Can Students Edit Google Doc After Submitting

[AGiese1]

I have resisted accepting Google Docs for my assignments because I do not want my students to continue editing and working on their assignments before I can grade them, but I begin to worry that not accepting Google Docs, even though I provide videos on how to submit without it, is proving too much for the students.

Here is my question:  do students have the ability to continue editing their Google Doc submissions even after they submit the file to Canvas?  Or does Google Docs make a copy and submit that instead?  A great deal of internet research has gone into this, but no one seems to actually give an answer (or they presume it's so simple that it's a question that doesn't deserve answering?).

If they CAN continue to edit, how would I stop that so that what they submit is what I see?  Thank you!

[TrishaMeyer1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @AGiese1 ,

Canvas provides you with a snapshot of the file at the time it was submitted. It does not change the students' settings or ability to edit their own docs (in my experience as a student), but the file that was submitted to Canvas will remain unaltered. If you allow multiple submissions, they will be able to re-submit with changes, but you will still see the original copy that was submitted. This is my experience when using "File Upload" as the submission type.

For the Google Assignments LTI, it works differently because Canvas is actually interacting with Google. I think it uses the Google feature that removes editing ability, just as Google Classroom does when a file is turned in. I haven't used this feature as a student.

[TrishaMeyer1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @AGiese1 ,

Canvas provides you with a snapshot of the file at the time it was submitted. It does not change the students' settings or ability to edit their own docs (in my experience as a student), but the file that was submitted to Canvas will remain unaltered. If you allow multiple submissions, they will be able to re-submit with changes, but you will still see the original copy that was submitted. This is my experience when using "File Upload" as the submission type.

For the Google Assignments LTI, it works differently because Canvas is actually interacting with Google. I think it uses the Google feature that removes editing ability, just as Google Classroom does when a file is turned in. I haven't used this feature as a student.

[AGiese1]

I tend to restrict files with my assignments.  If I add gdoc to the file limitations, do you think my students will be able to use the google doc upload feature?

[TrishaMeyer1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @AGiese1 - They should be able to upload Google Docs, yes. I haven't used that feature much, so I don't have first-hand experience, but I think that's exactly how it would work. And I'm pretty sure the uploaded file would be a "snapshot" and would look similar to a PDF for you. You'll be able to respond using the Canvas tools. The student should also be able to see the uploaded file but not interact with it once it's turned in.