What are the Best Methods for Grading and Feedback?


What are the Best Methods for Grading and Feedback?

(and Ways to Make it Easier)

man writing with a laptop
Provide prompt and quality feedback

Grading and feedback are important areas of active teaching that help you meet RSI requirements. Timely grading is essential for online students, as it helps them assess their understanding of course concepts and assignment requirements.

One of the biggest complaints from online students is a lack of quality feedback and slow turnaround on grades. Don't let this be the case for you!


How Often Should I Grade? 

In a typical 16-week course, aim to grade short assignments, like discussions, within 3-5 days. For medium-length and longer assignments, such as unit reflection papers, allow 5-9 days. This approach ensures students receive feedback before the next assignment is due and demonstrates your engagement and care for their success.

Turnaround Time for Grades
Short Assignment Medium to Long
16-Week Semester 3-5 Days   5-9 Days
8-Week Semester 2-3 Days 3-5 Days
4-Week Semester 1-2 Days 2-4 Days

What are Some Tips for Grading (and ways to make it easier)?

Speedgrader Annotations including highlight, draw, and text annotations; strikeout text; and comments
Use SpeedGrader to provide annotated feedback in a Submission Assignment

Use SpeedGrader

SpeedGrader makes it quicker and easier to evaluate student assessments:

  • Submission Assignments: Markup and annotate student papers 
  • Discussions: View all of one student's submissions in one place (including their original posts and all replies)
  • Quizzes: Go through each student's quiz for review

Please view the Canvas guides on SpeedGrader Links to an external site. to learn about how to access and use it.


Create a Grade Posting Policy (formerly "Mute" Grades)

Use a Grade Posting Policy to hide grades while you are grading an assignment in order to release all scores and feedback at once.


Use "Message Students Who"

Use this tool to message a specific segment of students (those who have scored poorly or scored well, those who haven’t submitted an assignment, etc.).


Always Include Zeroes

Use zeroes ("0") in the gradebook when students don’t turn something in or it won’t count against them. Canvas can enter zeroes for an assignment for you if you set a default grade after you have finished grading. 


What about Plagiarism? 

For all writing assignments, you have the option to utilize Turnitin to check for plagiarism. This can be turned on under the settings for an assignment.


How do I Set Up my Gradebook?

In Step 6 of Creating a Course we discuss setting up the gradebook (please see this page for a more thorough explanation). Most of your gradebook items will be set up automatically when you create graded assignments within Canvas. You can also add assignment groups, weight your gradebook, and set rules for dropping specific grades. For more information view the guides below. 


 

>> The next section will discuss how to evaluate and improve your course as you teach it. 

 

 

Image: By StockSnap Links to an external site. from Pixabay Links to an external site.