If you don't have a School plan or encounter issues with the Canvas integration, a workaround is to follow the manual process. Here is a video showing the manual process of grading Canvas submissions in CoGrader and returning feedback to students. You can follow along step by step or refer to the written instructions below.
Important:
If your Canvas assignment is set to accept Website URL (Google Docs links) submissions, CoGrader won’t be able to read the HTML redirect files that Canvas exports.
To ensure smooth grading, use the “File Upload” submission type in Canvas so that students submit actual documents (e.g., .docx or .pdf), not just links.
Step 1: Download Student Submissions from Canvas
Open your Canvas Dashboard.
Select the course containing the assignment you want to grade.
Click on the assignment, then click Download Submissions.
A .zip file will be downloaded containing all student submissions.
Step 2: Upload Submissions to CoGrader
Open CoGrader.
Click Create New Assignment and choose Manual Setup.
Name the assignment (e.g., “Canvas Demo”).
Choose File Upload as your method of submission.
Select the student files from the
.zipyou downloaded. (You can upload all at once or test with one file first.)Click Done to start grading.
Step 3: Review and Approve Grading
Once grading is complete, open each student submission.
Review the score and feedback.
Make any edits or adjustments as needed.
When you’re happy with the result, click Approve.
Go back to your CoGrader dashboard.
Step 4: Export Feedback and Re-Upload to Canvas
From the dashboard, download the Feedback PDFs: (Choose to include only the summary or full rubric, based on your preference.)
CoGrader will generate a zip file.
Step 5: Upload Feedback to Canvas
Go back to Canvas and open the same assignment.
Click Re-upload Submissions.
Select the feedback zip file downloaded from CoGrader.
Click Upload.
Once uploaded, refresh the page after a few seconds.
Step 6: View in SpeedGrader
Open the assignment in SpeedGrader.
You should now see each student’s feedback PDF attached to their submission.
Using CoGrader with Canvas Quiz Essay Responses
If students write their responses directly in a Canvas Quiz, such as an essay question, CoGrader will not find those responses through the standard Canvas assignment import. Canvas stores quiz responses differently from regular assignment submissions.
Instead, export the quiz responses from Canvas as a CSV file and upload that file to CoGrader manually.
Step 1: Export Quiz Responses from Canvas
Open the Canvas course containing the quiz.
Open the quiz you want to grade.
Go to the Reports tab.
Select Student Analysis.
Download the Student Analysis report as a CSV file.
Important: Do not use the standard Export option for this workflow. To access students’ written quiz responses, use Reports → Student Analysis and download the CSV.
Step 2: Upload the Responses to CoGrader
Open CoGrader.
Click Create New Assignment and choose Manual Setup.
Create your assignment and select the option to upload student work.
Upload the Student Analysis CSV you downloaded from Canvas.
Complete your assignment setup and begin grading.
This workflow is especially useful when students complete essays directly inside a Canvas Quiz, including quizzes administered through tools such as Respondus LockDown Browser.
Why Can't I Import These Directly from Canvas?
CoGrader's standard Canvas import is designed for Canvas Assignment submissions. Essay responses entered directly into a Canvas Quiz are stored differently and are not available to CoGrader through the same assignment-import workflow.
Exporting the Student Analysis CSV allows you to bring those written responses into CoGrader while continuing to use Canvas Quizzes for students.