Google Assignments is a service from Google that takes some of the assignment submission benefits from Google Classroom and allows them to be integrated into a school's existing LMS, in our case, onCampus. Please take the time to read through the features and quirks of using Google Assignments before diving in.
Features and Quirks of Google Assignments
Good Stuff
Manages the sharing/permissions of students’ documents
Students can submit virtually any file type to an assignment.
If the file is something Google, after the student submits their file, it removes their editing rights. Assignments makes a copy of submitted file and saves it to the student's Drive in a folder called “Assignments”.
Students can unsubmit and resubmit their assignment as often as they want before the due date.
While the teacher is reviewing and grading the assignment, the student doesn’t see their comments, suggestions, or the grade.
When the teacher is done grading and giving feedback, they "return" the assignment. The student gets an email with the assignment is returned. Student gets an email when the assignment is returned.
The student then sees all of the teacher’s feedback and the student has editing rights again. Assignments archives a copy of the graded file and saves it to the instructor's Drive in a folder called “Assignments”.
Teachers can add comments to a comment bank for reuse
Teacher writes a comment the usual way and then clicks the three-dot menu to add the comment to the comment bank.
There are multiple ways to add a comment from the comment bank, the easiest way is type "#" and start typing the comment. The comment bank will populate with comments to choose from.
Navigation
Teacher and students interact with Google Assignments in a separate window
Teacher can easily navigate from one student submission to the next.
Originality Reports
- Teacher can use "originality reports" on assignments. This feature currently ONLY works with Google Doc files and until we update to Google for Education Enterprise, teachers are limited to 3 originality report assignments per course.
OK Stuff
“One Way” Data
If you give the student a grade (points) in Google Assignments, it WILL send the grade to your onCampus gradebook. However, if you update the grade in onCampus gradebook, it won’t update in Google Assignments.
Group Work
- Only the OWNER of a file can submit that file to Google Assignments. In other words, if students work collaboratively on a document, and group members have "edit" rights, they won't be able to submit. Only the one group member that is "owner" will be able to submit.
Not Great Stuff
“Template” File
Google Assignments should let the teacher attach a file (GDoc, DSheet, GPres) to an assignment and automatically make a copy of the file for each student. This feature does not work with the LTI integration to onCampus. If you want students to have a copy of a file you already have, you’ll have to share it with them with “view” rights and have them make their own copy or use the “force a copy” method.
“One Way” Data
Points Possible should be set in onCampus AND Google Assignments. (If you create the assignment in onCampus and make it worth 10 points, Google Assignments stays at the default 100 points. You’ll need to make the assignment worth 10 points in Google Assignments too for consistency and so you can grade through Google Assignments.)
Due Date should be set in onCampus AND Google Assignments. Setting the due date in onCampus doesn’t set the due date in Google Assignments. Students are able to submit assignments after the due date but the teacher will see “Done late” in Google Assignments.
After the due date, students aren’t able to unsubmit or resubmit assignments. However, after you’ve returned the assignment to the student, they are able to resubmit.
Google Assignments Videos for Faculty
Create an Assignment
**Note: You will need to click "Launch" for each period that the assignment is added to. This is how onCampus makes the connection to Google Assignments.
Give Feedback on Student Submissions