what is an assignment submission

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Understanding due dates and end dates

A due date is the submission deadline of an assignment in your course. This date is specific to assignments only.

End dates are attached to assignments. The end date is the final date an assignment is available for you to submit to, regardless of the due date. Once the end date of the assignment is past, you are no longer able to submit, no matter what the assignment's due date is.

Figure: The Assignment page with activity dates and date settings.

Submit an assignment

The Assignments tool enables you to submit assignments in Brightspace, eliminating the need to mail, fax, or email your work to instructors.

Note: Your instructor controls what file types and extensions are permitted for an assignment submission. Before submitting your assignment, confirm on the assignment submission page in the section Allowed File Extensions what file types can be submitted.

Figure: Review the permitted file extensions on your assignment submission page.

To submit an assignment

• From the navbar, click Assignments .
• On the Assignments page, click on the assignment you want to submit to.

Figure: Selecting an assignment for submission.

• Follow the assignment instructions, and do one of the following:
• Type your assignment directly in the Text Submission field. When you finish your written response, click Submit . Note: Text submissions have a character limit of 1,048,576 characters.
• To browse for the file you want to submit, click Add a File . Select the files from your local computer or storage device, a personal locker, a group locker, or Brightspace ePortfolio, and then click Add . Enter any comments you want to submit with the file. Click Submit .
• You can select Record Audio to add feedback. When you finish a recording, click Add . Enter any comments you want to submit with the file. Click Submit .
• If your assignment allows multiple submissions, you can incorporate any grammar feedback and resubmit your assignment.
• If the assignment is Turnitin enabled, the file you submitted is pre-validated at the time of submission to ensure it is within the Turnitin file type and size requirements.
• If you are submitting on behalf of a group, the submission appears for all members of the group. Any feedback is also visible to all group members.
• If Online Grading or Similarity Report has been enabled, you can view your Submission ID within your Submission History page.
• Depending on your course settings, you may be able to view any rubrics that are used to evaluate your work directly on the submission page.
• If you need to find or cannot access your assignment dropbox, contact your instructor.
• If you have questions on how to complete your assignment, contact your instructor.

Submit an assignment using the New Content Experience

You can submit assignments directly in Content without navigating to other course tools.

To submit an assignment using the New Content Experience

• Navigate to Content.
• Click on your module and then click on your assignment.

• In the Comments section, add any additional information for your instructor.
• Click Submit .

Your assignment submission appears in the My Work section of your assignment module. You can revisit this section at any time to view your assignment.

View an assignment

• From the Assignments  tool, click on the assignment you want to submit to.

Figure: The Assignments tool showing a list of assignments.

Make a Text submission

• Type your assignment directly in the  Comments  field.
• When you finish your written response, click  Submit .

Figure: The Submit Assignment page with the Comments section and Submit option highlighted.

Make a File submission

• To browse for the file you want to submit, click  Add a File . You can attach files from your local computer or storage device, a personal locker, a group locker, or Brightspace Portfolio.
• Enter any comments you want to submit with the file.
• Click  Submit .

Figure: Click Add a File to select a file from your device. Then click Submit .

Add an audio or video submission

• Click  Record Audio  or Record Video .

Note: Allow your browser to access your microphone and webcam.

Figure: Click Record Audio or Record Video to create your media content.

• To upload an audio or video file from your device, click Upload File > Choose File .

Figure: Click Choose File to select a file from your device. Then click Upload File .

• Click Add .

Figure: Click Add to include the file in your submission.

• Enter a Title , Description , and Audio Language for your recording or file. Click the Automatically generate captions from audio checkbox to enable closed captioning for your file.

Figure: Enter the details of your submission in the Title , Description , and Audio Language fields.

• Enter any comments you want to submit with the recording or file.

Figure: Enter any additional details for your assignment in the Comments section and click Submit .

• If you would like to edit or delete an assignment after submitting it, contact your instructor.
• If your instructor enabled e-rater ® Grammar feedback, to view grammar feedback on your assignment, click the  View e-rater® grammar feedback  link in the  Inline Feedback  column on the Submission History page. If your assignment allows multiple submissions, you can incorporate any grammar feedback and resubmit your assignment.
• If Online Grading or Similarity Report is enabled, you can view your  Submission ID  in your  Submission History  page.

Video: Assignments overview

Video: Submit and Confirm a Submission

Video: Resubmit assignments

Edit or delete an assignment submission

When a file is successfully submitted to an assignment folder, you can’t delete it. However, if you have the permissions to make another submission, re-submit the file and make sure to also contact your instructor to let them know about your re-submission.

To re-submit an assignment submission

• Navigate to the Assignments tool in your course.
• Click on the assignment folder where you would like to edit or delete a submitted file.

Figure: Assignment folder with an existing submission.

• Click Add a File to add another file to the assignment folder.
• Enter any comments you want to submit with this new file.
• Contact your instructor directly to inform them of your resubmission.

If you do not have the ability to make another submission, contact your instructor and let them know that you would like to re-submit a file to the affected assignment.

Troubleshoot Assignments

You might occasionally experience a problem when attempting to upload your assignment file. This section provides you with the errors you might encounter when uploading your assignment and troubleshooting solutions.

Assignment unable to be submitted or resubmitted

There are multiple reasons for why you may not be able to submit an assignment. You may not be able to submit an assignment for the following reasons:

• The end date has passed and your instructor has disabled late submissions.
• Access is restricted for your assignment. This could be because your instructor has only made the assignment available for a specific start and end date or you must complete other course activities, like a quiz or view content, before being able to submit your assignment.
• Your instructor has turned off the assignment's visibility and made it hidden for learners.
• You are not uploading the correct file type or including specific details for your assignment. For more information about assignment and uploading errors, refer to the latter parts of this topic.
• Your instructor only allows one submission for the assignment, so you cannot resubmit your assignment.
• You require special access to submit the assignment.

If you cannot submit or resubmit your assignment, contact your instructor and ask them to perform the necessary steps to allow assignment submission.

Assignment is not available or cannot find assignment

Assignments often have start and end dates that control when an assignment is available or visible. Instructors can also control whether an assignment is visible or not for learners when they create the assignment. If you are supposed to be able to access and view your assignment but you can't see it, contact your instructor and ask them to make the assignment available.

If you are having trouble locating your assignment, access the module related to your assignment in the Content tool. If you still can't find your assignment, navigate to the Assignments tool and search for your assignment name. If your assignment is not available in the Assignments tool and should be, contact your instructor.

Error: Field is required. Select at least one file to upload.

You will receive this error message when you click Add before your file gets completely uploaded.

To resolve this, wait until the green loading bar on your file name has finished loading and click Add .

Error: This file extension is not allowed

When you attempt to upload a file submission for an assignment of a file extension type that the instructor restricted, an error message appears.

Figure: An alert message indicating that a restricted file cannot be uploaded.

