PolyLearn Support

Information Technology Services

Assignment Types

Instructors can upload a different file for each student, view the date and time the file was submitted, set progress status of draft or complete, provide individual feedback and post grade within the Gradebook. Students can submit the file, add notes and progress status.

Note: only the Advanced uploading of files and Upload a single file option will allow instructors to upload a graded file as feedback.

1. Select Turn editing on.
2. Click on the Add an activity pull-down list.
   
   
3. Choose the Advanced uploading of files tool.
4. Under the General section, type the Assignment name (required) of the assignment into the text box.
5. Type the Description (required) into the text box.
6. Choose the Available Dates, Due date and preference of late Submissions.
7. Choose the Grade and the Grade category.
8. Under the Advanced uploading of files section, choose the Maximum size of a file the student can upload.
9. Allow student to delete submitted file or not.
   Note: If they delete the file, you will not have a record of the file and cannot retrieve it.
   
   Options


Attached file for Assignment

If the instructor would like to have an attached file as part of the assignment, the instructor will need to add a Resource: File above the Activity: Assignment. It is helpful for the students to name the file "Please view / download before the Term Paper Assignment One". Labels can also be used to separate the content.

• maximum number of files sets the number of files the students can upload.
  Note: This is not displayed, make sure to notify students in the description.
• notes provides a space for students to write a note to you that is not a part of the assignment file.
• hide or show the assignment description before the available date.
• email alerts sends email to instructor when a students adds or updates their assignment.
• send for marking allows the student to indicate to the instructor that their assignment is ready for grading.
• Group mode (under the Common module section) can submit their files into one area. After the group is created, you can choose the name of the group from the list.
• Restrict access allows the instructor to set a condition on the assignment until other assignment(s) are completed:
  • Allow access from and Allow access until determine when students can access the activity via a link on the course page.
    Note: The difference between access from/to dates and availability settings for the activity is that outside the set dates the latter allows students to view the activity description, whereas access from/to dates prevent access completely.
  • Grade condition determines any grade conditions which must be met in order to access the activity.
    Note: Multiple grade conditions may be set if desired. If so, the activity will only allow access when ALL grade conditions are met.
  • Show activity greyed-out, with restriction information / Hide activity entirely determines how the activity displays before conditions have been met.
    
10. Choose either Save and return to course or Save and display.

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Online text

Instructors can view the date and time the file was submitted, provide individual feedback and post grade within the Gradebook. Allows the students to type text via the form box and submit to the instructor.

1. Turn Editing On
2. Click on the Add an activity pull-down list.
   
   
3. Choose the Online text tool.
4. Type the Assignment name (required) of the assignment into the text box.
5. Type the Description (required) into the text box.
6. Choose the Available dates, Due date and preference of late Submissions.
7. Choose Grade and Grade category.
8. Choose Maximum file size the student can upload.

Options
• Allow resubmitting allows students to resubmit assignments after they have been graded (for them to be re-graded).
• Email alerts to teachers emails the instructor when a students adds or updates their assignment.
• Comment inline allows for the student text to be automatically placed into the comment field so it is easy for the instructor to provide feedback.
• Group mode (under the Common module section) can submit their files into one area. After the group is created, you can choose the name of the group from the list.
• Restrict access allows the instructor to set a condition on the assignment until other assignment(s) are completed:
  • Allow access from and Allow access until determine when students can access the activity via a link on the course page.
    Note: The difference between access from/to dates and availability settings for the activity is that outside the set dates the latter allows students to view the activity description, whereas access from/to dates prevent access completely.
  • Grade condition determines any grade conditions which must be met in order to access the activity.
    Note: Multiple grade conditions may be set if desired. If so, the activity will only allow access when ALL grade conditions are met.
  • Show activity greyed-out, with restriction information / Hide activity entirely determines how the activity displays before conditions have been met.
9. Choose either Save and return to course or Save and display.

