SpeedGraderand Gradebook
SpeedGrader
What is SpeedGrader? (These resources are found on Canvas Support)
SpeedGrader is an awesome tool provided by Canvas that allows for fast, streamlined grading of your students in each course. 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 Gradebook settings for inactive enrollments and concluded enrollments. For instance, if the Gradebook settings show inactive enrollments, inactive student submissions also appear in SpeedGrader.
You can access SpeedGrader in Assignments, Quizzes, Graded Discussions, and Gradebook. It shows up on the right-hand side contextual navigation menu.
SpeedGrader Performance
In SpeedGrader, all values for an assignment are loaded and saved in the browser, including student submission data, any grades (including original grades for resubmitted assignments), rubrics, and comments. This behavior reduces load time while using SpeedGrader, allowing instructors to grade all submissions quickly without continually refreshing the browser. Advancing from one submission to the next does not dynamically load any updated content.
In large courses, SpeedGrader loading times are affected by a threshold of data points that can be loaded within a 60-second window. This threshold is based on a single submission per student. Multiple submissions by the same student increases the submission threshold. Assignments with more than 1500 submissions may result in delayed SpeedGrader loading times, and assignments with more than 2500 submissions may fail to load at all.
To improve SpeedGrader performance, large courses should be separated into sections, which allows SpeedGrader to display submissions for a specific section and decrease the overall loading time for an assignment's data.
What does SpeedGrader look like?
When you open SpeedGrader you are presented with student submissions with the SpeedGrader overlay surrounding the material. Along the top you have some navigation and visibility options.
To return to the Gradebook, click the Gradebook icon [1].
To post or hide the assignment, click the Visibility icon [2].
To view SpeedGrader settings, click the Settings icon [3]. SpeedGrader settings include:
Options [4], which allows you to select student list sorting options and enable anonymous grading.
Keyboard Shortcuts [5], which opens a list of keyboard shortcuts for SpeedGrader. You can also press the Comma key to view the Keyboard Shortcuts menu.
Help [6], which opens the Canvas Help menu. The help menu icon matches the help icon set by a Canvas admin, so icons may vary across accounts.
Assignment Details
Continuing along the top bar, you can find assignment information, such as the name, the due date, the course name, the total assignments graded/submitted, and the course average for scoring. This allows you to keep track of your progress as you grade.
Student List
On the upper right corner you have a student list tool that allows you to view previous/next student, or select the student name from the drop down menu. This contains all students in your course and section that you are currently grading. A Test Student will also appear here if Student View is activated on your course, this allows you to view the student-end information when you've activated Student View in your course from your course right-hand navigation menu. This feature is designed to work quickly, especially if you are using your standard course sizes. Classes of 1500 or more students may experience slow down, and 2500 or more may not even function in SpeedGrader.
Sidebar Information
The sidebar provides more information and ability for you to interact with student submissions. It provides (1) the Submission date and time, (2) the files that have been uploaded to the assignment, (3) a space for you to mark a grade or score, (4) your rubric (which can be used to score the assignment, and (5) a text field for submitting feedback on assignments (you can also attach files, create audio or video commentary, or use speech-to-text recognition). Once you hit submit, your feedback will be posted. Grades are updated in Gradebook as you enter them. Select the next student using the right arrow in the upper right corner.
What about Peer Reviews?
Canvas: Assign Peer Reviews.webmCan I have students peer review work?
Your students can also participate in SpeedGrader via a Peer Review feature included in Canvas. This allows students to read each others' work to provide feedback and review before turning in final drafts to you or as an engaging activity. If the video isn't showing up, here's a guide for more information.
Gradebook
What is Gradebook?
Gradebook is a spreadsheet style interface that collects all of the scores for every assignment created in Canvas. The Gradebook helps instructors easily view and enter grades for students. Depending on the Grade display type, grades for each assignment can be viewed as points, percentage, complete or incomplete, GPA scale, or letter grade.
Only graded assignments, graded discussions, graded quizzes, and graded surveys that have been published display in the Gradebook. Not Graded assignments are not included.
The default view in the Gradebook is to view all students at a time, but you can also view students individually in the Gradebook Individual View. However, Individual View currently does not support all settings and options from the Gradebook.
This complex tool is best explained through Canvas Guides.
GradeSync is also a viable tool for pulling grades over from Canvas into Synergy