To resolve this, before uploading a file, review the allowable file types listed on the Submit Assignment dialog and upload only the allowable file type.

Figure: Submit an assignment file of the type listed in the Allowable File Extensions section.

Error: Oops, your file could not be uploaded

The cause of this error message may be due to an invalid file name, network issues, or if the file that is being uploaded is beyond the file upload limit.

To troubleshoot and resolve this issue, check the following:

File name . Your file does not upload when:

• The file name contains illegal characters. The file name should not contain illegal characters. Rename your file and try uploading again. Some examples of illegal characters are: \ / : * ? “ < > | ~ # % & ' { }
• The file name is too long. We recommend that you keep the file name under 120 characters.

File size . The File Upload function in Brightspace supports up to 2GB per file, depending on your organization’s settings.

To reduce the file size

• If your file contains images, you can reduce the resolution or size of the images.
• If your file contains many pages, try splitting this into two files. For example, in a presentation, you can create one file for slides 1-5 and one file for slides 6-10.

Internet connection

The file uploader in Brightspace uploads files in 10MB chunks. If one 10MB chunk takes longer than two minutes to upload, the upload process times out and your file will not continue to upload.

Your upload speed depends on your Internet connection.

• Always upload files using a wired Internet connection rather than wireless whenever possible.
• If you have access to a faster network, upload from this network (For example, Home, on campus).

To check your Internet connection speed

Go to an Internet speed test site and test your i=Internet speed.

Your upload speed determines how fast your file uploads. Along with the overall size of your file, a larger file takes longer to upload. Although there is no minimum Internet connection speed necessary to use Brightspace, the better your upload speed, the faster your files will upload.

Upload the correct file

When you save a file in Microsoft Office, like a file called assignment.docx , you may find two files saved on your computer: assignment.docx and ~$assignment.docx .

This is because Office creates both a temporary file and the document file, where the temporary file begins with ~$ . Ensure you are uploading the actual document instead of the temporary file as the temporary file will not open and contains no data.

Error: Unavailable Quicklink

You may encounter this error when you click the assignment submission folder link from the Content tool or on an announcement post.

The cause of this error is if the assignment folder is not visible on the Assignments page because it may have been hidden, has a release condition, or does not exist. If the assignment is visible but grayed out, either the assignment has not opened yet or it’s already closed.

Contact your instructor for further help accessing the assignment submission folder if this is the case.

Figure: The Unavailable Quicklink error appears after clicking the assignment submission link.

Browser issues

You may encounter an issue with uploading your assignment when the page is not loading properly, the assignment page is blank, or the page is unresponsive.

In this case, we recommend that you make sure you’re using a supported web browser. If the browser is supported, make sure it is updated.

Read more for how to update:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Edge

If updating your browser did not work, use a different supported browser, restart your computer, or clear browsing history, cache, and cookies.

Note : Clearing your browser history, cache, and cookies will permanently remove the your browsing history, cache, and cookies that you saved.

Find and review feedback

Tip: You can also view assignment feedback from User Progress and Grades.

• On the navbar, click Assignments .
• From the Assignments page, locate your assignment, and click Unread in the Evaluation Status column.
• From the View Feedback page, you can view your submission feedback, rubric assessment, and grade.
• If your instructor added annotated feedback to the assignment, click View Inline Feedback . The annotation view opens in a new tab, displaying annotated feedback using highlighting, free hand drawing, shapes, and associated commenting.
• To download the annotated assignment as a PDF, click Download .
• When you are finished viewing feedback, navigate back to the View Feedback page and click Done .

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Online Learning: How to Submit Assignments

Online learning for dummies.

Sign up for the Dummies Beta Program to try Dummies' newest way to learn.

Where did you store that file, attachments uploading papers and projects.

If there’s a secret to using this feature, it’s knowing how to upload and hitting the Submit button until you receive confirmation. In most systems, you look for a button labeled Add a File or Upload. This prompts you to browse your computer to find the file. (See why knowing where you stored it is important?) Usually, you click Open after you identify the file you want and then click Submit. The next screen you see should be a confirmation that the file has been uploaded. This figure shows what this looks like from the Student view in Canvas.

If your instructor doesn’t have this tool available, they may ask you to attach your work to an email. This process works the same as attaching photos to send to your dear cousin Ted. You find the Attachment icon (usually a paper clip), browse for the file, and upload. The uploading skill seems to be universal, whether you’re attaching a document to an email or a discussion board posting.

Some learning management systems connect to your Microsoft 365 or Google file structure, so you may be able to upload files from there.

Post, Emily! Submitting discussion posts

• Compose: Look for this button if you need to start a new discussion, one that isn’t attached to anyone else’s idea.
• Reply: Use this button when you want to respond to something another person wrote. Here’s a super tip: Copy and paste one or two lines from the original text (delete the rest) so that you can quote the first author and focus your comments.
• Post: After you have composed or replied, you must remember to hit Post or Submit. Otherwise, your great ideas don’t appear on the discussion board.

The Submit button on quizzes and tests

Tips for submitting any assignment

Whether you’re working with papers, projects, discussion posts, quizzes, or tests, consider the following general pointers: Submit early, have a backup plan, and keep a copy. Here’s why these are important:

• Submit early, when possible, in case of problems: What if you plan to submit your assignment at 11:56 p.m. on the night it’s due by midnight and the whole system crashes or your hard drive freezes? You don’t have a lot of time to remedy that situation. A safer bet is to submit your work during normal working hours, well before you need to. That way, if you encounter a problem, you’re more likely to contact a real-life tech support person who can assist you.
• Attach to email when technology fails: Still on the 11:56 p.m. track? When all else fails, send the same assignment as an attachment to an email to your instructor. Include a polite note explaining that the system wasn’t cooperating and that you wanted to be sure to get the assignment turned in, one way or another. This shows good problem-solving skills.
• Keep a copy: Always, always keep copies of your work for the term of the course. You never know when you might need them. It’s common for the system to freeze up when you’re trying to submit a great discussion post (always when you’ve written something worthy of a Pulitzer), so if you first compose in a word processor and then copy and paste to the discussion area, you’re safe in knowing that you have the original text. Should there be any question, you can find the file and resubmit it.

About This Article

This article can be found in the category:.

• General Study Skills & Test Prep ,
• Collaborative Tools for Online Learning Group
• How to Participate in Online Class Discussions
• Methods of Communicating in Online Classes
• How to Calculate the Costs of Online Classes
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Submit Assignments

You are viewing Ultra Course View content

Access your assignments

You can access assignments in the activity stream or in the calendar if your instructor added due dates.

If the due date has passed for an assignment, you’re alerted in the Important section of the activity stream.

More on late work

You can also find your assignments on the Course Content page. Your instructor may also organize assignments in folders and learning modules.

Your instructor may ask you to work on an assignment with a group.

