Word count for Speedgrader (DocViewer) grading

[gsaltveit]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

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It would be extremely helpful for student submissions to also include a word count when we are correcting them on Speedgrader through DocViewer.

Thank you!

Comments from Instructure

Per comment:

Hello, all! Just a quick note to share that this idea is currently being worked on. There are a couple things to consider in this request and we will need to address them in iterations.

Our first step is to add word count to SpeedGrader for text entry assignments. Our currently plan is for this to be available in November.

Our next step is to do some additional scoping for how to accomplish this with files uploaded and viewed through DocViewer. More to come on this as we look into if this can be accurately and consistently made available.

[sybil-baker]

My students have a minimum word count they have to post in the Discussion Board. My grading time would be greatly reduced if I could see that word count when grading.

[larak]

YES! I 100% agree. I keep having to copy and paste the materials into a Word document to check on those that look close to the minimum word count. This is not best practices and slows down my grading, considerably. We need a word count in the discussions, the speed grader, and anywhere else documents are submitted. I am genuinely surprised that this is such a difficult feature to fulfill. 

[dbillingsley]

I appreciate the suggestion by a user above to use a browser extension to more quickly find word counts.  That works in Speedgrader, although it can be finicky to properly select all of the text across several pages.  At least it saves me from having to download the files.

I get that the developers use a "top 10%" approach to implementing new features, but adding a word count is really simple stuff.  In PHP, str_word_count will do the work for you.

[tiffanyllee]

How is this not a thing?

[larak]

It baffles me!

Lara

Lara Kartalian

[joya_scott]

This would save me so much time. Right now I have to copy/paste student writing assignments into another site to see if they've met the min. word count. So many instructors use min. word counts as assignment requirements... This seems like a no-brainer. 

[billygarner]

Unless this program is using an outdated database there are very few reasons as to why it was not included in the first build........  If it is not using an outdated database, then spend the 10 minutes it would take to read that section of the database and report it.

Or is this just laziness?

Maybe if we all sent you all of our papers that require a certain amount of words so you can copy each to word and write down the word count and then input those into the grade books.  You think the "Added Feature" will be created?

As I type this, I realize that this feature will never happen because you do not want it to happen.........  

Something so easy to do.  Something THAT would be useful.

Each csv file that I get from Canvas is mostly useless.  sis_id/section_sis_id/section_id -------------------- don't need these.

id means nothing to me.  Oh it should to a programmer and to various other parts behind the scenes but not to us.

But we have those in outputs and not a word count............

Sloppy programming........

[adam_casserly]

I think most opinions on this and reasons for having this functionality have already been posted above, but I will comment to keep this idea open and running strong. Even here in Sweden, where we are quite new to Canvas, we find that a word count would be very useful.

Trying to have teachers embrace a "one system" working environment (Canvas, Assignments, Upload, Comment and grade in SpeedGrader etcetera), which would allow for a healthier digital workplace, while at the same time having to support them by saying that they need to download the files for a word count doesn't really feel logical (there are other examples of this as well). Until it is plausible to fully make use of SpeedGrader teachers will be complaining about the inefficiancy of using SpeedGrader for the whole process.

[robin_didrickse]

THis would be extremely helpful!  I give word counts on assignments to give students guidelines of what I'm looking for, but it's a pain to cut and paste their submissions in Word to check.  Having this on Canvas seems like a no-brainer!

[bcarnes]

I'm absolutely amazed that a word count feature is not available and that Canvas is so insensitive to the need for it!  I see that this feature was voted on previously and "it didn't get enough votes".  How many is enough?  I agree with the previous comment that Canvas and/or their partners just don't want to do it.  Which is really sad since length/word count is pretty standard in higher education.  

I don't see how to vote here.  Is Canvas making it hard to vote too?