In this guide, we will walk you through the steps for creating assignments and setting up assignment groups.
Create an Assignment
Canvas supports five assignment types: Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, External Tools, and Not Graded.
Instructors can choose an assignment type when creating a shell. Alternatively, you can create assignments within a specific type by visiting its respective Index Page.
To create assignments in Canvas, follow these steps:
1. Open the Assignments Page:
1) In Course Navigation, click the "Assignments" link.
2. Create an Assignment Shell (Placeholder):
2) If you want to create a placeholder for an assignment within an assignment group, do the following (you can also jump to Step 3 to directly create a detailed assignment) :
- Assignment groups categorize different types of assignments in your course, like assignments, discussions, quizzes, surveys, etc.(1)
- Locate an assignment group and click the "Add Assignment" button (2)
- Assignment shells include fields for assignment type, name, optional due date, and points. You can add more details later by editing the assignment.
- You can save the assignment as unpublished and edit details later or you can click the "More Options" button to edit assignment detail
^Top
3. Create an Assignment with All Details/ Edit assignment details:
1) To create an assignment with all details at once, click the "Add Assignment" button.
2)
Assignment Name: In the Assignment Name field [1], type the title of your assignment. If you created an assignment shell, this field may already be filled, but you can edit it if needed.
3)
Content: Use the Rich Content Editor [2] to add text, images, links, equations, or media to your assignment.
4)
Assignment Points & Groups:
Set the points for your assignment in the Points field [1], or edit later.
- Choose the Assignment Group from the drop-down menu [2].
- If you created an assignment shell, these fields may be pre-filled, but you can edit them if necessary.
5) Grading Type: In the "Display Grade as" drop-down menu, select how you want to grade the assignment (percentage, complete/incomplete, points, letter grade, GPA scale, or not graded). If using a letter grade, learn how to create a grading scheme and apply a grading scheme to your assignment.
6) Submission Type: Select the type of submission you want to accept
-
Online: Choose when you want students to submit assignments through Canvas.
- No Submission: Use when you don't require students to submit assignments in Canvas. Useful for creating Gradebook columns or assignments with multiple scores. Not for grading purposes.
- On Paper: Opt for this if you want students to submit assignments in person (not through Canvas), but you still need a Gradebook column for grading. Ideal for traditional or hybrid courses where in-class submission is needed.
-
External Tool: Select when you want students to use an external app (LTI) for assignment submission. Requires entering a URL for the external tool integration.
7) Submission Attempts: If using Online submission, you can limit submission attempts for the assignment.
8) Group Assignment: Optionally, set up the assignment as a group assignment and choose whether to grade students individually.
9) Peer Reviews: If needed, create a peer review assignment and decide whether to manually or automatically assign peer reviews.
10) Anonymous and Moderated Grading: If desired, enable Moderated Grading, Anonymous Grading, or both, depending on your requirements.
11) Anonymous Instructor Annotations: If assessing submissions with DocViewer, choose to make instructor annotations and comments anonymous if needed.
12) Due and Availability Dates:
- By default, Canvas will set your assignment dates for everyone in your course [1].
- Set the due date in the Due Date field [2] (if not pre-filled).
- Optionally, specify availability dates [3].
- To assign the assignment to an individual student or course section, click the Add button [4].
13)
Notification and Saving:
- If you want to notify users of future changes, check the "Notify users that this content has changed" checkbox [1].
- Finally, click the Save button [2].
^Top
Assignment Groups
Why should I use assignment groups?
Using Assignment Groups allows you to organize the assignments in your course.
When Assignment Groups are set up you can weight the final course grade based on assignment groups, and filter by assignment groups in the Gradebook.
Managing Assignment Groups in Canvas:
1. Create an Assignment Group:
1) Click "Assignments" in Course Navigation.
2) Click the "Add Group" button. 
3) Enter the "Assignment Group Name" in the Group Name field [1].
4) Optionally, set the percentage of the total grade for this group [2]. Remember, you must create assignment groups before assigning percentages.
5) Click "Save."
2. View and Manage Assignment Groups:
1) To manage an assignment group, click the group's Options drop-down [1].
2) To edit the Assignment Group name or weighted percentage (if applicable), click "Edit" [2].
3) You can also edit Assignment Group rules after adding assignments.
4) To delete the Assignment Group, click "Delete" [3].
5) To move content from one group to another, use "Move Contents" [4].
6) To reorder assignment groups on the Assignments page, click "Move Groups" [5].
3. Deleting Assignment Groups:
1) If you want to delete a group with assignments, Canvas will prompt you to either delete the assignments (default) [1] or move them to another group [2].
2) Click "Delete Group" when finished.
^Top
Move or reorder an assignment group in Canvas:
1. Access the Assignments Page:
1) In Course Navigation, click the "Assignments" link.
2. Drag and Drop Assignment Group:
1) To manually reorder assignment groups using drag and drop:
Click the drag handle next to the assignment group name.
Drag the assignment group to your desired location.
Release the mouse to drop it in the new position.
3. Move Assignment Group:
1) Alternatively, you can use the "Move Group" option:
Click the Options icon [1] next to the assignment group.
Select "Move Group" [2].
-
In the "Move Assignment Group" sidebar:
Click the "Place" drop-down menu [1].
Choose the placement for the assignment group [2]. Options include the top of the page, before a specific group, after a specific group, or at the bottom of the page.
If you selected "Before" or "After":
- Click the second drop-down menu [1].
- Select the assignment group that should come before or after the assignment group you're moving [2].
4. Finalize the Move:
1) If you want to move the assignment group to another location, adjust the sidebar placement options as needed.
2) Click "Move Group" to complete the process.
After adding assignments to your assignment group in Canvas, you can establish rules for the entire group. These rules define how Canvas handles any exceptions you wish to make in grade calculations. Assignment groups can either be weighted or unweighted, depending on your preferences and requirements. See how to create rules for assignment group here.
^Top