More on group assignments

After you select an assignment, the Details & Information panel appears. View the due date, number of attempts allowed, the time limit if imposed, and possibly goals and a rubric for grading . Check if the due date has passed and if any submissions are or will be late.

Access code

Your instructor may require you to input a 6-digit access code to access the assignment. Instructors issue the access codes, but they might have another person, such as a proctor, deliver the codes. After you type the code, you can open the assignment. You can use the code to resume an assignment you saved. You don't need the code to view your grades and feedback posted by your instructor. If your instructor changes the code between attempts, you'll need to ask for it again.

Your instructor can also secure an assignment with the LockDown Browser . You need to provide the correct access code before the LockDown Browser is launched.

Start your attempt

If no time limit exists, you can view an assignment and you don't have to submit it . When you select Start attempt, you can view the assignment and start working on your submission. Not ready to submit? Select Save and close to save your work and close the assignment. You will be able to return to the assignment at a later date and resume your work. In this scenario, Select Continue attempt to resume working. Do not forget to Submit your work once you are ready to do so. 

If your instructor added a time limit, it appears alongside other assignment details on the Course Content page. You'll also see the time limit on the assignment's Details & Information panel and within the assignment, as you work.   

When you select Start attempt , you'll receive a pop-up window to start the timer before you can access the assignment. If you're not ready to start, select Cancel . After you start, the assignment auto-submits when time is up. If your instructor has enabled the Prohibit Late Submissions option, the assignment will be automatically submitted at the due date if you have not already submitted it yourself

More on time limits  

Continue working on your current attempt. If you have saved a draft, the Continue attempt button shows which attempt you are currently working on.

View your submissions. Once you have exhausted your attempts, select the View submissions button to review your completed submissions.  

After the due date has passed and you open an assignment, you’re alerted that your submission will be marked late. You can view the alert in the Details & Information panel, on the assignment page, and in the submit confirmation window. In the Details & Information panel, you can also see if any submissions are or will be late.

In the panel, you can select your submission in the Grading section and also see that you made a late submission.

If set up by your instructor, you may see zeros for work you haven't submitted after the due date passes. You can still submit attempts to update your grade. Your instructor determines grade penalties for late work.

More on zeros assigned to past due work

More on multiple attempts grades

Watch a video about How to Submit an assignment

The following narrated video provides a visual and auditory representation of some of the information included on this page. For a detailed description of what is portrayed in the video, open the video on YouTube , navigate to More actions , and select Open transcript .

Video: How to Submit an assignment in an Ultra Course

View attached files

Your instructor may attach files that you need to read or use to complete an assignment. Your instructor decides how files appear, such as inline or as attachments.

In most browsers, you can select where the files that you open in courses are downloaded. For example, in Chrome, navigate to Settings > Advanced > Downloads . You can select the location for file downloads and choose if you want the browser to ask each time. In Safari, you have the same capabilities. Navigate to Preferences > General > File download location . You can perform an internet search to learn about file download choices in other browsers.

For video and audio files that appear inline, select the title to open them in new windows. You have controls for play, pause, and volume control. For video files, you can view the video in full screen. You can also download the file.

For media files that appear as attachments, open the menu. Select Download Original File to download images, Word documents, PDFs, or slide presentations to your computer. Select Preview File to open the file on the course page, such as an image.

For image files that appear inline, you can select an image to view it separately.

Submit an assignment

Your instructor provides all the information and files you need to complete an assignment.

Be mindful of the time . If your instructor put a time limit on the assignment , you can keep track of how much time is left. A countdown appears at the top left of your screen and warns you as the time limit gets closer.

The timer keeps counting down when you save a draft or leave an attempt in progress.

Create your submission . You can drag and drop files from your computer directly onto the Submission box. You can also select the Submission box to display the WYSIWYG text editor. To upload a file you can either drag and drop files directly into the Submission box, or you can select the paperclip icon from the tool bar in the WSYWYG edi

Your answers will be auto saved two seconds after you’ve stopped typing. Essay question responses are saved every 10s while you’re typing and also again 2s after you’ve stopped typing. Every time an answer has been auto saved, you will see a Last saved notification at the bottom of the assessment.

If you lose your connection to the internet, you’ll receive a Connection lost warning. Do not refresh the page or use your browser back button, and check that you are connected to the internet.

The warning disappears after 20 seconds. If your connection has not been restored by that time, another warning will let you know that your most recent work wasn’t saved.  

Your work will auto save once the connection is restored and you will be notified.  

Auto saving is independent of your browser’s Undo action. When you use the Undo action, contents change according to your browser settings. Any changes because of an Undo action will auto save. 

To upload a file, you can either drag and drop it from your computer into the Submission box, or  select Attachment - represented by the paper clip icon- and browse for a file from your computer. A status window appears to show the progress of the file upload. Your assignment will be automatically saved after 2 seconds. At this point you'll also preview your file before submitting it.

If you decide to add files and there is a time limit, make sure they have finished uploading before the timer has expired. Otherwise, they won't be included in your submission.   

The preview happens automatically as part of the autosave action .

Text formatting and attachments. You can use the options in the editor to format the text and embed images and attach files . Visit the previous link to see an expanded view of the editor options and detailed instructions.

If you view the editor on a smaller screen, select the plus icon to view the menu of options. You'll find the option to attach a file to your assignment.

Only your instructor can view the content you add.

To use your keyboard to jump to the editor toolbar, press ALT + F10. On a Mac, press Fn + ALT + F10. Use the arrow keys to select an option, such as a numbered list.

Insert from Cloud Storage : You can instantly connect to multiple web apps where you store files, such as in OneDrive ® and Google Drive™. The files you add are copies. If you make a change to a file in cloud storage, you need to upload a new copy to your course. If your browser allows, media files you add from cloud storage display inline.

More on cloud storage

Add to the conversation . If your instructor enabled conversations, select the Open class conversation icon. Anyone can make a contribution to the assignment conversation, including your instructor.

More on conversations

Not ready to submit? Select Save and Close to save your work and continue later. Your text, comments, and files are saved on the page. When you return, you can resume working.

Submit your assignment . Finished? Select Submit when you're ready for your instructor to grade your work. When you submit, a panel appears with the date and time you made the submission. Select the View submission link at the bottom of the panel to review your submission.

The Submit button appears deactivated until you add content or answer at least one question.

Copy and save the unique submission confirmation number for your records. This confirmation confirms the assessment was successfully submitted into the system.

If your instructor allowed one attempt, you can't edit your work after you submit. If your instructor allowed multiple attempts and you submit an attempt past the due date, the attempt will be marked late. Any attempts you submit before the due date aren't marked late.

When you finish your assignment, you must select Submit . If you don't, your instructor won't receive your completed assignment.

Word count in the editor

As you type in the editor for Essay questions and the submission area, the word count appears below the editor. After you save, the word count no longer appears.

