[Assignments] Enable Bulk Feedback Upload via GUI for Staff Members

Status: New Submitted by on ‎01-23-2025 07:25 AM
Problem statement:

Idea Summary

Allow staff members to upload bulk feedback for student submissions (online and offline) using a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) in Canvas. This functionality would eliminate the need for staff to use access tokens or API calls, improving security, accessibility, and efficiency for educators handling large volumes of feedback.

 

Business Case

Current Problem: Staff members who need to upload bulk feedback for student submissions are currently required to use API calls with access tokens. While functional, this approach poses challenges:

  • Security Risks: Access tokens can compromise account security if mishandled.
  • Technical Barrier: API usage requires technical knowledge, which many educators lack, creating dependency on technical teams or knowledgeable individuals.
  • Inefficiency: Manually entering feedback for each student through the Canvas interface is time-consuming for large cohorts.

Institutional Impact:

  • Our institution discourages the use of access tokens for non-technical users due to potential risks and compliance concerns, particularly under GDPR and other data protection regulations.
  • The lack of a bulk feedback upload option through the GUI limits the scalability of marking and feedback processes, which can affect user satisfaction and institutional efficiency.

Pedagogical Impact: 

  • Quick, consistent, and scalable feedback is critical for enhancing the student learning experience. Delays or errors in providing feedback due to current technical limitations undermine this objective.

Benefits

  1. Enhanced Security: Reduces the need for access tokens and API usage among non-technical staff, mitigating security risks.
  2. Improved Efficiency: Saves time and effort, especially for large cohorts or courses with multiple assignments.
  3. Wider Accessibility: Lowers the technical barrier, making bulk feedback functionality accessible to all educators, regardless of technical skills.
Proposed solution:

Develop a Bulk Feedback Upload Tool in the Canvas GUI:

  • Add a feature that allows staff to upload a spreadsheet (e.g., CSV) containing student IDs, assignment IDs, and corresponding feedback.
  • Enable bulk feedback to be applied to both online submissions (text, file uploads) and offline submissions (e.g., paper-based assessments recorded in Canvas).

Support Feedback Types

  • Comments: Text feedback for assignments.

Permissions and Security:

  • Restrict access to this feature to authorized users (e.g., instructors, TAs). o Implement robust auditing and logging to monitor usage for compliance.

Usability Enhancements:

  • Integrate the tool within the Gradebook or SpeedGrader to maintain a unified user experience.
  • Include step-by-step guides or tutorials for staff.
User role(s):

admin,instructor

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