Sakai Help Document

Assignments

Includes

Description
Examples of use
Creating a new assignment
Adding an attachment to an assignment
Revising an assignment
Deleting an assignment
Duplicating an assignment
Grading an assignment
Multiple grading scales
Reviewing students' status for all assignments
Student view

For courses, the Sakai Assignments tool allows instructors to create, distribute, collect and grade online assignments. Assignments are private and student submissions are not visible to other users of the site.

New features in Sakai include multiple grading options - letter grades, points, check marks, pass/fail, or ungraded.

Assignments can also be returned, with or without grades, for re-submission. Instructors can download all submissions to an assignment to their computer at once.

When instructors release grades for an assignment, students can access instructor comments and their grade.



   

Instructors can return assignments and allow for re-submission. This feature can be used to evaluate drafts of final projects or papers, or to allow students to correct and re-submit an assignment.

1...Click Assignments in the menubar.

2...Click New...

3...In the web form that opens, fill in the following information. (Fields marked with a red dot are required.)


Title -- Write a title that briefly describes the assignment.


If you choose to have the assignment due date appear on the schedule, this title will appear with it. For example, you could title an essay assignment "Essay 1."


Open date -- This is the date and the time students will first see the assignment on the course site and it is the date and time when they can begin working on it.


You can have an announcement sent alerting students to the start date. See Step 5,Options, below.


Due date -- This is the assignment deadline.


You can have the due date and time listed on the schedule in the course site. See Step 5, Options, below.


Accept submissions until -- No assignments can be submitted after this date.


You can set this date and time later than the due date to continue accepting assignments (revisions, etc.) after the due date.


Student submissions -- You can choose to have students submit their assignments inline only, as attachments only or both.


- inline only (typed directly into a text box provided on the site)
- attachments only
- inline and attachments


Grade scale -- You can choose to have the assignment ungraded, or graded with a letter grade, points, pass/fail or checkmarks.


If you choose points, enter the maximum possible points between 1 and 200.


Additional resources -- You can add an attached resource to the assignment. See "Adding an attachment to an assignment," below.

4...Enter a description of the assignment in the Assignment instructions box.


This step is optional, but you will receive an alert message at the top of the page if you leave it blank.  Click Post again to proceed.


5...Additional assignment Options are listed at the end of the form.

- You can have students' grades released to the students either when you say (when you click the release grades button when you're grading each assignment) or immediately (right after you grade a student’s assignment).

- To have the assignment due date added to the site's schedule, check the box next to Add due date to schedule.

- To have the open date announced automatically when you post the assignment by putting an announcement on your site's homepage, check the box next to Announce the open date.

- To have the honor pledge displayed when students are submitting an assignment, check the box next to Add honor pledge.  Students must check a check box agreeing to the pledge before their work can be submitted.


Honor Pledge: I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. Yes (You must respond to submit your assignment.)

6...Optional: Click Preview to review your assignment before you post it and to see how it will look to students. Click the little black arrow next to the Student View to open the window and see how the assignment will appear to students.

7...Click Save Draft if you want to save your assignment before you post it. You can then go back to it and revise it, if you want, before you post it.  Only instructors can view drafts.

8...Click Post when you are ready.

Complete the following steps at any time while you are creating a new assignment. You can also return to a saved or posted assignment and add an attachment. (See Revising an Assignment, below)

1... Click the Attachments button.

2... You can choose to:

- attach a Local File... from your computer

To add a local file, browse for the file, select it, and click Attach. In the next window, click Save.


- attach a Website URL...

Type the URL in the box provided and click Attach. In the next window, click Save. You do not need to include http: For example: www.umich.edu


- attach an item From Resources... in this course website

To add an attachment with a resource that is already on the site, click From Resources... Choose the resource you would like to add, and click Continue. In the next window, click Save again.

3...After you have added your attachment(s), remember to Post your assignment or Save Draft. (If the assignment is currently open to students, you will only have the option of posting the assignment.)

You can revise an assignment either before or after its open date.


1... Click the Assignments button in the menubar.

You will see a list of assignments.

2... Click the box next to the assignment you want to revise.  (You can only revise one assignment at a time.)

3...Click the Revise button along the top of the window.

4...Make your revisions in the assignment.

5... After you have made your revisions, remember to Post your assignment or Save a Draft. (If the assignment is currently open to students, you will only have the options of previewing and posting the assignment.)

When students view the revised assignment, they will be notified that changes have been made.

1... Click the Assignments button in the menubar.

You will see a list of assignments.

2...Click the box next to the assignment you want to delete.

3... Click the Delete button along the top of the window.

4...You will see a confirmation message. Click Delete or Cancel.

1...Click the Assignments button in the menubar.

You will see a list of assignments.

2...Click the box next to the assignment you want to duplicate.

3... Click the Duplicate button along the top of the window.

4...You will see the duplicate in the assignment list with the word Copy added to the title.

NOTE: The dupllicate assignment is a draft. If you want to post it, click on its title and then click the Post button.

1...Click the Assignments button in the menubar.

You will see a list of assignments.

2.. Click the box next to the assignment you want to grade.  (You can only revise one assignment at a time.)

You will see your assignment along with student submissions.

4... To view a student's submitted assignment and start grading, click on a student's name.

You can type comments into student text by enclosing your comments in double curly brackets: {{ }} Your text will appear red.

5...To release student's grades, click the Release Grades button.

You can view a list of your students and see each student' status on each of the assignments. You can see whether the student has submitted the assignment, the assignment status and the grade if one was given.

1... Click Assignments in the menubar.

2...Choose List of Assignments by Students in the pull-down view menu.

You can view the assignments you created in student view so that you see what a student would see.

1...Click Assignments in the menubar.

2...Choose Student View in the pull-down View menu.

3...Click on an assignment to see it in student view.

4...Click Done to return to the assignment list.

5.. To return to instructor view, selected List of Assignments from the pull-down View menu.