These items are included in the word count:

• Individual words
• Text in bulleted or numbered lists, but the bullets or numbers themselves aren't included
• Superscript and subscript text not part of another word

These items and formatting elements don't affect the word count:

• Images, videos, and file attachments
• Math formulas
• Blank spaces and lines
• Alternative text

When you use punctuation to attach words or numbers, the count is affected. For example, "We went...without you" is counted as three words. The words or numbers on either side of the punctuation are counted as one word.

Edit your content

After you add content, open the menu and select Edit to make changes or add more content.

You can edit settings for the files you've added. Select a file in the editor and then select the Edit Attachment icon in the row of editor options. You can add a Display Name and Alternative Text . Alternative text describes the image for people who use screen readers or visit web pages with images turned off.

You can also choose whether to insert the file as a link in the editor or to embed the file directly so it appears inline with other content you've added.

Reorder your text and files

Point to a text block or a file to access the Move icon. Press and drag the text block or file to a new location.

You can use your keyboard to move an item.

• Tab to an item's Move icon.
• Press Enter to activate move mode.
• Use the arrow keys to choose a location.
• Press Enter to drop the item in the new location.

View the rubric

If your instructor added a rubric for grading to an assignment, you can view it before you open the assignment and after you start the attempt. Select This item is graded with a rubric to view the rubric.

If you want, you can view the rubric alongside the assignment instructions. You can expand each rubric criterion to view the achievement levels and organize your efforts to meet the requirements of the graded work.

Anonymously graded assignments

When you open an assignment, you're informed if your submission is set to be graded anonymously:

This assessment will be graded anonymously. Don't include any personal information, such as your name.

Your instructor won't see your name during grading. Your instructor may choose to grade anonymously to eliminate bias. Your instructor can't enable anonymous grading for group assignments.

You shouldn't include any identifying information with your submission. Don't add your name to files you upload or use your name in any text you add.

You won’t see any indication of anonymous grading on your Grades page. Until your instructor posts grades, you'll see Not graded in the Grade column. If your instructor allowed multiple attempts, you'll also see Not graded for each attempt you've submitted.

Timed assignments

Your instructor may limit the amount of time you have to submit your assignment. If you have a time limit, it appears alongside other assignment details on the Course Content page. You'll also see the time limit on the assignment's Details & Information panel and within the assignment, as you work. You'll find a countdown at the top left corner of the screen that will let you know the remaining time in minutes and, during the last minute, the time you have left down to the last second.  

When you select Start attempt , you'll receive a pop-up window to start the timer before you can access the assignment. If you're not ready to start, select Cancel .

If you see View assessment instead of Start attempt , the assignment isn't timed. You don't have to submit an assignment with no time limit when you open it.

If your instructor allows you to submit multiple attempts, the time limit applies to each attempt.

The timer keeps running whether or not you're actively working on the assignment. If you save a draft or leave the assignment window, the countdown continues and your work is saved and submitted when time is up. When you select Save and Close to return to the assignment later, you're reminded that the timer will continue.

The timer appears at the bottom of the window to let you know how much time is left. Your work is saved and submitted automatically when time is up.

Time remaining notifications. When you take a timed assessment, you’ll receive notifications telling you how much time you have left to submit your work. The notifications will depend on how much time your instructor assigned for the assessment: 

• 10 minutes up to 1 hour: You’ll receive a single reminder when 10% of the time remains. For example, for an assessment with a ten-minute time limit, the notification will appear when there’s one minute left. 
• 1 hour or longer: You’ll receive a notification when 50% of the time remains and a second notification when 10% of the time remains. For example, for an assessment with a one-hour time limit, notifications will appear when 30 minutes remain and when there are 6 minutes left. 

You won’t see any time remaining notifications if: 

• Your assessment has a time limit below 10 minutes .
• You are a student with an unlimited time accommodation.

Respondus LockDown Browser

Student - secure assessment.

Your instructor can deliver assignments and tests securely. Secure assessments help promote academic integrity and honesty in student submissions. Your institution may use Respondus tools to administer secure assessments.

About Respondus

Respondus LockDown Browser prevents your access to any other materials, including internet browsers or other software, while you have an assessment open. You can’t refer to external information or copy material from these sources while you take the assessment. Within the LockDown Browser window, the assessment appears like any other Ultra assessment.

Respondus Monitor uses your webcam to prevent your access to physical materials during the assessment. Your instructor may also require you to enable your webcam or show your ID to verify that you're who you say you are.

Visit the Respondus Knowledgebase for help

What can't I do during a secure assessment?

If your instructor set up assessment security, you can't perform these actions:

• Open the assessment in a standard browser window
• Open other programs or browser windows
• Visit other websites
• Copy and paste
• Add files, links, or videos to your submission content
• Use certain keyboard shortcuts

Your instructor may allow you to use the Respondus iPad app. Otherwise, you need to submit a secure assessment with the desktop software.

Download the tools

You need to have Respondus LockDown Browser downloaded on your computer to open a secure assessment in Blackboard Learn. If you haven’t downloaded the tools and try to open the assessment, a message appears with links where to download. Select the link to get started.

Respondus Monitor is included in the LockDown Browser software. Your institution uses a unique LockDown Browser download link and application. Your instructor or your institution's help desk can provide you with the download URL.

Open a secure assessment

On the Course Content page, you can see the tools you need to open secure assessments and submit attempts. When you open a secure assessment, the Details & Information panel appears to provide more information about the grade, number of attempts, and other settings. You see which tools you need to continue.

Before you begin an attempt, be sure to download the required software . Reminder : If you haven’t downloaded the tools and try to open the assessment, a message appears with links where to download.

Select View assessment . LockDown Browser launches in a new window. If your instructor required Respondus Monitor, the startup sequence begins.

Add text and answer questions in the assessment just as you do in a standard browser. You can save drafts of your work and return at later points to continue work or submit. Reminder : You can't add files, links, or videos to the editor when you submit a secure assessment.

View an attempt

You'll also need Respondus LockDown Browser to view submitted attempts for secure assessments. After your instructor posts your grade, you can find it in multiple places without additional software.

To view the correct answers for your submission, you need Respondus LockDown Browser. Open your attempt and select Review results in Respondus LockDown Browser to launch the tool.

Offline Submissions (Student)

Offline submissions.

Your instructor can add assessments that don't require you to upload a submission.

Examples of offline work :

• Oral presentations
• Science fair projects
• Acting performances
• Artwork delivered in person
• Face-to-face team building exercises, panel discussions, and debates

You can view the assessment alongside other content on the Course Content page and on your global and course grades pages. When you access the assessment from these course areas, you're informed you can't submit work online. Your instructor can add instructions, files, a rubric, and goals to help you prepare for the offline work. You can also participate in the assessment's conversations if enabled.

For offline submissions, you can't submit multiple attempts and your instructor can't add a time limit.

When your instructor assigns a grade, you're notified in your activity stream.

