How do I create an Assignment?

You will learn how to create an Assignment in your course in Canvas.

Assignments will allow you to collect information from your students such as text, images, video, links, files, etc. You can also connect the Assignment to Turnitin for a plagiarism check and you can use the SpeedGrader to conveniently grade those student submissions.

Assignments also allow you to grade students for activities which do not require them to upload or submit something online.

Assignments also allow you to connect to publisher online books (with quizzes, tests, etc.) and other External Tool activities like H5P, VoiceThread, SoftChalk, Flipgrid, GoReact, etc., where you can grade those activities and have the points transfer to your gradebook.

1. Click on + sign in the Module where you want to add the Assignment.

module + icon

2. Select Assignment from the dropdown menu.

Assignment is selected

3. Click on Create Assignment.

Create Assignment

4. Type a name for the assignment.

Assigment Name field

5. Click on Add Item.

Add Item button
Assignment link selected

7. Click on Edit.

Edit button

8. Type the number of Points for this Assignment.

Points field

9. Select the appropriate Assignment Group.

You may also create a new Assignment Group if desired.

Assignments selected

10. Decide how you want to display the grade in the gradebook.

If you select 'Not Graded' then you will not have a SpeedGrader link nor a column in the gradebook for this Assignment.

Display Grade as dropdown menu

11. Decide whether this Assignment should be included in the course total.

tick box for counting toward final grade

12. Select the appropriate Submission Type.

Submission Type dropdown menu

Choose one of these four submission types:

No Submission

This submission type will create a gradebook grade column (and can be graded using the SpeadGrader) but has no way for students to submit anything.

No Submission selected
Online

This submission type will allow you to select the type of submission, including, text, URL, media recordings (audio or video creation and upload), student annotation (where students annotated a document provided by the instructor) and file upload.

Read this guide to learn more about the Online submission types.

Online selected
On Paper

This submission type assumes that the instructor will collection a physical paper from the students. Instructor feedback and grading can be done in the SpeadGrader and will display in the gradebook.

On Paper selected
External Tool

This submission type allows you to link one of several different activities to this Assignment. For example, you can link to a VoiceThread, SoftChalk Cloud, Flipgrid, Turnitin, etc. When you grade this activity, the points will transfer to the gradebook.

Read one of these guides to learn about how to link a specific activity type via the External Tool submission types:

External Tool selected

13. Tick the box if this is a group assignment.

You will need to create a Group Set and Groups before you can use a group Assignment.

Group Assignment tick box

14. Decide if this is a Peer Review assignment.

Require Peer Reviews tick box

15. Decide which settings for the Assign to section.

Unless you want to assign this Assignment to a single user or a Group or a Section, leave the Assign to field at 'Everyone'.

Students will still be able to submit assignments after the Due date; however, the SpeedGrader will mark it as 'Late'. Also, if you have created a Late Policy in your gradebook, then that policy will take effect.

The availability dates will determine the time frame that the link to this Assignment is available to students.

Assign to section

16. Save & Publish.

Save & Publish button

Article Summary

You have now learned how to create an Assignment in your course in Canvas.