Title: Assessment Tool #1 - The Assignments Tool
Course: TOPkit Sample Course Lite > Section: Module 4 - Effective Online Assessments

Notes for Course Facilitator

Summary:

This page provides participants with information about the Assignments tool specific to Canvas.

Suggestions:

- This content is provided as an example and should be updated with your institution's LMS materials.

Gentle reminder: Update all content highlighted in yellow to reflect your institution.

The Assignments tool allows you to create and manage group or individual assignments within <Replace - Your LMS>. Although many faculty use this tool to have students submit written assignments or presentations (e.g., Word Documents and PowerPoints), it can also be used for other file types (e.g., videos, HTML pages, music files, etc.) as well as non-submission assignments, such as participation and attendance.  The following video offers an overview of how to create assignments in <Replace - Your LMS>:

Assignments Tool Video

- Creating Assignments Using the Assignments Tool

Features of the Assignments Tool

- The assignments tool helps you to organize and manage all course assignments.  This is more efficient than having students email assignments to you.
- When you create a gradable assignment, a corresponding grade book column is automatically created in the grade book. This allows students to check their progress online throughout the semester.
- Students may submit assignments by posting responses in a text box, attaching document or media files, or copying and pasting URL (website) links within the assignments tool.
- You can allow students to take back and edit their submissions.
- Assignments can be completed individually or in groups.
- You can allow Peer Reviews of assignments.
- You can publish student submissions to the entire class giving students the opportunity for peer review.
- You can set a Due date and a Lock Submits After (cut-off date).
  - Students can submit the assignment after the due date; but it will be marked late.
  - A student cannot submit the assignment after the Lock Submits After date.
- You may choose to be notified via notifications when a student submits their assignment.

Turnitin Submission Feature

One feature in <Replace - Your LMS> is the ability to have student papers automatically submitted to and checked by Turnitin.com, a web application which checks for plagiarism. When enabled on assignments, students submit the assignment and it is automatically checked by Turnitin. The paper and results are then automatically returned to the course for you to review through SpeedGrader. The following links offer more information on this feature:

- Enabling Turnitin for an Assignment
- Using Turnitin in the Speed Grader

Logistical Considerations

- What type of assignment are you going to create?
  - Participation
  - Document
  - Project Presentation
- After deciding what type of assignment you are going to create, you will need to decide how you would like students to submit the assignment.
  - Are you going to have them submit online or in class (for mixed mode and web enhanced classes)?
  - There are three submission options:
    - No submission - this is good for participation grades
    - Online - students can submit in text or almost any file type formats
      - Word document, PowerPoint, Media, etc.
      - You also have the ability to limit the file "types" that students can turn in
    - Paper - this is for assignments students will submit in class (mixed mode or web-enhanced face-to-face)
- How will you grade assignments?
  - Will you use a rubric to assess their performance?
  - Will you use SpeedGrader?
- Will you use the same date for the Due date and the Lock Submit After date or different date?
  - Setting a lock submit date after the due date allows students to submit assignments after they are due, but they are marked as being submitted late.
- Do you want students to be able to access assignments as soon as the course opens?
  - Setting lock until dates allows you to control when students can access assignments.

Check out the Canvas Help Guide if you would like more information about assignments.

TOPKit Sample Course was prepared by the University of Central Florida (UCF). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.