On your Course Grades page, your grade appears with Submitted offline . If your instructor used a rubric to grade, the grade pill displays a rubric icon.

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Getting Started with Canvas Assignments

• Last modification date Updated On June 8, 2023
• Categories: Assignments , Canvas , Uncategorized
• Categories: assessment , Getting Started , Grading

Canvas  Assignments  are a way for instructors to provide students opportunities to practice using the knowledge and skills they have gained or to assess student performance related to such knowledge and skills. (Creating an Assignment is the  only  way to create a new column in the Gradebook.)

In Canvas there are four basic  Submission Types  for assignments. The submission types include:

• No Submission : For assignments for which you are not collecting any content from the students.
• Text Entry : For students to enter text directly into a text box on Canvas.
• Website URL : For students to enter a URL (usually to a blog, video, podcast, etc.).
• Media Recordings : For students to upload or record media for submission.
• File Uploads : For students to upload files for submission ( Restrict Upload File Types  will allow you to limit which types of files may be submitted).
• On Paper : For assignments students will submit in person.
• External Tool : For assignments which students will submit through a third-party tool (such as Turnitin, Panopto Video Quiz, and PlayPosit).

Managing an Assignment

Managing assignment groups.

When getting started with Assignments, learn to

• Create an assignment shell with the Canvas guide  How do I create an assignment? 

If you select  Peer Reviews Appear Anonymously , annotation tools in  SpeedGrader  will become unavailable.

If you change the  Assign To  area from  Everyone  to select students after submissions have already begun, and do not have a second set of Assign To dates, submissions from unassigned students will disappear.

• Published assignments are visible as existing outside of availability dates, but students cannot see the details.
• If looking to update the due and/or availability dates on multiple assignments, see   How do I bulk update due dates and availability dates as an instructor?
• If choosing the option to make an assignment a  Group Assignment : If only assigning to specific groups, make sure to click the  X  on the  Everyone Else  choice under  Assign to .

Media Recording  Assignments are not recommended due to technical reasons. Instead, have students submit media by embedding it in a  Text Entry  assignment through Panopto .

Clearly express expectations and criteria for grading by using a  Rubric .

Be cautious limiting submission attempts, as students often make mistakes loading documents and need multiple attempts to ensure you have the correct submission.

• Delete an assignment with the Canvas guide  How do I delete an assignment?
• This duplication process will not work for Quizzes.
• Attach a rubric to an assignment for grading or to communicate expectations to students with the Canvas guide  How do I add a rubric to an assignment?

Accessibility Tips

• Use descriptive text for links, instead of long URLs or ‘click here’. 
• Make instructions brief and to-the-point. Avoid long paragraphs and sentences.
• Consider allowing multiple submission types to accommodate technical limitations students may face.

Assignment Groups  are a way to categorize different graded items in Canvas. For example, you may have journals, blogs, and essays which your students create in your course. Assignment Groups allow you to label and group different types of assignments separately in order to better organize and for ease when applying weighting (see  How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups? ). When getting started with Assignment Groups, learn to

• Add and delete assignment groups with the Canvas guide  How do I add an assignment group in a course?
• Move or reorder an assignment group with the Canvas guide  How do I move or reorder an assignment group?
• Make rules governing grading expectations within assignment groups with the Canvas guide  How do I create rules for an assignment group?

Additional Resources

• CTI Resource: What is the Assignments Index Page?
• How do I bulk update due dates and availability dates as an instructor?
• How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?
• Canvas Student Guide

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Documentation

• Using Assignment
• Assignment settings
• Assignment FAQ

This page explores the different types of assignment, how students submit assignments and how teachers can grade them.

• 1 What are the options for submitting work in Moodle?
• 2.1 You want students to type shorter or longer responses directly online
• 2.2 You want students to submit work you can download in a specified program
• 2.3 You want students to submit files at different times for a project
• 2.4 You want students to write a response to a video/sound file/image
• 2.5 You want students to answer a series of questions on a video/sound file/image
• 2.6 You want to grade work students have done offline
• 2.7 You want to view, comment on and send back students' assignments
• 2.8 You want students to send you a comment or note along with their uploaded work
• 2.9 You want to allow students to redraft and decide when to submit the work
• 2.10 You want students to keep an ongoing journal or do an iterative assignment
• 2.11 You want students to submit work in groups
• 2.12 You want to grade students' work anonymously
• 2.13 You want to read and grade student assignments offline
• 2.14 You want to hide students' grades until a time of your choosing.
• 2.15 You want to set a timed assignment
• 2.16 You want to moderate other colleagues' marking or allocate certain teachers to certain students
• 3.1 File submission
• 3.2 Access controlled links
• 3.3 Online text
• 3.4 Submission comments
• 4.1 Filtering submissions
• 4.2 Allocating submissions to markers
• 4.3 Submission status
• 4.4 Overriding assignment deadlines
• 4.5 Granting extensions
• 4.6 Quick grading
• 4.7.1 Annotating submissions
• 4.8.1 Notifying as you mark
• 4.8.2 Keeping grades hidden until a release date
• 4.8.3 Examples of Marking workflow
• 4.9.1 Before you start, enable the multiple file upload settings
• 4.9.2 Downloading student submissions
• 4.9.3 Download the Grading Worksheet to record grades
• 4.9.4 Grade and annotate (if applicable) the submitted work
• 4.9.5 Upload the completed grading worksheet
• 4.9.6 Upload feedback files (if applicable)
• 4.10 Give the same feedback file to multiple students
• 5 Keeping records (archiving, exporting, backing up)
• 6 Tips and Tricks
• 7.1 Examples from School demo site

What are the options for submitting work in Moodle?

The standard ways students can submit assignments are:

• File submissions (students submit a file for assessment)
• Online text (students can type their responses directly in Moodle)
• Audio or video (via the recording button in the Atto editor )
• It is also possible to use the assignment for grading an "offline assignment", ie, one where work is done outside of Moodle. This is done by simply unchecking the above three options.
• If you're not sure which assignment type best suits your needs, look at the section below #Which type of assignment submission suits you best?

Which type of assignment submission suits you best?

You want students to type shorter or longer responses directly online.

Set Online text to Yes. This works well for younger children who will only manage a sentence or two and works just as well for higher education students who write more.

• Advantage - quick for the student to get started; no need to use a word-processing program and upload the file. The text is saved on a regular basis so it will be preserved if the student loses the page for some reason.
• Disadvantage: if the word count is expected to be large, setting Online text to No and File submission to Yes might be a better option.

You want students to submit work you can download in a specified program

Set File submission to Yes, set the number of files you will allow using the Maximum number of uploaded files setting and the file sizes by using the Maximum submission size setting.

• Advantage - better than students emailing work as the whole class's work is collated in one space on your course. Markers can provide comments directly on the student work.
• Advantage - with "Attempts reopened" enabled, teachers can see the progression through various drafts of a student's work.
• Disadvantage - assignments must downloaded to be viewed (but they can be downloaded in bulk ) and the teacher needs the appropriate program to open them.

