Ability to Save and Copy from Frequently Used Comments in Speedgrader/DocViewer

[jherron]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

For more information, please read through the  Canvas Release Notes (2021-06-19).

We're aware that there are two parts to this idea. The "Speedgrader" piece of the request is complete; the idea remains open for DocViewer annotations comments.

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It would be a great timesaver for writing instructors and anyone else making many of the same comments to students on assignments to save and store comments in SpeedGrader/Crocodoc DocViewer as one is able to do in Turnitin's Grademark feature. This feature would help SpeedGrader really live up to its name, too.

This has been a request since August 2012: Ability to Save and Copy from Frequently Used Comments in Crocodoc : Help Center

[jcartwri]

To take this one step further...

In Angel within the HTML editor there was an "enable macros" button. One of our instructors used macros to create comments, images, and motivational feedback for each assignment. She would have several options for each assignment depending on how well the student did that she could easily pop into the comments area when grading an assignment.

The content from these macros were stored in the personal files area of Angel.

I believe that to do something like this would require Canvas to add the HTML editor to the comments area of speedgrader with a linkage to personal files.

This was a great feature that helped our instructors to grade quickly, effectively and oftentimes motivationally offering the same quality of comment to the first student who was graded as well as the last student (even when she had 100 assignments to grade in one sitting!)

[jsummers]

We have been asking for this for 3 years!!  

In theory,  the Turnitin LTI allows you to use the GradeMark comment banks, but the LTI doesn't work correctly in our account so it isn't helping us yet. .

[tsearle]

Thank you for your post!

We just got Canvas this term so we are new kids on the block; but I heard this comment from 2 faculty just today. Pretty much word for word:

"would require Canvas to add the HTML editor to the comments area .." they want to be able to insert images ---for math, comp. sci. feedback.

So, I am anxious to see where this feature request goes...

[Renee_Carney]

This idea is now Under Consideration.  Find out more about the idea stages at What is the feature development process for Canvas?

[cwruck]

Hey Folks!

I hope you noticed our new status. "Under Consideration". It means, we think this is a good idea and despite the fact that we can't get this done in the next 6 months, we're looking for ways to squeeze it in sometime in the future. We'll be working on some designs, will probably have questions for you at some point, and will be hoping some of you on this chain will want to participate in some user testing to make sure we're on the right track to solving this problem. Stay tuned!

[Stef_retired]

I hope this will become implemented, as it will be a true time saver, eliminating a lot of repetitive tasks. While we're in the wait-and-see mode, I'll share a few ways I address this need:

• I've compiled my frequently used comments for various assignments on Sticky Notes (a Windows app) that I can then copy and paste as needed into the SpeedGrader comment box.
• The free program PhraseExpress (also for Windows) can learn your frequently used comments and prompt you to select them from a list after you type the first few words.

[jfarris]

I agree that this sounds like a wonderful feature!  I love having places to store comments!  I also suggested an idea for another place to store feedback. Please check it out!    Thank you Deactivated user​ for sharing this idea!  So innovative!

[kmeeusen]

Stephanie:

I also use a free tool called TypeItIn. But how cool would it be to have that feature built in. Big thanks to Deactivated user​ for cluing us in!

klm

[peter_concannon]

We need to replace Crocodoc.  Someone from Canvas wrote to me saying that Canvas has no power or influence over Crocodoc.  At the moment, Crocodoc is useless to me, causing me to do an elaborate workaround with Turnitin. I explain the problem below:

I never use Crocodoc for a simple reason: I can't pre-make and store comments that I can drag onto a student paper.  This seems an obvious measure, and one that Turnitin has supplied for years.  I can provide vastly more feedback, with links to help, using the TII drag and drop.

I have tried using Turnitin within Canvas but invariably, some papers will not load properly, even though I have carefully restricted file types to those doc, docx, pdf. And, in fact, the ones TII cannot process in Canvas are usually Word documents, and they run fine if I download them and upload them into standalone TII.  In student papers for which TII in Canvas won't work,  I have to open the paper in Crocodoc (and I have several times contacted our Canvas staff with no resolution).  I also cannot see who has viewed comments on a paper in TII running within Canvas (as opposed to standalone TII, where I can).  And inside Canvas, I have to import all my Quickmarks and rubrics for each course.  End result: because of these problems, chiefly the inability to drag and drop comments in Crocodoc, I have students sign up for Turnitin in standalone mode, so students have to do two log-ins, and I have to enter grades twice, once in TII and once in Canvas.  More complexity, more problems.

So, if Crocodoc would at least let me drag and drop comments, it would become more useful, perhaps enough so that I would be able to drop standalone Turnitin. At the moment, Crocodoc is really not even what I would call functional for me.

Since Canvas says it has no power or influence over Crocodoc, Canvas needs to build its own system to replace Crocodoc, adding what seems like a self-evident feature of dragging and dropping stored comments.

[jnissen]

This is how I handle it as well, but I agree with  @KristinL ​ that it would be wonderful to have the comments built in to Canvas.