SpeedGrader Release Notes (iOS 2.0)

[erinhmcmillan]

The SpeedGrader app has been discontinued and replaced by the Canvas Teacher app. Existing users may continue to use the legacy SpeedGrader app though it will no longer be supported. Instructors should use Canvas Teacher for mobile submission grading. For more details please see Canvas Teacher Release Notes (iOS, Android 1.0).

Originally posted March 30, 2015

In this release, the SpeedGrader app unveils a completely redesigned experience for iPad devices, including new user and course navigation, assignment muting, and Crocodoc support.

Download the SpeedGrader app in the Apple Store. Version 2.0 requires iOS 8.0 or later.

• Main Features
• Dashboard
• User Navigation
• Assignment List

  Main Features

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Dashboard

SpeedGrader includes a completely redesigned dashboard modeled after the Canvas by Instructure app. By default, the dashboard displays favorite courses as selected either in the Canvas browser or in the Canvas by Instructure app (favorites cannot be modified in SpeedGrader). Toggle the button at the top of the window to view all courses.

Course colors can be changed by tapping the course arrow. Within the course assignment page, assignments are displayed by course color.

Submissions are indicated by a circle with the total number of submissions in the course that need to be graded.

User Navigation

The user navigation menu provides simplified access to instructor account information, help with the app, and all SpeedGrader settings.

Assignment List

Tapping the name of a course displays the list of all assignments, quizzes, and discussions in each course. Assignment submissions are indicated by a circle with the number of submissions. For courses with sections, assignments can be filtered by section in the menu bar. Tap an assignment to view the submissions.

The menu bar displays the name of the first student in the course. Swipe the screen to advance forward or backward through the list of students. To view all students for the assignment, tap the name of the current student to display the entire student list. By default, student names are shown as last name, first name. You can also toggle between sorting by name and sorting by grade.

When viewing an assignment, you can use the assignment menu (or sidebar) for grading, which includes all options available in the browser version of SpeedGrader. Grades supports all grade format types.

The two icons on the right side of the menu bar allow you to mute the assignment for grading so students can’t see their scores, and share the submission to another app, if applicable.

Crocodoc is also supported in SpeedGrader; use point comments to create annotations within a submission. (Sharing functionality is not currently supported with Crocodoc documents.)

[clong]

Has anyone else noticed that the new version of this App does not allow already graded submissions to be moved to the bottom? (if there is a way to do this, please let me know :smileyconfused:)

In other words, there is no way to sort the submissions by Submission status (needs grading, not submitted, etc.) This used to be something that was easy to do in prior versions of SpeedGrader and now there is no longer a way for teachers to resume their grading from where they left off or choose a specific student from a list. Where's the list?

Since this update, I've had several teachers tell me the iOS app is useless and they now do all their SpeedGrading on desktop or laptop only. I don't see how this is a step forward. We've submitted several help tickets on this only to get the run around telling us to reinstall the app and submit new feature ideas to regain the features we lost. sadpanda​

[nschwab]

Without this feature, SpeedGrader has effectively lost its speed for my purposes.

[kohara]

I agree with both Chris and Nick.  I have used the speedgrader app on my ipad for almost 3 years excusively (both free for teachers version and now district hosted) and it was functional for textbox entries & google drive submissions.  The new updated version is not user friendly and hard to navigate which forces me to go grade on my desktop. 

The thing I miss the most is what Chris mentioned below:

"There is no way to sort the submissions by Submission status (needs grading, not submitted, etc.) This used to be something that was easy to do in prior versions of SpeedGrader and now there is no longer a way for teachers to resume their grading from where they left off or choose a specific student from a list. Where's the list?"

To add I loved the old speedgrader version where new submission/needs grading showed up in "orange" color and prioritized at the top when I went to grade the specific assignment.

In the new version:

When I go to grade an assignment and select a period/class and all 178 students show up and it is not organized by period/class.  The only way I can differentiate is they are in bold if they have turned something in.  "BOLD" is really hard to see.  Why not orange?  I would also like to see new submissions or needs to be graded prioritized at the top of the pull down menu.

[hilary]

Hi all,

Our awesome iOS team has already built the functionality that will sort ungraded submissions to the top in the new SpeedGrader.  We're just waiting on QA feedback and then we'll merge it into a new app build.  With time for app store approval, you should see it available in a few weeks.

Thanks for all your great feedback,

Hilary

[nmurray]

I started using the Speedgrader for iPad app 2 years ago (and specifically bought an iPad after seeing how a teacher was using it to grade at a meeting). Since the update I have not been able to use the app at all and have had to do all my grading from my computer. I have had the following problems which I previously submitted to Canvas Support but were unable to be resolved with the solutions offered:

-App doesn't swipe through submissions easily. The submission screen freezes, doesn't load, or crashes. I can only swipe through the first one or two submissions.

-App doesn't allow already graded submissions to be moved to the bottom. There is no longer a way for me to start where I left off or choose a student from a list. Where's the list? (Sounds like this is on it's way)

-The assignment I most often use speedgrader to grade is a webpage submission (specifically a tumblr blog post). The submissions now appear very blurry and unreadable. In the past I could easily load and read their submissions.

I really hope to be able to use the app again by the start of the new school year. It was an invaluable tool for me that is now worthless for what I need. I am not sure how the update was an improvement in anything other than appearance unfortunately

Signed,

Fellow sadpanda​

[erinhmcmillan]

Hi Nichole,

Have you filed a ticket with our support team? Tickets help them identify specifics with crashes, etc. I would recommend doing that if you haven't already.

Thanks!

Erin

[nmurray]

I did submit a request through the support feature on the app. Should I

also submit a ticket separately from my computer?

On Thu, Jun 11, 2015 at 9:45 AM, erin@instructure.com <

[clong]

Thanks for letting us know about the update Deactivated user​! Will the other issues that  @nmurray ​ mentioned be addressed by this update as well?

[erinhmcmillan]

Nope that's the best way to do it!

Thank you

Erin