How can I streamline my grading feedback?

Streamline your grading with comment libraries in SpeedGrader

Dear Aggie,

Is there a “rubber stamp” function for commonly used grading and feedback comments in Canvas? I know I can cut and paste from a Word document, but that is kind of cumbersome. It would be great if there was a streamlined way to call up and insert comments while I am in SpeedGrader.

~Comments are Cumbersome

Dear Cumbersome Commentor,

Not to worry-there is a great way to generate and then draw from a library of grading/feedback comments in Canvas!

A few notes to start:

• The comment library is accessed from the SpeedGrader (as you grade and comment on individual student work).

• You can view comments from your library and click on the one you want to submit to the student in the assignment comment box

• The comment library is accessible (and buildable) from any course in which you are enrolled as an instructor. Comments you add in one course are accessible from your library in all your courses

To access the comment library

• Go to SpeedGrader from any assignment, quiz or graded discussion

• Open a student submission

• Click on the “comment” icon in the Assignment Comments box (right above the box in which you can “Add a Comment”)

• You are now in your Comment Library

To add a comment to the comment library

• Type the comment in the box (“Add comment to Library”)

• Click on the blue “+Add to Library” button

• You can edit the comment in your library by clicking on the pencil edit button next to the comment in the library, editing and then hitting Save

• At this point, go to the top of your comment library and turn on “show suggestions when typing” (this will make the next step easier)

To submit a comment from your library to a student in SpeedGrader

• Go to the Assignments Comments box, and start typing your comment

• If you have turned on the “show suggestions” in your library, then suggestions from your library will be presented, when at least the 1st three characters of what you have typed match an existing comment

• When you see the comment you are looking for, select it (click on it), then hit the blue Submit button.

• Voila!

Assignment-Specific Comments

If you have comments that are somewhat specific to particular assignments, then you may want to preface them with a “code” in your library, to make them easier to find and submit to students.

For example, if you frequently need to remind students to consult a specific reference for a particular assignment, you can code that comment with an abbreviation for the assignment and course name e.g. DIV-2110: don’t forget to consult the NSF earned doctorate data as part of your analysis. This would be my short-hand for the diversity assignment (DIV) in Biol 2110 (DIV-2110). That way, when I am grading that assignment, I can start typing DIV and all comments with that code will be “presented” from my comment library.

Once I select the comment I want, I just need to delete the code from the comment in the assignment comment box (before I hit submit), so that only the comment itself is submitted to students.

I hope that this will make it a lot less cumbersome for you to give great feedback to your students! I know that they will appreciate it.

~Aggie

p.s. here is the Canvas Instructor Guide for using the Comment Library:

https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-use-the-Comment-Library-in-SpeedGrader/ta-p/469482

And here is a video explanation:

https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-New-Feature-Screencast/SpeedGrader-Comment-Library-2021-06-19-Release-Screencast/ta-p/465801

NMSU Teaching Academy