Creating an Assignment

To create an assignment in Canvas, click on the "Assignments" tab in the left-hand navigation bar.

Then, click the button in the top right corner of the screen.

When you do, you'll see the following screen:

Enter the Assignment name in the top text box. Then, enter the assignment details into the rich content editor. For short assignments, such as daily readings, you can type the assignment details directly into the content editor. For longer or more detailed assignments, consider making the course documents outside of Canvas (in Word, Pages, or another external program). Then, you can copy and paste the content from the document into the rich content editor (note: this may result in the need for some reformatting).

Below the rich content editor, you will see the following assignment settings:

1. Points: Designate the number of points that the assignment is worth.

2. Assignment Group: Assign the assignment to an assignment group. (Note: assignment groups can be created under the "Assignments" tab that is found on the left-hand navigation bar. Assignment groups allow you to group like-minded assignments--essays, responses, projects, etc.--as well as apply grading rules to these groups. For example, if you have an assignment group labeled "Quizzes" you could alter the settings for that category so that each student's lowest score is dropped. For more information on creating grading rules, see: Create Assignment Groups

3. Display Grade As: Choose how you want the grade to be displayed--percentage, complete/incomplete, points, letter grade, GPA scale, not graded.

4. Submission Type: See next page.

5. Group Assignment: Note whether or not this is a group assignment. Create groups manually or have Canvas create groups for you.

6. Peer Reviews: Mandates that an assignment is peer reviewed before submission. Assign review partners/groups manually or allow Canvas to assign partnerships for you.

7: Due Date: Set the date and time at which the assignment is due. (Note: if you do not enter a time at which the assignment is due, it will default to 11:59pm).

8. Submit: Click "Update Assignment" to save the settings you have selected.