You want students to submit files at different times for a project

Set File submission to Yes, and use Maximum number of uploaded files to set the maximum number of separate files they can upload

• Advantage - all project files are in one assignment area for grading so they get a single grade.
• Disadvantage - all project files are in one assignment area for grading - so they can only have a single grade!

You want students to write a response to a video/sound file/image

Set up an assignment allowing online text submission and get students to use the Moodle media icon to add video/sound/image files.

You want students to answer a series of questions on a video/sound file/image

Investigate the Quiz module. Assignments are really just for a single question.

You want to grade work students have done offline

Uncheck the submission types when setting up the assignment. Students won't be required to do anything but you can use the assignment to grade them for work done outside of Moodle.

You want to view, comment on and send back students' assignments

Set up an assignment allowing file submissions .

• Advantage: useful for teachers who like using the "comment" options in word-processing programs for example. If you have Ghostscript enabled on your server and the students upload PDF files, you can annotate them inline. See the section Annotating PDF files below.
• Disadvantage: if students upload other file types, you have to download them, comment and then re-upload them.

You want students to send you a comment or note along with their uploaded work

If comments are enabled site-wide , students will be able to add submission comments; if comments are disabled site-wide, students will not be given the option to add submission comments.

You want to allow students to redraft and decide when to submit the work

In the settings set Require students click submit button to Yes. Students can then control when their draft work is submitted to the teacher.

You want students to keep an ongoing journal or do an iterative assignment

In the settings set Require students click submit button to No. Students can continue to make changes to their assignment and at no point do they 'submit'. If the work will be graded at some point it is recommended that either Prevent late submissions is set to Yes to ensure that no changes can be made after the due date, or all submissions are locked when grading commences to ensure that the work is not altered during grading.

• Advantage: the work remains in one place and is constantly improved, graded (if needed) and improved again.
• Disadvantage: there is no record/history of previous attempts (such as with the Wiki ). The online text assignment does not replicate the display of a journal or blog where each new entry is additional to the previous ones.

You want students to submit work in groups

In the settings, set "Students submit in groups" to Yes. If you just do this, then once one student has submitted, the assignment will be flagged as submitted even if the others haven't contributed. If you want to ensure everyone has an input, set "Require students click submit button" to Yes and then change "Require all group members to submit" to Yes. The assignment will only be classed as submitted when each member has contributed, and once one student has submitted, the remaining members's names will be displayed for the group to see who still needs to add their input.

You want to grade students' work anonymously

In the settings, choose 'Anonymous submissions'. When students submit assignments, their names will be replaced by randomly-generated participant numbers so you will not know who is who. Note that this is not totally anonymous because you can reveal their identities in the assignment settings and you can work out identities from the logs - so this might not be suitable if your establishment has very precise privacy requirements.

You want to read and grade student assignments offline

In the settings, choose "Offline grading worksheet". When students have submitted, click "View/grade all submissions" and you can download their assignments from the link "Download all submissions" and download the grading sheet from the link "Download grading worksheet". You can then edit grades and re-upload the grading worksheet. You can also upload multiple feedback files in a zip from this drop down menu. See Assignment settings for an explanation of how to use the "upload multiple feedback files as zip" feature.

You want to hide students' grades until a time of your choosing.

Use 'marking workflow' as explained in Assignment settings .

You want to set a timed assignment

Ask your administrator to enable the time limit feature from Site administration > Plugins > Assignment settings > Enable timed assignments and you will then have the option from the Availability section.

You want to moderate other colleagues' marking or allocate certain teachers to certain students

Use 'marking allocation' as explained in Assignment settings .

How do students submit their assignments?

The first page students will see when they click on the assignment activity link from the course page will display the assignment name, description and the submission status. The first time a student views the assignment it will look like this:

The submission status section includes:

Submission status

• Grading status
• Time remaining
• Last modified
• Submission details

As they progress through the assignment the Submission status and Grading status will update and the Last modified date will appear.

If the student uploaded a file which the teacher has annotated, this will be made available in the feedback section. The student can search through the document and filter specific comments.

Submission statuses include:

• Nothing submitted for this assignment
• Draft (not submitted)
• Submitted for grading

Grading statuses include:

File submission

To submit a file submission, students complete the following steps:

• Click the ‘Add submission’ button to bring up the file upload page.
• Upload the relevant file into the submission. They are able to ‘drag and drop’ the file into the submission box.
• Click ‘Save Changes’.

There should now be a Last modified date and the file(s) uploaded will also be displayed. Depending on how the assignment is setup the status will either read ‘Submitted for grading’ - in which case no further action is need, or ‘Draft (not submitted)’.

• If changes are required, click ‘Edit submission’.
• Once ready to submit, click ‘Submit assignment’.

Note that once the assignment is 'submitted’ no further changes are allowed.

Note: Depending on how the assignment is setup students may see both a file submission page and an online text editor.

If file submissions and online text are enabled, and a word limit is set for the online text, it is possible for a student to end up with a submission status of 'No attempt' together with saved file submissions. This occurs when a student submits files, enters online text, clicks 'Save changes' then obtains a message informing them that the text exceeds the word limit. If they then click Cancel, the submission status is shown as 'No attempt' together with saved file submissions.

Access controlled links

If the administrator has enabled this feature for either the Google Drive repository or the OneDrive repository then students can upload a file as an 'access controlled link' from either of these repositories. The file is then copied to the site account and the student is no longer able to edit it.The student retains the original file in their own Google Drive or OneDrive. The teacher is given permission to edit the file for grading purposes, and the student is sent a copy of the edited file.

Online text

To submit online text, students complete the following steps:

• Click the ‘Add submission’ button to bring up the online text editor page.
• Type the relevant text into the text editor , or paste from a previously written file.

There should now be a Last modified date and the first 100 characters entered will also be displayed. Depending on how the assignment is setup the status will either read ‘Submitted for grading’ - in which case no further action is need, or ‘Draft (not submitted)’.

• If changes are required, click on ‘Edit my submission’.

Submission comments

If enabled by the administrator, there may be a section where students can leave submission comments.

How do teachers grade assignments?

When students have submitted their assignments, they can be accessed by clicking on the assignment activity. This will bring up the Grading Summary page.

The Grading Summary page displays a summary of the assignment, including; number of participants, number of drafts, number of submitted assignments, due date and time remaining.

Clicking 'Grade' will take you to the first student in the list so you can start grading individually. If you wish to grade several assignments, clicking Save and Show next will take you to the next submission.

Clicking 'View all submissions' will take you to the grading table where you see all students.

The Grading Table contains columns of information about the student, the status of their submission, a link to grade their submission, a link to each submission and feedback comments and files (if enabled).

Filtering submissions

A dropdown menu accessed from the 'Options' section allows you to filter submissions so you can for example quickly see which students have not submitted yet.

