Marking assessments

SpeedGrader for Canvas assignments

SpeedGrader makes it easy to evaluate individual student assignments and group assignments quickly.

SpeedGrader displays assignment submissions for active students in your course. However, SpeedGrader displays assignment submissions according to the current Markbook settings for inactive enrolments and concluded enrolments. For instance, if the Markbook settings show inactive enrolments, inactive student submissions also appear in SpeedGrader.

Option 1: Access SpeedGrader from the Markbook

1. Open the Markbook by clicking on the link in the course navigation
2. Click on the panel icon in the cell of a student submission
3. Click the SpeedGrader link in the panel that opens on the right-hand side of the screen

Click on the book icon (with a tick on the cover) in the top-left corner of SpeedGrader to go back to the Markbook.

Option 2: Access SpeedGrader from a marked Assignment or Quiz

1. Within a marked assignment or quiz, the SpeedGrader link will appear in the sidebar under Related Items

Option 3: Access SpeedGrader from a marked Discussion

1. Within a marked discussion, click the ellipses (3 dots) icon
2. Click the SpeedGrader link

For more information, see

• SpeedGrader (Canvas Guides)
• Rubrics (Canvas Guides)

Entering marks for correct Markbook calculations

Canvas Markbook provides a “running total” for both assignment group totals and the overall course total.

As an example, a student may be sitting on 80% for “Weekly Quizzes”, only after completing 1 quiz out of 10 quizzes. So too, this same student would also be sitting on 80% for the course overall, if they haven’t submitted any other assessment.

A “running total” excludes a blank [-] marks as though it doesn’t exist and will only weigh the assignments that have a mark, including zeroes.

As such, for each assessment after the due date, Instructors must:

Step 1: Assign the Mark Status of Missing

Assign the Mark Status of “Missing” to all students who have not submitted work after an assignment due date. This can be done either directly in the Markbook or when using SpeedGrader.

By adding the “Missing” Mark Status, it will be easy for both the Instructor and Student to see that the 0 is because they haven’t submitted work as opposed to being awarded 0 mark. Student submissions which are flagged as “Missing” in canvas will automatically be confirmed as a “DNS – Did not submit” in the Grade Management System (GMS).

For more information, see How do I change the status of a submission in the Gradebook? (Canvas Guides).

Step 2: Default all blank marks to zero

Default all blank [-] marks to zero [0] before manually posting marks, once marking and moderation is complete.

Adding zeros for all students who haven’t submitted, prior to posting marks, will maintain an accurate “running total” total displayed both to the instructor and student, and will apply drop rules correctly.

1. Go to the Markbook
2. Open the Assignment menu
3. Click Set Default Mark
4. Enter 0 for Give all students the same mark for [Assignment] by entering and submitting a mark value below:
5. Ensure Overwrite already entered marks checkbox is unticked.
6. Click the Set Default Mark button.

For more information, see How do I set a default grade for an assignment in Gradebook? (Canvas Guides).

Late policies in Canvas can automatically set all missing submissions after the due date to 0 where the student has a “Missing” grade status. This feature, however, is currently disabled / hidden in Canvas, as it will not be used at Griffith University.

Excusing assignment submission

Excusing assessment (EX mark) will not be granted to students, as there is no provision to take such action in Assessment policy.

Rather than excusing a student from assessment, students should be assigned a zero mark [0] with a Grade Status of “Missing” unless granted another form of assessment (i.e., deferred assessment, alternative assessment) in which the mark should remain blank [-] until the assessment has been submitted and marked.

Any students with an 'Excused' Grade Status applied in Canvas will provide a “mark error” in the Grade Management System (GMS) on transfer of marks at the end of the trimester. The 'Excused' Grade Status must be cleared on all students before marks can be finalised in the Grade Management System.