This document (last updated 2021-11-10) provides a summary of the Assignment Enhancements feature, which was originally introduced in the Canvas Release Notes (2020-01-18). For specific release updates within this document, please see the releases change log.
Supported assignments display an improved interface and submission workflow for students. This change improves the student experience in completing and submitting assignments, viewing rubrics, and locating instructor feedback.
- Community Resources
- Feature Releases
- Customer Feedback
- Feature Documentation
- Feature/Integration Setup
- Feature Preview
- Assignment Enhancements - Student
- Permissions
- Release Schedule
- Limitations
- Supported Assignment Types
- Microsoft Immersive Reader
- Submission Details Page
- Backward Compatibility
- Course-Level Features
- Individual Assignment Overview
- Assignment Summary Header
- Assignment Resources
- Attempts & Dates
- Assignment Details
- Rubric
- Submissions
- Submission Types
- Annotation Submissions
- Online Files
- Text Entries
- Submission Confirmation
- Comments
- Grading
- Grading Status
- Offline Score
- Multiple Attempts
Community Resources
Feature Releases
This document outlines up-to-date functionality for this feature. This document will continue to receive additional updates as indicated in the feature's release change log. Releases are subject to change.
Customer Feedback
Community feedback for Assignment Enhancements is welcome in the Assignment Enhancements Users Group forum.
Feature Documentation
How-to documentation for this feature is included in the Assignment Enhancements User Group Knowledge Base.
Affected user roles:
- Instructors
- Students
Lesson comments are welcome for functionality clarification. Lessons will also be updated with all future enhancements as indicated in this document.
Feature/Integration Setup
Feature Preview
Assignment Enhancements - Student
Student assignment enhancements involve the Assignment Enhancements - Student feature preview, which can be allowed on a course-by-course basis or turned on for all courses across the entire account. By default, this feature preview is set to Off. Canvas admins can manage this feature preview in Account Settings.
If this feature preview is not already turned on for the entire account, instructors can enable the Assignment Enhancements - Student feature preview for a course in Course Settings.
Permissions
No additional permissions are required for this feature and inherently affects users with student roles.
Release Schedule
This feature was made available in the beta environment as of 2019-12-23. Additional enhancements will continue to be made to this feature as announced in future release notes.
As of 2020-10-17, this feature can be enabled in the production environment.
An enforcement date of this feature will be based on planned feature development and user feedback. Additional details will be announced in Upcoming Canvas Changes when available.
Limitations
Supported Assignment Types
When this feature is enabled, all existing currently supported assignment types automatically convert to the new assignment type. No data conversation is required, as this feature change only affects the Canvas interface. Assignments are only updated in active courses; concluded courses are not affected.
Supported assignment types:
- Online
- External Tools
- No Submission, On Paper
- Group Assignments
Not currently supported
- Peer Reviews
Any assignment type that is not supported is redirected back to the existing assignments interface.
Microsoft Immersive Reader
Microsoft Immersive Reader is supported in Assignment Enhancements.
Submission Details Page
This feature currently only enhances the view of individual assignments. It does not affect the Submission Details page, which students can view via the Grades page. For supported assignment types, the Submit Assignment or Re-submit Assignment button redirects students to the new assignments view.
Backward Compatibility
After new assignments have been enabled, they can be disabled at any time but submission data is affected if a student has made multiple submission attempts. Reverting to the existing assignments workflow groups all comments into the latest submission.
Course-Level Features
Individual Assignment Overview
The individual assignment page for students offers clarity on submission workflows. Additionally, the following enhancements are available:
- The assignment summary header is always visible when viewing the assignment and floats at the top of the page
- The submission process is summarized in a circle timeline at the top of the assignment
- Assignment details can be minimized within the page
- Submissions can be drafted in the assignment without requiring an immediate submission
- Submission types, comments, and any rubric grading is retained with each attempt and viewable by both the student and the instructor
- For instructors, SpeedGrader displays comments based on submission attempt
Assignment Summary Header
Supported individual assignments load the new assignments interface with an assignment header, which includes the assignment title, due date, availability dates, point value, and calculation method. A circular tracker indicating each phase of the submission process is also visible at the top of the page and displays the current status for the attempt:
- In Progress (Next Up: Submit Assignment)
- Submitted (Next Up: Review Feedback)
- Review Feedback (This assignment is complete!)
The assignment summary header is always visible and accompanies page scrolling.
Assignment Resources
Attempts & Dates
The number of allowed attempts displays below the assignment summary header. Assignments that do not have a limit display as Unlimited Attempts.
