Google Assignments in Canvas
Learn how Google Assignments can simplify grading, feedback, and file sharing between you and your students.
In this article
- Features and benefits of Google Assignments LTI in Canvas
- Instructions for Use
- Tips for Effective Use
- Workshop Information
- Resources
Features and benefits
Key benefits of using Google Assignments include Google’s built-in plagiarism detection tools as well as the ability to distribute and share Google Drive files from within Canvas.
Originality Reports: Built-In Plagiarism Checks: If enabled, Originality Reports compare student work to internet sources and a database of previous submissions and alert you if it suspects plagiarism. Students can run up to three Originality Reports on their work before submitting it.
Automatic File Sharing and Permissions: Google Assignments handles file permissions and storage for you and your students. You interact only through the Canvas interface, not in Google Drive. Neither you nor your students have to manually change sharing permissions to pass documents back and forth. Here’s how it works:
- When a student submits a file, you become the owner of that file. The student keeps a read-only virtual “carbon copy” and viewing access to the file they submitted.
- Students don’t see your feedback until you return the assignment.
- When you return the file to the student, ownership transfers back to them. They can see your feedback and grade. A copy of the graded version stays in your Drive, and the grade posts to Moodle automatically. You maintain “view only” access to the file you returned.
Group Work Limitations: Google Assignments assigns a grade to one student only: the file’s owner. If multiple students collaborate on a submission, you’ll need to manually enter grades for the other group members.
Ready To Use Google Assignments in Canvas?
Follow these instructions for adding Google Assignments to your Canvas course.
Tips for Effective Use
Start with low-stakes practice. Before using Google Assignments for a large assignment, give students a chance to try it out. Include a short practice activity—like submitting a short paragraph or reflection.
Reuse and share rubrics. You can share and reuse rubrics across multiple Google assignments. Download your rubric to share with colleagues or upload one you’ve used before. See Google’s rubric documentation.
Award partial credit thoughtfully. Google Assignments’ rubrics support flexible scoring. You can manually award in-between scores—for example, 3.5 points if a student’s work is better than “Good” (3) but not quite “Excellent” (4).
Build a Comment Bank for faster feedback. Save time by adding frequently used feedback phrases to your comment bank. These can address common strengths or areas for improvement. See Google’s documentation on feedback tools for step-by-step instructions
Use Originality Reports as a teaching tool. Enable Originality Reports to help students understand and improve their citation practices. They can check their work up to three times before submitting. See Google’s documentation on originality reports for more information.
Provide templates to standardize submissions. If you attach a file as a template when creating an assignment, each student gets their own editable copy. Templates might include prompts, worksheets, or structured guides. Templates standardize filenames and save students from having to create and name their own files.
You can also request an instructional consultation from LearnTech about this topic.