You can also filter submissions which have had extensions granted.

Allocating submissions to markers

If you need to divide submissions between more than one person, you can apply groups to the assignment and let markers know which group(s) to mark. Note that because group membership is not itself anonymised, this may make anonymised submissions that bit less anonymous, though as long as the groups aren't very small this should be acceptable.

An alternative is to use marking allocation - this allows anyone with a teacher role to allocate one marker to each submission. This works particularly well if marking is allocated by subject specialism.

If you will be assigning grades to student work, you may want to take note of the submission status before you begin the marking process. If you have required students click the Submit button, you may find that some submissions are still marked as Draft (not submitted), meaning the student has either uploaded a file(s) or entered some text, but has not clicked ‘Submit assignment’.

If it's after the due date and you are about to commencing marking that you use ‘Prevent submission changes’ to stop students from making changes to their assignment. You can do this one by one by using the icon in the Edit column.

Or you can select two or more students by putting a tick in the select column and going to 'Lock submissions’ from the With selected menu under the grading table.

Likewise you can also revert a student's submission to draft if they have uploaded the incorrect file. Instead of selecting ‘Prevent submission changes’ select ‘Revert the submission to draft’, or place ticks against selected students and choose 'Revert the submission to draft status' from the With selected menu under the grading table.

If the submission setting 'Attempts reopened' is set to 'Automatically until pass' and a submission is graded below the grade to pass, then then submission is automatically unlocked when the grade is saved. Similarly, if the submission setting 'Attempts reopened' is set to Manually, and a teacher selects 'Allow another attempt, then the submission is automatically unlocked.

Overriding assignment deadlines

A teacher can override a deadline for an individual or group from the Assignment navigation > More link Boost theme or Assignment administration other themes.)

When adding overrides for a group, it is possible to have one group override trump another. This is achieved by moving the override up/down on the group overrides page:

In this situation, a student in both groups (e.g. Frodo Baggins) will have the override from "The Council of Elrond" applied. By pressing the arrow icons on the right, the override for "The Fellowship" can be moved to the top of the list, and will have higher precedence.

Note also that if there exists a user override for a student, it will always take precedence over any group overrides.

Granting extensions

If an assignment has a deadline, a teacher can grant individual or group assignment extensions by selecting the Edit link next to a particular student or group.

• To grant an extension, open the assignment
• Click on "View all submissions"
• Locate the student who is to be allowed to submit after the "Cut-off date"To

• Click on "Save changes".

Quick grading

Quick grading allows you to enter numeric grades directly into the grading table, bypassing the more detailed grading interface. Please note:

• if you want to give feedback, you need to use the more detailed Grade interface.
• Quick grading is incompatible with advanced grading e.g. Rubrics, and is not recommended when there are multiple markers.
• Submission comments are a two-way private conversation between a student and staff and are visible to students immediately i.e. markers use the grading interface to give feedback, not the submission comments.

To access the Quick Grading interface, from the Grading Summary page click 'View all submissions'; the Grading Table displays. Scroll to bottom of the page to configure Options, and check the box for 'Quick grading'. While you're down there, you can also set the number of assignments to display per page, filter the assignments e.g. to see who has not submitted, unmarked assignments, etc.

When you are ready to Quick Grade:

• You can enter grades directly into the grading table.
• Scroll to the bottom of the grading table and click 'Save all quick grading changes'
• A confirmation displays.

Grading individual submissions

If you have enabled File Feedback in the Assignment settings and wish to upload either the marked student assignment, a completed text based feedback document or audio feedback, click on the green tick in the Grade column (or use the icon in the Edit column and select Grade).

This brings you to the Student Grading Page where you can give grades, feedback comments and feedback files (if enabled in the Assignment settings ). You can use drag and drop to upload feedback files.

Annotating submissions

If the student has uploaded a PDF, docx or odt file, or if you set 'Comment inline' for an online text submission, then their submission will be displayed on the grading screen, allowing you to annotate it (requires Ghostscript for PDF and unoconv for docx and odt files), using a variety of tools, stamps (if uploaded by the admin) and comments which may be saved to a comments bank. When the annotations are complete, clicking to save the changes will result in it being displayed to the student as part of their feedback.

'Rotate' icons let you change the orientation of an uploaded document if the student submitted it in landscape mode for example.

Comments may be added and then saved in a quick list for future use (1) Click the paper/magnifying glass icon to the right of the page selector to filter comments you have already added to the work (2) :

• In the Search comments pop-up window, enter the term you would like to search for in the Filter comments... box.
• Clicking on the comment will take you to the part of the paper where that comment has been added.

Note: To ensure that comments display to students as the marker intends, do instruct students to download the annotated PDF rather than just previewing it. Preview sometimes displays comments in a way which obscures the original text.

The review panel and / or the grading panel may be collapsed by clicking the icons at the bottom right of the screen.

Controlling when to notify students of graded work

Notifying as you mark.

If you need to notify individual students, one by one, as you mark, the Notify students checkbox is available when grading individual submissions. Choose Yes to notify the student immediately or No to grade without notifying the student. Assuming you are not hiding grades in the ways outlined below, then Moodle will send a notification.

Note: How students receive Moodle notifications depends on your local default settings, and any changes students have made to those.

Keeping grades hidden until a release date

Assessors often decide to hide grades and feedback until marking is complete and finalised, and then release them all at once. There are two alternatives for this.

• Hide the item in the Grader Report . This is convenient if there are few markers and you have decided a provision date for releasing the marks and feedback.
• Or enable Use marking workflow in the Assignment's settings. This way is best where there are many markers, and/or you don't have a provisional date to release marks and feedback.

Examples of Marking workflow

One marker, Marker, wants to release all grades at the same time

• Marker enables "Use marking workflow"
• Marker marks each submission and transitions the grading to "Marking completed" as each submission is graded.
• Marker then uses the batch operations to transition all grades to "Released" at the same time.

Multiple markers,

Offline marking - downloading and uploading multiple grades and feedback files

If you don't have an internet connection or prefer to grade outside Moodle, you can do so (including with anonymous submissions). These easy stages explained below:

• Download the submissions
• Download the spreadsheet (grading worksheet) to record grades.
• Grade and annotate (if applicable) the submitted work.
• Upload the completed grading worksheet.
• Upload the annotated submissions (if applicable).

Note:You cannot upload marks and feedback to Moodle if you have enabled Rubrics or Marking Guides.

Before you start, enable the multiple file upload settings

Go to the settings of that assignment. For Feedback types, ensure that the Moodle Assignment settings, Feedback comments, Feedback files, and Offline grading worksheet are ticked.

Downloading student submissions

You can download a zip file containing all of the assignment submissions by selecting ‘Download all submissions’ from the 'Grading actions' menu at the top of the grading table, or in the settings menu.

