[Assignments] Assign to by Group for Individual Assignment

This idea was submitted previously and archived (see below). I would also request the same thing. For individual assignments, I would like to be able to "Assign to" by Group. I often divide the class into groups with varying discussion assignments or assignment due dates, yet these are individual assignments. I teach large classes, so it is too much work to type in individual names repeatedly.

 

Assign to" Student Groups for Individual Assessment

 

I want to be able to create Groups based on their modification or need and assign it to that group.Currently we have teachers who have to type in a LOT of student names when it's a modified assignment. Being able to pre-create groups with those students in them and assign or exclude that group would save a lot of time.

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135 Comments
davidhinrichs
Community Explorer

I really think this is more than just a good idea. It is really a requirement and just as important as the ability to create and assignment of quiz. While one might say there is the ability to differentiate, with the number of students and amount of time it take, it is unrealistic to be able to do this with the frequency with which it is needed.

It's like this - Let's say you want to make a sandwich. You have the meat, cheese, and the condiments. You don't have bread, BUT, you have all the ingredients to make bread and maybe even a bread machine.  So you COULD make a sandwich but you probably aren't going to because it will take forever. THAT is what trying to create differentiated assignments in Canvas is like. 

I know Covid has taken resources in different directions than were planned. This really needs to be were some of those resources get focused. Teachers need this feature now more than ever. 

jdopheide
Community Member

Teachers can individually assign work to students in a section but they cannot create groups in a section to assign work to. (Very time consuming) Currently, Canvas groups are only helpful if you want students to work together on something. Canvas needs to add a feature to allow teachers to create groups in a section so they can send work/assignments to these groups (to be worked on individually). Creating new sections is not a solution for many. 

maureen_davis
Community Explorer

Quizzes NEED "This is a group Assignment" instead of manually having to select individual students that require modifications for all assignments and QUIZZES.  Too many clicks teachers that teach several blocks of students.  Mod group selections for quizzes is just as important, if not more so, as group selections for assignments.

mvanderwest
Community Novice

It looks like the need to be able to provide modification and/or accommodations is seen in this thread. I don't understand how the community has been asking for this feature since 2016 and it still hasn't been added. I was hopeful asking for a feature to be added would be looked at, but it seems otherwise. I am trying to help support middle school teachers who have large amounts of students. There is no way a teacher with 100 plus students could be asked to type in each student.  Please Canvas consider changing the option to create groups of students to be able to more easily assign assignments that are not worked on as a group or maybe even excluding a few students from an assignment being assigned out. 

Mrs_M
Community Member

Like everyone else is saying, the ability to assign an individual assignment to a group of students would be a game changer for us. We want to be able to offer differentiation and modified assignments for certain groups of students within a large course, and the only way to do it now, by typing individual names, is extremely time consuming when teachers have multiple courses they have to set it up in.  I, too, am baffled that this has been requested since 2016 and is still not an option--it doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to allow me to create a "Modified" group, put all the students that need a modified assignment into it, and then assign it to that group so they can all work on it individually without having to type the names of individual students on five different modified assignments a week for one course.

stargm
Community Member

We need a way to create and use groups for assigning assignments and quizzes. I have to provide modified assignments and tests/quizzes for a small group of students (IEPs) and it is frustratng that I can't just assign assignments and quizzes like I can discussion posts. 

Can you please find a way to be able to use teacher created groups to assign assignments and quizzes without having to type in 15 names in one assignment and then type all of the other names in the regular assignment. It is a HUGE HASSLE! 

Please, Please, Please figure out a way to make groups work in assignments and quizzes without assigning it as a group project! 

makraft
Community Contributor

This feature is being requested by teachers of large courses. With 100's of students in a single course, being able to assign to a group, without the assignment being a group assignment, is highly desired. It's just a way to fast track the "assign to" process. 

In the current example, a teacher with 162 students creates different assignments to different "groups" of students, but each student submits the assignment individually.

meena_kahlon
Community Explorer

This would be a great idea. If assignments could be assigned by group, without requiring one submission by groups, instructors would be able to customize due dates and organize students based on their time zone or schedules. 

atolliver
Community Member

Faculty with a lot of students in their courses need the ability to create a group within their large course and then assign an individual assignment to those groups (not as a group assignment). Can this go up to vote again?

I have seen people suggest that instructors create new sections. However, in my institution, faculty cannot create sections. The sections are created based on enrollment. They have no control over it. 

When you have multiple assignments for a course and multiple students to "Assign to," it takes too much time to set up. So, they need the ability to create groups and assign individual assignments to those groups similarly to assigning to different sections.

lundstromk
Community Novice

As a special education teacher, this DEFINITELY needs to be a feature of Canvas. I hate to point out that this was a very streamlined and each feature of another platform that I was able to use last year but now my district has us using Canvas. I have 1 course for my classroom and teach elementary. For each subject I have 2-4 different levels of assignments I am assigning as individual assignments. Currently the only way to do this is to individually type in and select each students name, every time, for every assignment. It takes me HOURS to upload everything for the week. 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make this a feature! Two suggestions...being able to open up the "everybody" assignment link and then deselecting the kids who shouldn't get it. Or being able to see a full list of kids in that class and being able to click a check box to each name who should get it. The other way, as suggested, is being able to make your own assignment groups and actually being able to assign them individual work-not group work. 

I really hope you do this soon! It really needs to be done. It would greatly help with differentiated instruction in the classrooms at all levels.