Canvas API assignment listing's use_for_grading var false despite being used for grading

[ThomasDomas]

Hi, I'm a member of an analytics team for my institution. I am trying to get all rubrics that have been used for grading. I use the following api call 

url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments

and then I look in the json of each assignment to see if the "use_rubric_for_grading" variable is set to True. The problem I am having though is that on the browser side, within speedgrader, I am seeing rubrics that are clearly being used for grading but their "use_rubric_for_grading" value is false. Is there a way to dependably discern if a rubric is being used for grading, and afterwards is there a way to access the rubric_assessment variable despite having a false "use_rubric_for_grading" value?

[James]

@ThomasDomas 

Are you sure that the assignment is being used for grading. That is, you went into the assignment rubric, edited it, and verified that the box was checked to use for grading?

Here's why I ask. A common issue is that faculty forget to check that box, or they check it before they assign the rubric and think it's checked when it's not. They fill out the rubric and realize the points are transferring. Not knowing how to fix it, they go through and manually type in the grade that the rubric shows. It looks like the rubric is being used for grading, but it's not being used for entering grades for you, which is what Canvas means when they say use rubric for grading.

Another, far less common occurrence, would be that a rubric was used for grading and then the faculty member unchecked it so that it now shows false. I would put that in the realm of very highly unlikely, but it's a possibility.

You didn't say why you needed to know, so here's a broader question. Does it matter if the rubric is used for grading? Unless you're trying to determine how many assignments use rubrics for grading, what does it matter if the rubric is used for grading or not? If you're looking at submission data (rather than the assignment data), then the information in the rubric stands separate from the grade. If the rubric is filled out, then you're trying to get the information from the rubric. The scores on the assignment is store separately from the rubric in the submissions object.

[ThomasDomas]

@James 

Thank you for replying, James (your posts and replies have helped me so much at work over the last few months). This cleared up so many questions I had. I have never been an instructor so I sometimes lack insight into these things. I just have two follow up questions:

Am I able to get the individual points a student has earned on each rubric criterion from the submissions api? If not, what would be the best endpoint to use to get rubric criterion data?

If I go into Canvas and check the box to use for grading, will changing that option do anything automatically, like change student grades? I'm doing a historical analysis, so I don't want to accidentally change anything.

[James · Accepted solution]

@ThomasDomas 

The Assignments API will only give you information about the assignment itself, you will need to use the Submissions API to get any information about student submissions. Rubrics are attached to the submission since they go with each student, not one per assignment. Assignments will give you the information about the rubric itself, but not any ratings marked for it. Think of the assignment as a container full of submissions.

When you use submissions API to fetch the data, you will need to add the query parameter include[]=rubric_assessment to get the results.

Changing the option to use the rubric for grading won't change any submission information. It will change that use_rubric_for_grading option in the assignment object. I'm not sure what changing that would do for you, though.