Download Submissions in alphabetical order

[mscuthbert]

Is there a way to download submissions in real alphabetical order (the same order as in SpeedGrader or the class lists)?  The problem is I have students with names like (not real names):

• Ma, Yo-Yo
• Martinez, Pedro

And this order is correct and used in SpeedGrader, etc.  but on bulk download, they appear as:

• martinezpedro
• mayoyo

Twice I've come close to giving the wrong comments/wrong grade to the wrong student because of this (I have two pairs of names like this in a class of 20 alone).  The type of submissions my students give (programming assignments) aren't things that I can view and grade in the Canvas LMS interface.

Thanks!

[ProfessorBeyrer · Accepted solution]

It's unfortunate, @mscuthbert, that we don't have options in terms of the file format for downloaded submissions. Since student names are concatenated in the filenames for their submissions, writing your own script to split first and last names isn't that easy. If Canvas added a delimiter as part of the filename that would make it easier to distinguish submissions. Consider making this suggestion via the Canvas idea process:

How do I create a new idea in the Instructure Comm... - Instructure Community