{"id":3806,"date":"2025-09-08T10:20:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T09:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/?p=3806"},"modified":"2025-10-07T09:39:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T08:39:55","slug":"marking-with-the-canvas-teacher-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/marking-with-the-canvas-teacher-app\/","title":{"rendered":"Marking with the Canvas Teacher App"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This guide introduces the marking process in the Canvas Teacher app<\/strong>, designed to help teaching staff understand how to access, review, and grade student submissions directly within the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Canvas Teacher App<\/strong> allows you to grade assignments, annotate submissions, and manage student work directly from your device. This guide will help you download the app and get started with its core features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Before you start<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Navigating the app interface<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Viewing and Annotating Student Submissions\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. The toolbar<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Grading with a Rubric\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Marking Essay Questions in a Canvas Quiz<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. To hide or control the release of grades <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Mark a file\u2011upload assignment (score + annotate)<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    The Canvas Teacher app is a handy tool for teaching on the go. It lets you grade assignments with SpeedGrader, message students, update course content, and check announcements right from your phone or tablet. Perfect for quick tasks when you\u2019re away from your laptop. But here\u2019s what you cannot do in the app:<\/strong> some advanced features like creating quizzes, running reports, or accessing third-party integrations are limited. For full functionality (especially course setup and detailed analytics), you\u2019ll still need to log in on a desktop browser. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n
    \n
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    \n

    Before you start<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Make sure you have downloaded the Canvas app for teachers (logos picture above) <\/strong>on your device. There is a student<\/strong> app which you do not need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Canvas<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    You can download the Canvas Teacher app<\/strong> directly to your device using the links below: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    iOS:<\/strong> Click here to download on Apple Store <\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Android:<\/strong> Click here to download on Google Play<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Navigating the app interface<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Once you\u2019ve downloaded and logged into the Canvas Teacher App, you\u2019ll land on a home screen with four main tabs at the bottom: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Courses<\/strong>:  View all your courses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Calendar<\/strong>: Check upcoming events and deadlines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • To-Do<\/strong>: See items that need grading  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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          • Inbox:<\/strong> Instructors can communicate with students and send messages to a whole cohort of students for a particular course or send Individual message to each recipient.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
            \n

            Viewing and Annotating Student Submissions<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

            Once students submit their work, you can view and annotate their submissions directly in the Canvas Teacher App. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
              \n
            1. Navigate to the \u201cTo Do\u201d tab at the top of the app to access pending submissions. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Tap on a student\u2019s name to open their submission. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. You\u2019ll be taken to the Speed Grader view (see screenshot below). Here, you can: \n
                \n
              • View the document.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Add annotations using the toolbar at the top.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Leave comments or assign grades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                \n

                The Speedgrader toolbar<\/strong> <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                Annotation Toolbar \u2013 Functions (from left to right)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • Stamp icon<\/strong>: Allows you to place a comment anywhere on the page.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Highlighter icon:<\/strong> Intended to highlight selected text (may not work in the app).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Text icon (\u201cT<\/em>\u201d)<\/strong>: Let\u2019s you add typed text anywhere on the document.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Strikethrough icon:<\/strong>Strikes through selected text (may not work in the app).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Paintbrush icon<\/strong>: Freehand drawing tool for circling, underlining, or annotating. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Rectangle icon<\/strong>: Creates coloured rectangular boxes around content <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Eraser icon<\/strong>: Erases content made with the paintbrush only<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Hand icon<\/strong>: Helps navigating or scrolling the page without making annotations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Undo (arrow pointing left) \/ Redo (<\/b>arrow pointing right) arrows<\/b><\/strong>: They respectively undo and redo content you have made.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Singular arrow pointing left: <\/strong>will hide the tool bar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                  \n
                  \n
                  \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                  \n

                  Some annotation features \u2014 such as strikethrough<\/strong> and highlighting<\/strong> \u2014 may not work unless the app can detect selectable text in the document. This typically applies to scanned PDFs or images.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                  \n
                  \n
                  \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                  \n

                  If you\u2019re having trouble removing annotations<\/strong> that were previously added and saved, try switching to the browser version of Canvas<\/strong>. In some cases, the web interface handles annotation editing more reliably than the app.This is some sample content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

                  \n

                  Grading with a Rubric <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                  \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                  If a rubric is attached to the assignment, it will appear on the right-hand side of the SpeedGrader screen once you open a student submission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • You can select a score for each criterion (e.g. Spellings, Punctuation, Grammar) by tapping the corresponding number. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • The total grade is automatically calculated based on the rubric scores. In this example, the student received 9 out of 12. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • You can still manually override the grade or add comments if needed. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • This allows for quick, consistent, and transparent marking, especially useful when managing multiple submissions. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                    \n
                    \n
                    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                    \n

                    Note<\/strong>: You cannot add criteria level comments on a rubric.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

                    \n

                    Marking Essay Questions in a Canvas Quiz<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

                    Unlike regular assignments, you cannot annotate directly on the student\u2019s answer using the Canvas Teacher App, even when using a stylus or Apple Pencil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Instead, instructors can: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • Type comments in the \u201cAdditional comments\u201d box below the answer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • Assign a score in two ways: \n
                        \n
                      • Using the slider on the right-hand panel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Manually entering a numeric value in the \u201cPoints\u201d box above the answer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                         Annotation tools (e.g. highlight, strikethrough, draw) are not available for quiz essay responses, only for file upload assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n

                        To hide or control the release of grades <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                        \n
                          \n
                        • From the home page click in assignment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                            \n
                          • Tap on your preferred assignment. and tap on the “all button”.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                            \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                              \n
                            • From here you’ll be able to see the list of student.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                              \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                \n
                              • Tap on the eye icon on top of the page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                  \n
                                • Tap on top of the pop up window on the \u2018hide marks\u2019 section.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                  \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                                  \n

                                  Mark a file\u2011upload assignment (score + annotate)<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                                    \n
                                  • From your unit page go on the assignment page then tap on your preferred one. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                      \n
                                    • Then tap a student in the Submissions<\/strong> list. Once you view the individual student you can also Swipe left\/right to move between students. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                                    • In the comments section, you should be able to see a paper clip (\ud83d\udcce) and from there you\u2019ll be able to add comments in the form of Audio, Video and Files.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                      \n\n\n\n
                                      \n
                                      \n
                                      \n
                                      \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                                      \n

                                      Common problems<\/strong>:
                                      Feature missing?<\/strong> some tasks (rubric creation, Turnitin options, module edits) require the web<\/strong> version.
                                      Can\u2019t annotate?<\/strong> convert\/upload as PDF<\/strong>; not all file types support markup in\u2011app.
                                      Rubric didn\u2019t change the score?<\/strong> reopen Rubric<\/strong> \u279d ensure \u201cuse for grading\u201d is toggled and Save.<\/strong>
                                      Students can\u2019t see grades?<\/strong> check Post grades<\/strong> (section above). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

                                      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                      This guide introduces the marking process in the Canvas Teacher app, designed to help teaching staff understand how to access, review, and grade student submissions directly within the platform. The Canvas Teacher App allows you to grade assignments, annotate submissions, and manage student work directly from your device. This guide will help you download the app […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3806"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4261,"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3806\/revisions\/4261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elearning.fse.manchester.ac.uk\/getting-started-with-canvas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}