File submissions will be downloaded in the format uploaded by the student. Online text submissions will be downloaded as html files. Each file in the zip will be named with the student first and last name followed by a unique identifier (not the user ID number).

If each submission is more than a single file, then submissions may be downloaded in folders by ticking the option 'Download submissions in folders' (below the grading table). Each submission is put in a separate folder, with the folder structure kept for any subfolders, and files are not renamed. Each folder will be named with the student first and last name followed by a unique identifier (not the user ID number).

You can also download selected assignment submissions (rather than all of them) by selecting the ones you want and then choosing 'With selected....Download selected submissions'.

Download the Grading Worksheet to record grades

• Next, to download the spreadsheet in which you'll enter the grades and brief comments, return to the Moodle Assignment page and from its Grading action drop-down menu choose Download grading worksheet and save that file (keep its csv file format).

Note: Helpfully that downloaded worksheet will contain any existing grades and summary comments which have already been given for that assignment i.e. if marking has already started. However, to see pre-existing comments fully you may need to set your spreadsheet to 'wrap text' within cells.

Grade and annotate (if applicable) the submitted work

After downloading the submissions and the grading worksheet:

• Open a downloaded assignment file to assess it.
• Open the csv file in a spreadsheet editor e.g. Excel.
• For that student's record (if anonymous, a number corresponding to the submission file name will display), enter grades in the Grade column and summary comments in the Feedback comments column for each student.
• Leave the other data untouched unless you know exactly what you're doing.
• Repeat as needed.
• Save the csv file.

Note: Take care to enter data in the correct column of the spreadsheet.

If you are annotating the submissions to return to students as feedback:

• Open a downloaded submission.
• Carry out your annotations.
• Save it in its original place i.e. the folder corresponding to that student.

If you have separate feedback files to upload to students:

• Save these within that student's folder.
• You can give students multiple feedback files in this way e.g. annotations on their work along with a separate pro forma.

Note: Don't change the name or location of the folder - Moodle needs this information to allocate the files correctly.

Compress (zip) all the feedback files:

• Windows: Right click one of the selected files and Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
• Mac: Right Click (or Ctrl+click) one of the selected files and click Compress.
• They are now ready for upload (see below).

Upload the completed grading worksheet

When you are ready to upload grades and summary feedback:

• Click on the assignment name on the Moodle course homepage to access the summary page and click View/grade all submissions .
• From the Grading action drop-down menu choose Upload grading worksheet .
• Click Choose a file... and upload the grading worksheet to Moodle, or drag the csv file to the arrow and wait for the file name to appear in the box.
• There is a checkbox to overwrite records that have been modified more recently in Moodle than in the spreadsheet - only check this if you want to spreadsheet to overwrite all Moodle records, including ones made more recently than the spreadsheet.
• Click Upload grading worksheet ; a Confirmation box displays the students grades and feedback that will be imported - check this carefully.
• If you are ready to proceed, click Confirm ; a summary of updates displays.
• Click Continue .

Upload feedback files (if applicable)

• From the Grading action drop-down menu choose Upload multiple feedback files in a zip .
• Click Choose a file... and upload the zipped assignments file to Moodle, or drag the compressed/zipped file to the arrow and wait for the file name to appear in the box.
• Click Import feedback file(s) .
• The Confirmation box will list all the feedback files and student names that will be imported.
• Click Confirm ; the next screen summarises the changes.
• Click Continue .
• From the page containing the Grading Table, you can check your feedback files by enabling Quick grading (see Options at the bottom of that page) and scrolling horizontally, if needed.

For an assignment with no file submissions, see the discussion upload feedback files without student file submissions for details of what to do.

Give the same feedback file to multiple students

If you have high level feedback you want to give to an entire cohort, it is generally a good idea to give this feedback in the context of the assignment, rather than e.g. separately via a Forum. Moodle allows you to select some or all students and attach a single, common feedback file to their assignment feedback. This common feedback will appear to each student along with any other individual feedback files you have prepared for each.

• Prepare the single file of feedback.
• Click on the link to the Assignment; its summary page displays.
• Click View all submissions ; the assignment's Grading Table displays.
• Use the checkboxes to select all or some students to receive the feedback (you may first prefer to configure the Grading Table to show as many students as possible on a single page).
• Underneath the Grading Table click the With selected... menu, choose Send feedback files , then click Go ; a page displays a list of selected students above a file upload area.
• Upload the file of feedback you prepapred, or drag it to the arrow and wait for the file name to appear in the box.
• Click Send feedback files ; the Grading Table displays again.
• Check your file is in place by scrolling horizontally to the Feedback files column.

Keeping records (archiving, exporting, backing up)

When students unenrol from a Moodle area, their records become invisible through the Gradebook interface. In order to have the information to hand, departments or course teaching teams may need systems in place to keep their own records for the data retention period required in their particular context. There are two separate procedures for exporting student submissions and marks.

To export marks (with or without feedback):

• Go to your course administration block and click Grades.
• From the Grader Report Settings block, select Export; a menu displays.
• From the menu, if you need easy viewing and running calculations you probably want to select one of the spreadsheet formats; a page of export settings loads
• Use the Visible Groups pulldown menu to limit the export to specific groups, as required
• In Options, you indicate whether feedback comments are included
• In Grade Items To Be Included lists you can, if required, omit particular Activities from the report
• When you've finished with the settings, click on Submit; a preview of your export displays
• Click on Download to export to the format you chose, and save the file.

To download the original student submissions:

• In your course area, click the link to the Assignment whose submissions you want to download.
• Click on the link to View/Grade all submissions; the Grading Table will load.
• Click the link to 'Download all submissions' and save the file.

Tips and Tricks

• Want to use an Assignment activity again in another Moodle site? Use the backup and restore options.
• Want to use an Assignment activity in another course you teach? Use the Import function in the course administration block.
• Moodle will sometimes appear not to be uploading a resubmitted assignment - you seem to be downloading the original assignment. This is a cache issue, in short, go to "Tools > Clear Recent History" in Firefox or "Tools > Delete Browsing History > Delete Temporary Files" in Windows Explorer. The newer file will then appear.

Examples from School demo site

• Teacher view of a PDF assignment which can be annotated inline. Log in with username 'teacher' and password 'moodle'
• Teacher view of allocated markers and marking workflow status. Log in with username 'teacher' and password 'moodle'
• Student view of an assignment. Log in with username 'student' and password 'moodle'. Scroll down to see the rubric and feedback.
• Student view of a student submission statement Log in with username 'student' and password 'moodle'
• Student view of group assignment grading screen Log in with username 'student' and password 'moodle'
• Teacher view of a group assignment grading screen Log in with username 'teacher' and password 'moodle'.
• Teacher view of Anonymous submissions grading screen Log in with username 'teacher' and password 'moodle'
• One approach to group project grading blog post by Gavin Henrick
• Advantages of using Assignment upload over emailing a document forum discussion