SpeedGrader word count issue with Aptos font (default in Microsoft Word)

[kriol]

Hello,

Our instructors have encountered a recurring issue with the SpeedGrader word count. When students submit documents that use the Aptos font (the new default in Microsoft Word), the word count displayed in SpeedGrader is incorrect.

For example:

A student submitted a document containing 652 words.

SpeedGrader reported only 75 words.

I have seen that others have already raised this problem (e.g., this thread), but I wanted to ask specifically:

Does Canvas have plans to update SpeedGrader so that it can correctly recognize and count words in documents using the Aptos font?

Since Aptos is now the default in Microsoft Word, many students naturally use it, which makes this issue increasingly relevant.

Any information about whether a fix or update is planned would be very helpful.

Thank you,
Kristbjörg

LMS eLearning consultant
Centre for Teaching and Learning
University of Iceland

[chriscas · Accepted solution]

Hi @kriol,

I had never seen .docx files exhibiting this behavior, only when the file was saved as a PDF did I ever experience the issue.  I did have a ticket open for this, but I was informed about a month ago that the fix was released.  If you're experiencing this issue with a .docx, or even experiencing with a PDF still, I would highly recommend that you contact Canvas support so they can investigate.  There may be edge cases where something still isn't working correctly, so giving them specific examples should help get this addressed.

I hope this helps!

-Chris

[Breedwar123456]

Not sure if My assignment are being submitted correctly

[dbrace]

Hi @Breedwar123456,

Without...

1. having your assignment
2. knowing your instructor's/assignment's requirement

... this is not something that we would able to help you with.

I would recommend that you reach out to your instructor or your school's Canvas team (usually the distance education or online learning office) and ask them to look at your submission.

-Doug

[kriol]

Sorry, this wasn't clear. The students submitted PDFs, but the documents were originally created in Word using the Aptos font. A teacher reported the problem last Friday, and in my testing with a new assignment, I saw that the problem was still there. I will contact someone at my school who may report the problem to Instructure support.

Kristbjörg

[chriscas]

Hi @kriol,

That's great.  You can have your contact person reference case 11686531 when they contact Instructure support.  That's my original case where I reported this exact issue and Instructure said they had gotten it fixed a month or so ago.  Referencing that original case number might speed things up.

-Chris

[kriol]

Thank you, @chriscas, I will pass that on.

Best,
Kristbjörg

[dbrace]

@kriol/Kristbjörg,

While I would be a little surprised if it was already fixed, what have you heard about this situation?

-Doug

[kriol]

@dbrace,

Nothing yet.

Kristbjörg

[kriol]

@dbrace

Not exactly exciting news, but I just got this response:

"Thank you for linking the SpeedGrader assignment as an example! After further investigation, this does match what the first agent said: there's an ongoing bug related to this exact issue you're experiencing, and our engineering team is currently working on it. I'll place this ticket 'On Hold,' and as soon as a fix is released, you'll be informed immediately."

Best,
Kris

[dbrace]

Thank you for that, @kriol.

-Doug