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

[nancy_lachance]

I agree!  Where is this at in the queue? Since you replaced crocodoc, this seems like something more doable.  I also wanted to mention that I would really love the ability to store comments for rubrics. I have a text document for each rubric so I can cut and paste into the rubric comment boxes, but it would be so much better to be able to create a bank of answers I could drag into the rubric. That may be a different idea altogether, so let me know

[gharbor]

It would be good to have an update from Instructure on this feature request? Looks like the last official Instructure update on this was Jan 2016!? #Stay tuned!

[ronmarx]

You mean there could be a better way to save often used comments besides having to copy and paste them from a TextEdit applet?

[diasl]

This will save instructors so much time!  I find myself writing the same things on papers such as "Make sure your running header is in all caps" and I have to type it out everytime, or cut and paste it from a word document.  It would be great if the annotated comment place had a drop down menu where I can just select the comment I want to add on the students paper.  Please!  Seriously, this would save me (and other instructors) probably 3-5 hours per week!  

[gharbor]

Deactivated user to leverage the impact of the Canvas community and keep them engaged in discussions, I feel that official Canvas responses need to be more regular in threads such as these.

I think people understand that  Instructure can't develop every feature for different reasons, but Instructure needs to come back to these threads and give clear indication and updates such as "We hear you, and see that this feature is great, but we can't implement it right now because...XYZ ".

What frustrates the community is 2 years of silence on a feature with half a thousand votes, (as can be seen at the top of this conversation the last official update on this was in 2016). Ultimately people will just give up because they feel like they are talking into a void.

Just my 5c...

[julian]

Hey gharbor,

Thanks for tagging me on this one. First, I do want to be an example that yes we do respond. But certainly, no argument that we can always do better.

Please know that many of my colleagues here do read. What many like to do most is watch (I won't use the word lurk) and see how these discussions unfold without our direct input. The best thing about the community is seeing how ideas are formed and iterated by those at the coalface rather than us in our offices way away from the classroom.

That being said, if you are looking for a response, always feel free to tag us (if you know who) or ask directly in the post and we will share what we can.

Now, to this particular post. This was an idea flagged in 2015 and is obviously still resonating today. I myself have no inside scoop to share, but I will contact the  @scottdennis  and the EVA AWESOME Community team to see if this may be worth having voted again or to understand other processes that can be used to highlight the request.

Regards, your occasionally participating and ever watching (not lurking...or big brother..or anything creepy) friend,

Julian

[gharbor]

Deactivated user As always your input is invaluable..

[scottdennis]

Hey gharbor and Deactivated user,

As a general rule we don't tend to comment in a thread unless we have something to share by way of an update.  That being said, part of the regular release schedule process is that as soon as we know what the commits are for a given release, we do go in and update any related feature suggestions.  THAT being said, ideas like this one that is in the top ten most voted ideas get a lot of eyeball time by our community and product folks.  Often times it is frustrating for us (not as frustrating as it is to be a user who wants to see progress most likely) when we know that something cannot be done until we finish something else first or even though something has a lot of votes there are just too many things that are even more pressing that need doing.  What you can depend on is that we are reading and watching, as Julian says.  The nature of the community is that you see feature ideas as single requests but a lot of the time when we get to refactoring a given area of the product, the first thing we do is reread all the related popular idea - looking for use cases and specific details of what people want to see.  So even though the process may take years to complete start to finish, you aren't talking into the void and we hope you will continue to participate.

[karen_squire]

So after 5 years is this feature going to be provided -other LMSs provide it.  At the moment have a split screen and a list of common responses in Word which I continually copy and paste in.  So frustrating knowing it is a feature that can be provided.  Likewise I raised, as other LMSs provide (another one that Canvas doesn't offer, my idea is waiting for votes) the need to be able to insert an electronic signature. 

[mccoy_dodsworth]

What is the latest with this feature? This is an absolutely essential feature for us.