Sometimes a student accidentally uploads the wrong file. Instead of resubmitting a new file, and thus having submitted two files, it would be better to be able to delete your submission!
Thanks for sharing this idea. We'll move it forward for conversation, but fair warning: this would cause so much difficulty for instructors that it is unlikely to come to pass. When I was teaching, I graded submissions quickly—often as soon as they came in so I could keep on top of my grading workload—and in the process I added extensive annotations and comments to each submission before returning it to my students. If a student was able to delete that assignment, all of that work would be lost. Multiply that by hundreds of students, and you can see why this might be problematic.
In Canvas assignments, instructors have the ability to allow limited or unlimited submissions to a particular assignment, so oftentimes, the student who uploads the wrong file can simply contact the teacher to ask that they only grade the latest submission (which is the default teachers see anyway).
@Stef_retired Hi Stefanie, thanks for the comment. I understand the limitations.
Perhaps it could be possible for students to delete assignments as long as they are not graded and have no comments.
Another solution would be to adjust the submission process, distinguishing clearly between uploading, double-checking and submitting.
In my experience, students feel uncomfortable when there is a "wrong" submission, either for the contents, or because it looks messy, or because they are uncertain if the teacher will review the right one.
I liked @Stef_retired approach, think about the students asking for revert his deleted assignment, because they deleted the wrong one, it's even more work to do, instead of only configure the assingment with multiple attempts.
@Stef_retired I understand what you are saying about grading and comments, but what if students could only “take back” submissions before the due date?
@Sm26 That would most likely be an enhancement to the original request that hard-pressed teachers would greatly appreciate, as would other suggestions in the thread. Keep them coming!
It would be helpful if students or teachers were able to delete file uploads on assignments. I currently have a situation where one student didn't log out (even with being told to-middle school) and another student uploaded their assignment to his account even though she had logged on to Canvas. (Somehow he was still logged in). It's somewhat frustrating that something simple like that can't be solved.
We've had several requests for students to be able to delete a submission. For instance if they submit to a wrong assignment they cannot go in and delete and resubmit.
As a student with graded work and a person who gets disappointed looking at failure, it would make my self esteem feel a lot better. It's would be as simple as deleting already graded work.
Please incorporate the option for students to unsubmit something that they've already submitted. Often my students will submit to the wrong assignment, realize their mistake, but they can't undo their previous submission, which over-wrote to the wrong assignment. Example: assignments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are due separately. Student submitted 1, 2, 3, 4 correctly. They completed assignment 5 but submitted assignment 5 in assignment 1's location, leaving assignment 5 empty. Trust me: it happens ALL THE TIME.
