Gradebook Overview

Here is the Canvas tutorial on using the Gradebook and its many features.

What are all those icons & colors in the gradebook?


Teachers can type grades and comments directly into the Gradebook. But if students submitted work electronically, it's best to use SpeedGrader.  There are many more options when using SpeedGrader including video/audio feedback, speech-to-text, annotating the student work, and using rubrics.



Using SpeedGrader, just the basics:


Using SpeedGrader, in greater depth:

  • Grading with SpeedGrader (video)
  • Annotating student submissions with DocViewer in SpeedGrader.  Click for DocViewer video. Click for DocViewer explained via text & images.
  • Leaving comments with Google Chrome's speech to text in SpeedGrader.  When using speech-to-text, clarify punctuation like this: "hello student period you did a good job exclamation point". Chrome's speech-to-text will type "Hello student. You did a good job!" If you need a microphone or headset, you can borrow one long term from the Online Ed team.
  • Providing video/audio feedback in SpeedGrader. It's a fantastic tool, easy and fun! We recommend you use it. If you need a webcam, microphone, or headset, you can borrow them long term from the Online Ed team. 

Here are the steps in video. Below the video are the steps presented without video.



Here are the steps for providing video/audio feedback in SpeedGrader:

  • Make sure Flash is installed in your browser.
  • In the SpeedGrader, click the Media Comment Button:


  • In the Record/Upload Media Comment window, click the video or audio icon, then click Allow:


  • If you chose video, you'll see what the webcam is capturing.  Click in the image and start talking.  A vertical, green bar will show your audio volume. If it gets into the red, the recording will be badly distorted, so talk more softly or change your Windows setup. (We can help!) When you are done talking, click in the image again. (Video tips: keep the camera at eye level or higher, have good lighting, have an uncluttered background.)


  • The video will play back automatically.  If you like it, click Save and it will be immediately visible to your student.  To discard and record again, click the red button.  To abandon video feedback, click the X.