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[Canvas] User Guide: Best Practices for Modifying Imported Assignments

Learn how to make changes after you have imported your assignment to TimelyGrader

Updated yesterday

This guide assumes you have already imported your assignment to TimelyGrader from Canvas. To learn how to import assignments, read this article.

If you've made changes to Assignments on Canvas, they are not automatically synced to TimelyGrader! Follow these steps to ensure assignments are in sync.

1. Resync Assignment Details

Once you make changes to the Assignment Name, Instructions, and/or Rubric on Canvas, you must resync the assignment on TimelyGrader so that we can update the assignment on TimelyGrader. Click "Edit" on your TimelyGrader assignment, and look for the "Resync from LMS" button.

💡 Note: If you've made changes to the rubric on TimelyGrader, resyncing will replace your TimelyGrader rubric with the most current version from Canvas.

2. Confirm the Resync

If submissions have already been imported, clicking on "Resync from LMS" will trigger a warning that grading will be reset, meaning you will need to re-import submissions. This ensures accurate and reliable assessment for all submissions. To confirm, click "Resync from LMS."

If you haven't imported submissions yet, clicking on "Resync from LMS" will automatically update the corresponding fields on TimelyGrader, allowing you to save the updated assignment on TimelyGrader.

3. Why Changes Should Originate from Canvas

You should always make any changes to your assignment details in Canvas first, then sync them to TimelyGrader to ensure students see the correct version. This helps prevent any mismatch between the instructions on Canvas and those on TimelyGrader.

A Note About Rubrics (and passing them back to Canvas)

TimelyGrader has many features to help you create or improve rubrics, like our AI rubric generator or our fine-tuning feature.

The good news: You can pass the updated rubric back into Canvas! Highly recommended.

When you attempt to save changes to your assignment with an updated rubric on TimelyGrader, a pop-up will appear allowing you to pass back the rubric. If you opt not to pass it back, then this breaks the link between the rubric on TimelyGrader and the one on Canvas, meaning only the overall grade and feedback will get passed back.

We recommend you use the rubric pass-back. However, if you opt for a manual update:

  1. Go to the particular Assignment on the Assignments Page. Scroll down to the rubric and select the Edit icon.

  2. Make necessary changes and Update Rubric.

  3. Resync from Canvas on TimelyGrader. This ensures that the TimelyGrader rubric is updated and they are treated as 'synced' by Canvas and TimelyGrader. This will allow rubric selections to be made automatically when grades/feedback are passed back.

💡 Note: If you make changes to the rubric on TimelyGrader and it is not synced with your Canvas rubric, then you will only be able to pass back the overall final grade for each submission.

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