Import Grade Comments

Status: Archived Submitted by on ‎12-04-2015 01:38 PM
(23)
Problem:

Instructors need to upload comments for each student for an external assignment and have it displayed in the gradebook view for students.

 

Use Case:

This is especially significant when uploading assignment scores from an external system (student response "clicker" tools, Scantron services, external learning assessments). Often those external tools have a comments field with important details regarding the student's performance. In some cases the external system includes critical item information (e.g. "You answered A; The correct answer was B").

 

Proposed Solution:

  1. Allow a comments field (column) in the gradebook import csv file.
  2. Display the comment in a similar way that assignment comments are currently handled.
  3. BONUS POINTS: Allow the comments to be exported in the Gradebook export csv
Labels
129 Comments
jhlieth
Community Explorer
‎06-15-2017 04:22 PM

This is not about changing files for re-uploading; that feature does exist and is working. This feature is about comments on individual grades. That datum is already in the database since it has been possible with SpeedGrader to add a comment for each student's grade by typing it in. But there is no way to send that text with the grade during an upload. And that is what I need. If I have to do it by hand in SpeedGrader (or whatever is replacing it next week) would take me several hours with my large class and I know I would make mistakes.

bryanjos
Community Novice
‎06-19-2017 09:48 AM

I teach engineering graphics as well and have similar difficulties.  My approach has been to try this and this, but it's definitely more work than Blackboard's comment upload feature.

erinpac
Community Novice
‎06-21-2017 07:27 PM

Desperately need this function... worried about the long workaround we will need to develop if the school finishes converting to canvas without any way to give feedback to 400 students from external tools without manually going through the web tool for each and every one.

jsraquet
Community Member
‎06-22-2017 09:25 AM

I probably would have waited for our institution to wait until this was in place until we moved forward. This is a huge deficit that does not appear important (enough to take action).

bryanjos
Community Novice
‎06-22-2017 11:13 AM

Probably the easiest workaround would be to use something like MailChimp (or even Thunderbird) to do a mail merge (Getting Started with Merge Tags | MailChimp.com: KB Article).  Create a merge tag for your personalized comments, then import your students' email addresses and individual comments (Format Guidelines for Your Import File | MailChimp.com: KB Article ) into a contacts list using an Excel CSV file, just like you would with Blackboard.  Then send out the emails.

jhlieth
Community Explorer
‎06-22-2017 12:36 PM

When I tried email each of my 300+ students to explain how s/he answered each question on the exam, it worked fine for 25 messages but by the 30th message the flow was throttled. In addition to that issue, some messages seemed to get blocked and I do not know which student might not have gotten her/his message. After I was throttled, I could not do any email on my computer for over an hour as the system churned through the throttling (I did it with a Visual Basic program and OS X Mail using my work email account). It is relevant that the transmission has to be authoritative and individualized, so the student know it is coming form the teaching staff. So it had to come from me, via my institutions servers, not from some unrelated service. Also relevant in relation to Canvas is that the CSV export from Canvas includes the student's login ID, but this is not the same as the student's email address at my institution. So I had to get a download from the registrar to get the proper email address for the student and link the data using the student ID number. I did manage to get it to work but I would not characterize this as "easy". I know that most of my faculty colleagues would consider it "impossible".

jsraquet
Community Member
‎06-22-2017 02:07 PM

Asked by institution to wait - not waited to wait...

bryanjos
Community Novice
‎06-22-2017 05:26 PM

This is where I think MailChimp might help.  I know it's not your institution's server, but you are able to set the FROM address to be your e-mail address.  It will look like it's coming from your normal e-mail address (and will allow reply-tos to your normal e-mail).  Then it will be their servers and computers that churn out the e-mails.  They also try to have a good inbox success rate.

Sorry to hear it was difficult getting the e-mail list.  Our school allows you to download a roster from our enrollment website that includes each student's e-mail address.  Maybe your institution does not have this so easily available.

stevenwilliams
Community Participant
‎09-08-2017 12:51 PM

We have received this request from multiple instructors, and hope to see it included in the big changes coming to the Gradebook in 2018 -- Deactivated user‌, can you or one of your product colleagues update the community on whether this popular request will be included?

jhlieth
Community Explorer
‎01-28-2018 09:22 PM

What is the status of implementing the ability to upload comments with the grade upload csv file?

cchui
Community Novice
‎02-10-2018 10:02 AM

I would also like to know the status of this feature request -- it's one of the things I've used heavily at my institution (we are migrating from Blackboard to Canvas).  I'm surprised there hasn't been a stronger push for this because it can get very cumbersome to manually enter comments in the SpeedGrader for a class larger than 50 students.

jsraquet
Community Member
‎02-10-2018 12:05 PM

It has been "on the radar" for a while now with no real sign of progress. This has been one of the most frustrating aspects of Canvas and there does not seem to be any interest in actually making changes any time soon. 

tim_kato
Community Contributor
‎07-26-2018 06:02 PM

We would like to see this too, would be powerful!

jsraquet
Community Member
‎07-27-2018 03:33 AM

As you can see this is something we have been requesting for over 2 1/2 years. On their "radar" obviously does not mean they are honestly considering it. Probably something they have placed in a box for something to do if they "find time".

