[ARCHIVED] SpeedGrader video comments stalling, not working as you move through assignments.

[jenniferbell]

Hello all,

I have one instructor who has steadily been experiencing issues using the video feedback function in SpeedGrader. I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this newest issue, and if anyone is aware of a solution.

When the instructor finishes recording a video comment, it is taking so long to process that the page times out. She gets a pop-up asking if she wants to close the page or wait for it to respond. She clicks wait, and continues to get this pop-up and has to click wait for quite some time before the video actually finishes processing. She has no other programs or browsers open when this happens, and mainly uses Mozilla Firefox. (She is currently testing this with Google Chrome for me to see if anything different happens.) 

Another issue is the ability to create video feedback as you move through submissions in SpeedGrader. Once she finishes with one student and moves on to the next, she cannot get the video commenting feature to start up. She has to completely exit out of SpeedGrader and come back in to get it to work again.

I have not been able to recreate these issues myself. Any insight is appreciated!

Thanks,

Jennifer

[kona]

 @jenniferbell , greetings! I'm sorry that your question has sat here for so long without a response. Were you ever able to figure out what was going on with this Instructor? Did she ever try doing some of this on a different computer? From what you've explained my initial guess is it's her computer or internet service. 

Kona

[jenniferbell]

Hi  @kona ,

I believe the page timeouts are being caused by her computer, but I'm thinking the issue toggling between students may be something to do with SpeedGrader.

[bvcacops]

Hi,

One of our instructors also recently had a similar experience with the second issue that Jennifer shared. Would love to know if there is a fix to it:

"The instructor reports that after he submits a video comment to a student in SpeedGrader, when he toggles to the next student and clicks on the Media Comment button the separate window where he would actually record the media does not pop up for him."

Chris

[jenniferbell]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for sharing! I still don't have a resolution to the toggle issue. I wonder if it's a problem with the program thinking the webcam/microphone is already in use and it is trying to request access again. A workaround for this may be to return to the gradebook and go back to SpeedGrader between students. I know this is inconvenient, especially for large classes, but it may be helpful until we find a permanent solution.

[bvcacops]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for this suggestion! I'll ask our instructor to try out your workaround. Glad that it's not widespread; but too bad there aren't too many examples for our good folks at Instructure to get a resolution in place.

Chris

[kbink]

I had this problem during the past semester.  I was so excited to try the video feedback tool.  I shot a simple 2-3 minute response for students (group grading), and the processing time was so long!  I ended up opening a second window to do another 2-3 minute response for the next group.  If I tried to go to three open windows to do video feedback things just went wrong.  To do ten feedback videos took me about 2 hours with the processing time.  Such a great idea and it basically was useless because it just processed so slow.  I was on chrome and tried it both on my home wifi and at work on an ethernet connection with no improvement.

[blw187]

I am currently having the same issue which led me to the Canvas message boards to find a solution. The processing time is insanely long and disrupts the grading process. There must be a better way! I am using Chrome on MacOS.

[kbink]

I had one colleague suggest recording the responses with screencast software and then attaching the file to the comments.  That worked faster he said.  

Kalli

[downeye]

I know that this would be a faster fix but my university is paying for this service and the ability to leave video feedback. I can't even leave a video announcement. I click on save and nothing happens. Nothing. It doesn't show that it is processing or anything. It is just nothing. I have used it in the past, so I don't know what is different now. Same computer, browser and internet. 

[j_nelson]

I had the same issue as above (the second one stated in the original post) with Chrome on PC. I needed to re-start the browser to reset things, otherwise I couldn't make a second recording (audio or video) in the same sitting. I have, however, found a solution!

If you go to settings in your Chrome Browser (3 dots in the top corner> settings) then go to 'site settings' followed by Camera. Here you should see the Canvas website under 'allow'. If you click on the arrow beside this it gives a range of other choices. You should make sure the following are set to 'Allow': Microphone; Camera; Pop-ups and Re-directs.

It was changing the last one in particular that made all the difference!! 

[pws2864]

I have the same problem. I can record a voice comment on the first paper I grade in a class but not thereafter. After the first paper, the button for "Media Comment" doesn't do anything. On my Mac, I changed my Chrome settings to Allow for microphone, camera, pop-ups, and redirects. I have the same problem on Safari. When I'm on a PC, I have the same problem in Chrome.

I can record the comments in QuickTime instead, but the problem is that the interface to upload them to the paper is also activated by the same nonfunctioning "Media Comment" button.

This has been going on since September. It will be a big problem in three weeks when I want to record long feedback onto a big paper.

[jomblank]

I tried this fix months ago.  It does not solve the issue.

[jenniferbell]

I'm definitely going to send this feedback to the instructor. I'm not sure if she is still experiencing this issue, but if so this may be helpful. Thanks for sharing!

[jomblank]

I have been troubleshooting this problem for two years on my office computer, home desktop and home laptop.  I have tried all of these suggestions:

1.  Rebooting computer

2.  Clearing cache since the beginning of time and keeping it cleared.

3.  Blocking cookies.  

4.  Shutting down Canvas on other devices so that only one was running it.

2.  Changing the microphone authorization settings.

3.  Trying different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Internet Explorer).

NOTHING worked.

This week I think that I have figured it out. 

The issue could be length of audio file.  I tested a few recordings at various lengths.  Less than two minutes per file created no problems.  With one I let it record for 6 minutes and saved it.  NO go.

When I have time (not right now, have a pile of grading), I will test times between 2-5 minutes.

This suggests that a longer audio file confuses interaction between browser and Canvas. 

[jenniferbell]

Thanks for taking the time to test all this! If length is ultimately the issue I wonder if it may be an issue with our security's timeout feature. I'd be interested to know what you find out through the rest of your testing.

[jomblank]

I have been watching length of recording in a live setting for a few weeks now.  The issue seems to occur with any file above 2.5 minutes in length.

[jomblank]

Other considerations that I have addressed:

1. Use of Turnitin - When I first began using audio grading, I was only using it with submissions that had been sent through Turnitin.  So, I started trying it on assignments with which I did not use Turnitin.  NO change.
2. Downloading assignments - When the media window loads, I can no longer access the submitted document.  This poses a problem when a submission extends beyond what is visible in the Canvas frame.  So, I download the document, mark things I wish to discuss, and complete the recording.  Was this action responsible for the "break" in functionality?  No.
3. What puzzled me was that sometimes shifting to the next student did not affect the ability to use media recording.  This is when I began to consider length of recording.  

And now, I can duplicate this effect.

[jcummins]

I am also have issues with Assignment Comments Video Feedback in Speedgrader. I have regularly avoided this option because my experience with it has been terrible. I will record feedback for a student and then wait for it to finally save and load, only to find out it doen't. I tried it, again, this morning and have necessary feedback for a student to help them with an assignment. I have now made the video feedback twice. I waited 5-10 minutes the first time and decided to see if it would save, if I left it. No, I lost it. So, I made it, again, and have now been waiting 10 minutes for it to load it to the student comments and I am still waiting. This would be such an amazing feature if it worked and was not so frustrating to use. Any fixes, suggestions or solutions?

[Paul_PNCA]

It's pretty insane that this issue is brought up so many times and yet no solution. The tool is a total time sink and should be removed until it these concerns are addressed. No need for me to articulate the problem I'm having, as it's been noted here ad nauseam.