Canvas has three built-in assignment types that allow for graded work.

  1. Assignments Canvas assignment icon
  2. Quizzes (Two types: Classic Quizzes Canvas classic quizzes icon and New QuizzesCanvas new quizzes icon )
  3. Discussions Canvas discussions icon

Consider the assignment type based on what or how you want students to submit. Assignments of any type can be graded or non-graded, aligned with a rubric, displayed by points or percentages, or made available at specified dates/times.

Selecting an Assignment Type

Use Assignments Assignments icon for:

Use Quizzesclassic quizzes icon new quizzes icon for:

  • Online exams
  • Automatic grading
  • Surveys (Classic Quizzes only)
  • Shuffling of questions/answers
  • Setting time limits

Use Discussions discussions icon for:

  • Discussion boards
  • Students sharing and replying
  • Engagement
  • Group work or peer reviews

Penn also has licenses for third-party tools that integrate with Canvas for grading.

Creating a New Assignment

To create an Assignment, click Assignments, and then click +Assignment. 

Give the assignment a name and enter the instructions. You can assign the point value, assignment group, and grade format (points, letter grade, etc.). Optionally, check the box to indicate if the assignment does not count toward the final grade.

Submission types

The Submission Type box determines how students will submit their work.

Select Online to allow students to submit through Canvas. Then check the box for the most relevant submission type (usually a file upload).

  • Text entry: students type directly into the Rich Content Editor
  • Website URL: students share a link to their file uploaded to an external website
  • Media Recording: students upload audio or video files directly (not recommended)
  • Student Annotation: students annotate a file (not recommended)
  • File Upload: students upload a file, usually a Word or PDF file. You may restrict files by type (e.g., .docx, .pdf)

Select No Submission or On Paper if you do not want students to submit online but want to make a placeholder for a grade in the Gradebook. For example:

  • Use a No Submission assignment for class participation to input that grade and make it viewable online.
  • Use an On Paper assignment for an in-person paper exam to input the grade and make it viewable online after you grade it manually on paper.

The External Tool option may be necessary for third-party tool integrations.

Due dates & availability dates

You can add due dates and availability dates for students within an assignment or quiz. 

  • Due dates appear as Canvas calendar reminders for students
  • Availability dates determine the range of time when students can view the assignment and submit work. After the Until date/time occurs, students can no longer submit.

By default, Canvas Assignments and Quizzes are assigned to Everyone, which means all students enrolled in the course. Assignment due dates and availability dates should be set before students submit the assignment. Students can only access assignments assigned to them.

Manage assignment access and due dates in the Assign Access section at the bottom of the assignment detail page.

  • The Assign To field is set to Everyone by default. Begin typing a student or section name to assign it only to certain students if needed.
  • Enter due dates and availability dates (optional) in their respective fields. 
  • To grant extensions for specific students or different due dates by section, click +Assign To, then begin typing the name of a student or section in the next Assign To field. (Everyone will then change to Everyone else in the field above.)
  • Repeat these steps to add differentiated due dates for other students or sections. 
  • To remove a due date, click the trash can at the upper left corner of the Assign To box.

When you finish assigning due dates and availability dates, click Save or Save & Publish to update your changes. Saving the assignment will create a column in the Gradebook, and publishing the assignment will make it visible to students. To grade work, use SpeedGrader.

Other settings

You can enable Turnitin by checking the Plagiarism Review box. Turnitin scans students’ papers automatically for originality at the time of submission. 

Turnitin does not work retroactively, so it must be enabled before students submit work. You can also set options for peer reviews, anonymous grading, and group assignments. Moderated grading is not recommended.

Assignment Groups

Assignment Groups allow you to organize your gradable assignments into categories. Note that these are not necessarily group, or collaborative, assignments.

The best way to create assignment groups is in the Assignments section. Click +Group to create a new group structure, and add as many or as few as you want. If groups are not specified, all gradable items will end up in a default assignment group named “Assignments.”

In Assignments, you can:

Visit the Setting Up the Gradebook page for further guidance on fully configuring your gradebook.

Adding Rubrics

A rubric allows you to establish criteria for assessing submissions and informs your students how they will be graded. You can create a new rubric or view your existing rubrics under Rubrics in the course navigation menu, or import rubrics from other courses you have taught using the Course Import Tool.

To use a rubric for grading, it must be added to an assignment, a quiz, or a graded discussion before you begin grading. We recommend attaching the rubric as early as possible, even before publishing the assignment, so that students can review it before submitting their work.

After clicking +Rubric, you’ll be prompted to create a new rubric or click on Find a Rubric to use a rubric you’ve created previously. Under the criteria boxes, you must check the box for Use this rubric for assignment grading before you begin grading.

Additional Resources

Getting Help

Please contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.