Assignment Details
Below the header, the assignment displays the details of the assignment. The Details section is expanded by default but can be collapsed when needed.
Rubric
If a rubric is provided for an assignment, the rubric can be reviewed by students to help them refine their submissions. Rubrics can also be viewed after the assignment is submitted. Rubrics are expanded in the assignment by default.
Submissions
Submission Types
The submission type set by the instructor displays for the assignment.
When an assignment allows multiple submission types, each submission type is displayed as a button.
Note: If supported for the assignment, External App (LTI) tool icons also display as an allowed submission type.
The submission type that is active when the student clicks the Submit Assignment button is the type that will be submitted for the assignment. Drafts of other submission types will be deleted.
For example, if a student creates a text entry, changes the submission type to file upload, uploads a file, then clicks the Submit Assignment button, a message will indicate that a file submission is being submitted and any other submission (text entry) will be deleted.
Annotation Submissions
Student annotation assignments can be used with Assignment Enhancements. If this assignment type is enabled along with other types, the annotation assignment will always display as default, though another type can be selected. For best results, this assignment type should be the only type allowed for the submission.
Online Files
For all online submission types, students can draft a submission by creating/uploading the content for the submission type. Students can access the Files link to select files that have been uploaded to Canvas, or they can use the Webcam submission type to submit the assignment. External Tools that allow students to upload a file may also display.
Files can also be dragged and dropped from a computer or uploaded from Canvas. A progress bar indicates how long until the upload is complete.
Note: When an online assignment does not permit uploading image file extensions (e.g. PNG, JPEG), the webcam button does not display as an assignment upload option.
Canvas retains the submitted content until the assignment is submitted via the Submit Assignment button. File upload, text, and media submission drafts can be deleted and re-created; URL submission drafts can be changed by updating the website URL added to the URL field.
Text Entries
For text submissions, the Rich Content Editor is always visible on the page. Previously it was collapsed into a placeholder view when it was not being used by the user. Entries are saved automatically until the text is submitted to prevent content from being lost; previously entries had to be saved manually.
After the text entry submitted for the assignment, the text displays in the assignment page and becomes read-only.
Submission Confirmation
After the student clicks the Submit Assignment button for the submission, the tracker updates to verify the assignment has been submitted.
A preview of the submission displays in the assignment page, if available. If multiple files were submitted for the assignment, all files display and can be selected individually for viewing.
Comments
Comments can be added to the assignment after the assignment has been submitted. Comments can be added and viewed using the View Feedback button. Comments can be added to the assignment even when the assignment has not yet been graded.
Grading
Grading Status
Once the assignment has been submitted, the submission workflow tracker indicates the next step is to review feedback from the instructor (if available) and receive a grade.
Students can reply to comments using the View Feedback button within the assignment. When a new comment has been received for the submission, an indicator displays the number of new comments for the student to view. Additionally, the feedback sidebar opens by default and only needs to be opened if the sidebar is closed.
Feedback can also be viewed from the Grades page. When a new comment has been received for the submission, an indicator in the Grades Course Navigation Menu displays the number of updates for the student to view.
Offline Score
When a student receives a grade on an assignment without a submission, the assignment displays an Offline Score field, indicating a score has been given without the assignment being submitted. The page also displays how many attempts are allowed. Additionally, the submission workflow tracker displays the Review Feedback prompt.
The assignment footer displays a Submit Assignment button that can be enabled if the student provided some content to submit.
Comments
When student assignment enhancements are enabled for a course, SpeedGrader displays comments based on the submission attempt.
Any replies to comments are also displayed to students within the attempt that was viewed by the instructor. Submission comments are paginated after 20 comments.
Multiple Attempts
Additional attempts, if allowed, can be submitted before or after the previous attempt has been graded. If the assignment allows students to submit additional attempts, a new attempt can be created by clicking the Try Again button in the assignment footer.
For assignments that contain multiple submission types, Canvas will automatically select the previously used submission type. Any comments added to the attempt are retained with the attempt.
Once a new attempt has been created, the footer displays a Cancel Attempt button in case the student no longer wants to submit a revised assignment file. If the student has selected any content for the submission before canceling the attempt, the page displays a confirmation dialog confirming the student wants to cancel their attempt. Canceling the attempt returns the student to the previously submitted attempt.
Previous attempts can be accessed via the Attempt drop-down menu.
For additional attempts, comments cannot be added to the submission until the attempt has been completed.
