Canvas Corner Volume 11: Creating a Canvas Assignment (Part 3)

Last week’s Canvas Corner addressed due dates and rubric creation in Canvas Assignments. This week, we’ll concentrate on some lesser used assignment features that can add some exciting wrinkles to your Canvas-supported curriculum: group assignments and the built-in peer review feature.

Group Assignments in Canvas: To use group assignments, instructors usually first create groups. which they can do by navigating to the “People” section and organizing students into groups manually or allowing self-sign-up. If this step is missed, however, groups can be created from within the assignment itself. Next, while setting up an assignment for publication, instructors select the “This is a Group Assignment” option, linking it to the desired group set, or creating a group. Instructors can choose whether to assign grades collectively to all group members or individually. Group submissions are automatically tagged with the group name for easy identification.

Peer Reviews in Canvas: To set up peer reviews, instructors start by creating an assignment and enabling the “Require Peer Reviews” option. They can then assign reviews manually or let Canvas distribute them automatically based on the number of reviews each student should complete. After publishing the assignment, students are notified of their peer review tasks, which they can access through their To-Do list or the assignment page. Instructors can include a rubric to guide feedback and ensure consistent evaluation criteria. Instructors should note that Canvas’s peer review feature is a little bit limiting in that it doesn’t provide a grade for completing the peer review and requires students to use the same grading interface that instructors will use to assess the actual assignment.

Next week’s Canvas Corner will pivot somewhat from assignments and address the use of external tools (like Cengage, Panopto, McGraw Hill, and others), which can be added to courses in a number of different ways.

RELEVANT LINKS FOR TODAY'S CANVAS CORNER:

Training Portal Links:

Training Portal Home Page (First time? Click “Authorize” to enter)
Getting Started with Assignments and Assessments (70 minutes – to enter, you must first authorize your Training Services account)

Relevant Knowledgebase Articles:

NMC Canvas Resources:

Canvas Corner Playlist
Moodle Minute Playlist
Ed Tech Knowledgebase
Growing with Canvas at Northwestern Michigan College (Instructor Training)
Passport to Canvas (Student Training)

ABOUT CANVAS CORNERS

Canvas Corners will come out each week during the fall and spring NMC academic calendar. Each will begin with a short video where Ben will walk viewers through a straightforward, yet essential, Canvas feature or function. Below the video will be a description of that same feature or function, and then each post will conclude with pertinent knowledgebase links, relevant Training Services Portal courses, and other relevant links to assist you on your Canvas journey. If you have any suggestions for improvements to the Canvas Corner, please email me at bpost@nmc.edu.

Center for Teaching and Learning

Canvas Corner Volume 11: Creating a Canvas Assignment (Part 3)