[Assignments] Allow Multiple Submission Types on the Same Assignment

[Stef_retired]

Originally submitted by Sara Wolf

Currently, instructors can choose to allow a variety of formats for assignment submission. However, when the student submits, only one type can be used, unless the student elects to resubmit the assignment. Even so, if the student resubmits the assignment, the student can no longer see his or her first submission. So, if they make a mistake, they aren't sure what need to be fixed, because they can't see what they originally submitted.

It would be helpful to have students be able to submit a file type (graphic, or URL, or word document, for example) and then be able to also use the text box feature, in the same submission, to "tell about" their assignment. Ideally, the instructor would be able to see both submission types in the SpeedGrader in a single submission, and similarly, students would be able to see both submission types in their assignment submission interface. For instance, if students have to create an image of a floor plan for a future classroom, and then provide an "annotation" of that floor plan that describes how it illustrates their teaching philosophy, having the image be visible to the teacher at the same time as the annotation would be ideal. Another example would be an assignment that requires a link to a video url and accompanying text. If the students could submit the URL to the video and fill in a text box at the same time, they would be able to take advantage of the rich content functionality in the text box submission type (that is not available to them in the assignment comments area), and teachers would be able to evaluate the link to the video and the accompanying text simultaneously in the SpeedGrader.

[scottdennis]

Hi Louisa,

Most people will use multiple assignments to collect first and second submissions, utilizing multiple due dates and sometime making one or both assignments not count for points (aka ungraded).

[hoovenl]

Multiple assignments is what I do now. However, I can't see the comments that I gave for the previous draft when grading the ffinal. That makes it hard to see if my comments were heeded or even useful.

By making the draft worth points, I get students to distribute some of their research and writing work earlier in the term, instead of the last minute.

[r_v_jones]

I think this would be a logical development of the assignment tool.

We increasingly want our students to expand their experiences of assessment. Giving the teacher the opportunity to have students submit the PowerPoint of their presentation, the Microsoft word hand-out they produced and submit the video of their presentation would be a huge step forward.

Thanks stefaniesanders​ for putting this forward

[hvaughn]

This is needed! Often an assignment has several components, which need to be submitted together.

[DRBROOKS]

I had problems getting a Visio file to upload. Is this a policy feature? (.vsdx, .vdx, .vsd, etc.). Is .zip a workaround?

[scottdennis]

Hi Brooks,

There is an assignment setting that allows the teacher or course designer to specify a discrete set of allowed file extensions.  It is also possible to throttle the max allowable file upload size.  Could either of these been an issue?

[clegg]

Horray!  this would solve a LOT of my frustration.  I want students to upload their assignments from their workbooks, (so I can use speedgrader,) but some of them don't have scanner capabilities, or are just plain lazy and bring it to class the next week.  When I enter their points in Canvas, it does not show the assignment as being completed, and they start contacting me to find out why I haven't given them credit.  I work with first semester freshmen so this would save me a TON of energy! 

[scottdennis]

Hi Alice,

You might consider adding a comment to ​.

Thanks,

Scott

[jodi_k]

I would find this really useful. I have also had a situation recently where having the option to hand in a paper assignment as well as or instead of an online file submission would have been perfect. Is there a way to allow these at the same time under this new development? stefaniesanders​

[Stef_retired]

 @jodi_k ​, as I understood the original feature idea, it was intended to accommodate multiple online submissions of different types simultaneously. I would imagine that this feature idea, if implemented, would come into play in the assignment details interface after the teacher selects from the Submission Type dropdown; at that point, the Online Entry Options would display. In other words, if the assignment designer selects "On Paper" as the Submission Type, the choice of multiple submissions options would never appear.

So I would guess the answer to your question is no, I don't believe this feature request would encompass your described use case (allowing students to choose between handing in a paper assignment or submitting it online). However, I think the current assignment functionality does accommodate what you need to do, if you were to design the assignment as an online file upload type and tell your students that they can choose to hand it in on paper instead. You can then grade the uploaded submissions as you normally would and enter the grades for the on-paper submissions the way you normally would.

I'm going to tag Deactivated user​ here so she can give the official word on the thinking for this feature idea and correct me if my conjectures as to how this might be implemented have gone way out into left field.

Also, to bring those on-paper submissions into the fold, you might want to have a look at this feature idea that is archived but definitely on Instructure's radar: