible until you click apply. It is also possible to look at multiple sections at the same time.
Detailed information can be found on How do I use SpeedGrader with Performance and Usability Upgrades.
Enhanced Rubrics
Canvas Rubrics have a few improvements that will help with the usability when creating rubrics and marking submissions.
It is now possible to alter how the rubric is viewed. There is the classic view you will be familiar with, alternatively you can choose to have the rubric displayed horizontally or vertically.
You can now import and export Rubrics, including exporting completed rubrics, that have been used to mark assignments.
Rubrics can be created and stored in draft status, and you can archive old rubrics when they are no longer required.
Further information can be found on the Canvas Enhanced Rubrics guidance.
Student Assignment Enhancements
There are also improvements to the students view when submitting an assignment. As before, the submission page clearly displays the due date, the link to the Assignment Brief (which is added when the assignment is set up), the number of allowed attempts and the rubric is visible if one has been attached. A new feature is the Progress status bar, which will update when the student has submitted their assignment and then again when feedback has been released. When the student is looking at their Grades and Feedback, if a Rubric has been used, this will be displayed by default, clearly indicating the levels the student has attained against each criterion.
Up to date guidance on these improvements are available on the ASK website and more details can be found on What is Assignment Enhancements?
If you have any queries or need further guidance, please contact ltds@newcastle.ac.uk.