This is a critical, not just nice or even important, but CRITICAL and there has been more than enough interest that I though it might move from radar a bit sooner.

I am extremely disappointed but at least I know this will be something I need to require when we move to another system.

Renee_Carney
Community Team
Community Team
‎09-05-2018 12:19 PM

The Radar idea stage has been removed from the Feature Idea Process.  You can read more about why in the blog post Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes.

 

This change will only impact the stage sort of this idea and will not change how it is voted on or how it is considered during prioritization activities.  This change will streamline the list of ideas 'open for voting', making it easier for you to see the true top voted ideas in one sort, here.

kelsey
Community Novice
‎09-20-2018 02:33 PM

Any news on this?

kelsey
Community Novice
‎09-20-2018 02:48 PM

 @Renee_Carney ‌ -

A number of commenters here are looking for clarity around this. I can attest that this is a significant, concerning feature gap between our aging homegrown LMS at UC Irvine, and Canvas. The Canvas gradebook in general is the source of a great deal of concern and this is a contributing factor. It is disturbing to see that this request was made nearly 3 years ago now and despite what appears to be clear demand, particularly for institutions with large class sizes, there is no clear status on this.

Timeline:

  • Dec 4, 2015 - This idea posted
  • Apr 15, 2016 - Deactivated user comments that this is "100% something we want to do"
  • Feb 2, 2017 - Moved from 'under consideration' to 'product radar' because 'under consideration' no longer is used
  • Sep 5, 2018 - Moved from 'product radar' to ..... no clear stage

Where does this actually stand? What can I (an IT support staffer) tell the multiple, concerned instructors who ask about this? I have tried to determine whether or this feature is expected to be available when the new version of the Canvas gradebook is completed, but I've been unable to find a clear list of planned features/development at all (though I know it was, at one point, available).

Here are the resources I have found / tried:

Transparency, clarity, and honesty would go a long way toward demonstrating that Instructure valued our campuses' input, recognized the significance of unmet needs (particularly when dealing with grades), and understood how significant a feature like this would be for large classes.

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
‎09-20-2018 02:49 PM

kelsey‌, this and all the other ideas whose vote totals place them in the top 10% will receive comments from the product team in October 2018 as detailed in Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes .

kelsey
Community Novice
‎09-20-2018 02:59 PM

stefaniesanders‌ I appreciate the information, but given that the new gradebook is in development and this has been an in-demand feature, available in other LMSs, since 2015, it is difficult to understand why more information is not readily available already.

Is this on the new gradebook roadmap or is it not? If it is, what kind of timelines can we anticipate? I recognize that precise timelines are not always available, particularly for large projects, but the new gradebook has increasingly become a black box from my perspective.

I would like to be able to assure concerned instructors that Instructure is working on the features that are of high value to them, but I cannot do that; I have been unable to find any clear information so that I can answer instructors' questions about what will or will not be supported as we work to transition them from our homegrown LMS and its gradebook, to Canvas. For more than one faculty member at UCI, this is a 'showstopper' feature, without which they will be unable to efficiently manage comments.

Renee_Carney
Community Team
Community Team
‎09-20-2018 03:37 PM

kelsey 

You found a great list of resources, and I'd add one more Gradebook Enhancements: Design Rationale  

You are absolutely correct that Christi looked at this idea, and so many more, when scoping the new gradebook project.  It did, however, not make the scope of the priority. 

This idea does contain the history of our process evolution by having the record of the 'under consideration' and 'radar' stages.  When we implemented those stages we were seeking a holding tank (stage) that identified top voted ideas but didn't imply development.  Unfortunately, Community members associated those holding tank titles as a plan to develop, which is why we no longer have a holding tank type of stage and we only use a top 10% by vote sort. We're always seeking to provide transparency, clarity, and honesty in this complex process, which is why you see those records of change.  I believe you've seen this blog post, but Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes‌ will give you the bigger picture.