Word count for Speedgrader (DocViewer) grading

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

It would be extremely helpful for student submissions to also include a word count when we are correcting them on Speedgrader through DocViewer.

Thank you!

 

Comments from Instructure

Per comment:

Hello, all! Just a quick note to share that this idea is currently being worked on. There are a couple things to consider in this request and we will need to address them in iterations.

Our first step is to add word count to SpeedGrader for text entry assignments. Our currently plan is for this to be available in November.

Our next step is to do some additional scoping for how to accomplish this with files uploaded and viewed through DocViewer. More to come on this as we look into if this can be accurately and consistently made available.

151 Comments
cms_hickss
Community Coach
Community Coach

Yes, now that there is a working Word Counter in the RCE. We would like teachers to be able to:

  • See the Word Count that was provided to students
  • Set a minium/maximum word count for a discussion assignment
ProfessorBeyrer
Community Coach
Community Coach

Excellent ideas cms_hickss The min/max on word count is particularly helpful, and it would be great if there were separate options for the initial reply and replies to replies.

gharbor
Community Participant

Yip, it seems pretty logical to have this as a feature in the SpeedGrader, possibly just under the submitted date. Even if this only worked for Text Entry submissions to start with, that would be something.

WordCount

psmiley
Community Novice

A word count is VERY necessary.  You can do it easily on Google Classroom, why not Canvas?  I teach Advanced Comp and receive way too many papers at a time to have to open each in Google to see their word counts.  

psmiley
Community Novice

I require a word count as part of the paper grade.  I can't see what the word count is once they submit it.  It matters not that THEY could see it when they made it.  I need to see it once they have submitted to see if they fulfilled the requirements.  

amills1
Community Explorer

I really miss this feature!  I hope we can add it soon.  I am forever pasting paragraphs into Word to find out the word count.

arthur_maturo_2
Community Participant

It would be nice to see the word-count included for each discussion alongside student submissions, and not just in Speedgrader or Docviewer. It would be nice to have a word count on all threaded responses and replies. To be honest, it would be nice to see word-count as a standard feature across the board for all Canvas features. 

arthur_maturo_2
Community Participant

Agree with Pam Smiley (and several others below). The word count is to save instructors the time it takes to copy and paste into Word, or the time-kill of settting up some other method of counting words (Chrome or anything else). If the word-count is displayed for each post and replies to posts, including threaded student responses to their classmates, we can quickly and efficiently complete our assessments and responses. The word count should be accessible through/on/at the discussion itself, not just through Speedgrader since not all of us use Speedgrader or access Docview. 

The reason students need to see word-count in Canvas is for accountability; if they ask why a deduction was made, we can ask them to check their word count. 

Renee_Carney
Community Team
Community Team

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.

btlee
Community Novice

I would love this feature. My assignments for students have very tight word limits and word minimums, and I hate having to download the assignments in order to open them in a different application that allows me to see the word count (or copy and paste them, which doesn't work reliably, because Canvas prevents me from copying and pasting more than one page of a submitted document at a single time; so I have to do multiple copy and paste actions into another app, which is tedious and not speedy). In order to use speed grader in grading my assignments, I really need a word count feature, so that I can hold students accountable to the word limits and minimums that I've set. I have a lot of short assignments, all with word limits and minimums. Thanks!