Assignments
Introduction to Assignments
In the most basic configuration, Assignments allow students to upload materials to a place where teaching staff can view them and provide feedback. But Assignments in Canvas can be used to record grades for everything, including "assignments" without submissions such as participation in class. Assignments in Canvas can also be used to receive materials from students that are not to be graded. In the most complex configurations, Assignments use integrated rubrics for grading, receive grades from external tools such as participation auto-grading in Harmonize, and are utilized to calculate each student's final grade.
Canvas supports five assignment types: Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, External Tools, and Not Graded:
On this page, we'll be predominantly covering the "regular" Assignment type. Here are some useful guides that will get you started with creating Assignments in Canvas:
- How do I use the Assignments Index Page? - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
- How do I create an assignment? - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
- How do I add or edit details in an assignment? - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
We also have FAQs for more advanced assignment types:
Submission Types
In addition to assignment types in Canvas, for "regular" assignments (non-graded discussions), there are submission types that can be configured. Submission types are the different methods for how a student can submit to an assignment; only one submission type can be selected. Below are the different submission types:
- Online
- External Tool
- On Paper
- No Submission
Note: All of these submission types will create a column for the assignment in the Gradebook for grading purposes; even for no submission and on paper submissions.
See our FAQ on how to create a video assignment.
Online Submissions
This is the default submission type that is selected when you create the assignment shell. For online submissions in particular there are a few options in how students can submit online.
Text Entry: This will create a small box to allow students to type text in, or to copy and paste from a word document into box. We generally recommend leaving this available in case students are unable to submit using File Upload.
Website URL: A field will appear allowing students to paste a link/URL to a website. A copy of the webpage will be automatically saved in SpeedGrader for review.
Media Recordings: Do not use. See XXXX for video assignments.
File Uploads: The most common option, allows students to upload a file such as a word doc, excel file, pdf, images, et cetera. There is sub-option to only allow certain file types as well. Supports peer reviews, and SpeedGrader for faculty.
External Tool
Allows you to link to an external app/LTI for extra functionality that Canvas does not have built-in. Students will submit to the assignment online via the interface of the app/LTI that has been specified. Faculty should give instructions to students as to how they should submit and any expectations.
No Submission
This submission type as its name suggests does not allow online submission.
The assignment can however still be considered for grading, and is useful for assignments that do not require an online submission. An example use case may be an oral report/reflection conveyed in class.
Note: No Submission assignments still appear to students on their Assignments page. To avoid confusion, it is best to make a note in the description about the assignment so students will know whether or not a submission is required and if so, how they are supposed to submit it.
Due Dates and Availability Dates
Due dates and availability dates are details that are specific to assignments, graded discussions, and graded quizzes.
Due dates are not required, however they are helpful in managing deadlines and course workflow in a linear fashion. In addition to due dates, availability dates are not required, but optional and may assist in limiting access before or past a specified date and time.
See the guide here for more detail:
Note: Beneath the Due Date and Availability date fields, Canvas will display the time zone date and time according to context. If you manage courses in a time zone other than your local time zone and create or edit a due date for an assignment, the course and local times will be displayed for reference.
Organizing with Assignment Groups
Assignment groups as their name suggests allows you to group/categorize individual assignments together. Depending on the complexity of the course and the types of assignments, assignment groups can be useful in visually organizing assignments for ease of access for both students and faculty.
Assignment shells can also be quickly created into an assignment group and then edited later for more options when convenient. This can be handy for just populating the assignment groups with placeholder shells until a later time.
Canvas has detailed guides here:
- How do I add an assignment group in a course? - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
- How do I create rules for an assignment group? - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
- How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
- How do I create an assignment shell in an assignment group. - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
Tips & Tricks
Extra credit is currently not a default option in Canvas. However, there is a guide to set up assignments to achieve this outcome:
- Restrict file upload types so that you do not receive submissions in formats that cannot be read.
- Set a from date to prevent students from seeing assignments before intended (that way all assignments can be published once completed without worry about visibility)