Setting up assessments in Canvas for compatibility with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Learning Analytics

Follow these steps to make sure your module is set up correctly to enable 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Learning Analytics (ILA) dashboards to surface information from the Canvas gradebook. 

 

Step 1: Create a separate assignment group for each summative assessment component 

For every summative assessment in your module, create its own assignment group in Canvas. Set the weighting for each group to the percentage of the total grade that component carries. 

Note on weightings: Including an assignment group for the exam component will mean that the group weightings add up to 100% and the relative weightings of coursework and exam components will be clear to students on the Home and Grades pages. 

 

Step 2: Add an assignment within each summative assignment group 

Create one assignment inside each summative assignment group. This can be a Canvas Assignment, Canvas Discussion, Canvas Quiz, or an assessment created via an LTI integration with another tool (such as Feedback Fruits, InteDashboard, Matlab Grader, or Möbius). 

Note on Turnitin and Feedback Fruits assignments: After creation, a Turnitin or Feedback Fruits assignment will need to be moved into its own assignment group. They cannot be created from within an assignment group. 

 

Step 3: Name your assignment groups and assignments using the correct identifiers 

The names you give your assignment groups and assignments determine how data is filtered for learning analytics. Follow these suffix rules: 

  • Include _S_ in both the assignment group name and the assignment name for every summative assessment — for example, Report – Coursework_s_. 
  • Include _E_in the assignment group name for the exam component — for example, Exam_E_. You do not need to add any assignments inside this group (see optional step 5). 

 

Step 4: Set up your formative assessments 

You have two options for formative assessments: 

  • If you want formative submissions and grades to appear in ILA dashboards, create a separate assignment group for each formative assessment, include _F_ in the assignment group and assignment name, and set the weighting to 0% of the total grade. 
  • If you do not need formative assessments to appear in ILA dashboards, associate them with a single assignment group named Formative Assessments, set to 0% of the total grade. No specific naming convention is required for the assignments within this group. 

 

Step 5 (Optional): Store provisional marks for your exam components  

Examinations are not required to have a Canvas assignment (exam marks will not appear in ILA dashboards). However, if you want provisional  exam marks to be stored in the Canvas gradebook, you may optionally create an assignment within its exam assignment group with _E_ in the name.  

Need help? If your module has assessments marked outside Canvas, or assessments for a subset of a cohort, or assessments with sub-components that contribute to a single grade, please speak to your EdTech Lab or Education Office before setting up.