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Upload a single file

Instructors can view the date and time the file was submitted, provide individual feedback and post grade within the Gradebook. Students can submit as many times until the due date. If the student has multiple files, the student can ZIP file files and submit them as one file.

Note: only the Advanced uploading of files and Upload a single file option will allow instructors to upload a graded file as feedback.

1. Turn Editing On
2. Click on the Add an activity pull-down list.
   
   
3. Choose the Upload a single file tool.
4. Type the name of the assignment into the text box.
5. Type the description into the text box.
6. Choose the available dates, due date and preference or late submissions.
7. Choose grade value and category.
8. Choose max file size the student can upload.

Options
• Allow resubmitting allows students to resubmit assignments after they have been graded (for them to be re-graded).
• Email alerts to teachers emails the instructor when a students adds or updates their assignment.
• Group mode (under the Common module section) can submit their files into one area. After the group is created, you can choose the name of the group from the list.
• Restrict access allows the instructor to set a condition on the assignment until other assignment(s) are completed:
  • Allow access from and Allow access until determine when students can access the activity via a link on the course page.
    Note: The difference between access from/to dates and availability settings for the activity is that outside the set dates the latter allows students to view the activity description, whereas access from/to dates prevent access completely.
  • Grade condition determines any grade conditions which must be met in order to access the activity.
    Note: Multiple grade conditions may be set if desired. If so, the activity will only allow access when ALL grade conditions are met.
  • Show activity greyed-out, with restriction information / Hide activity entirely determines how the activity displays before conditions have been met.
9. Choose either Save and return to course or Save and display.

 

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Offline activity

This is useful if the assignment is performed in the classroom, lab or other application. Instructors can provide grades within the Gradebook for these assignments.

1. Turn Editing On
2. Click on the Add an activity pull-down list.
   
   
3. Choose the Upload a single file tool.
4. Type the Assignment name (required) of the assignment into the text box.
5. Type the Description (required) into the text box.
6. Choose the Available dates, Due date and preference or late Submissions.
7. Choose Grade and Grade category.
8. Choose Maximum file size the student can upload.

Options
• Allow resubmitting allows students to resubmit assignments after they have been graded (for them to be re-graded).
• Email alerts to teachers emails the instructor when a students adds or updates their assignment.
• Group mode (under the Common module section) can submit their files into one area. After the group is created, you can choose the name of the group from the list.
• Restrict access allows the instructor to set a condition on the assignment until other assignment(s) are completed:
  • Allow access from and Allow access until determine when students can access the activity via a link on the course page.
    Note: The difference between access from/to dates and availability settings for the activity is that outside the set dates the latter allows students to view the activity description, whereas access from/to dates prevent access completely.
  • Grade condition determines any grade conditions which must be met in order to access the activity.
    Note: Multiple grade conditions may be set if desired. If so, the activity will only allow access when ALL grade conditions are met.
  • Show activity greyed-out, with restriction information / Hide activity entirely determines how the activity displays before conditions have been met.
9. Choose either Save and return to course or Save and display.

 

Evaluating Assignments

Viewing submitted assignments

1. Turn Editing On
2. Click on the Assignment name.
3. In the upper right corner, click on the View 'x' submitted assignments link.
4. Use the alphabetical index options to narrow the view or change the number of students displayed on page at the bottom.

Download all assignments at once

PolyLearn provides the option of downloading ALL the assignments at once using zip files. This option is available for the Advanced uploading of files, Online text, and Upload a single file assignment types.

1. Click on the Assignment name.
2. Click View [x] submitted assignments, located in the top right corner.
3. Click on Download all assignments as a zip.


4. Select Save File at the pop-up prompt, and click OK.
5. Locate and open the folder the zip file is saved to. Move the file to another location if desired.
6. Right-click on the file and click Extract all.... Follow the directions to extract the files.

Grading assignments

1. Turn Editing On
2. Click on the Assignment name.
3. In the upper right corner, click on the View 'x' submitted assignments link.
4. Click on the assignment you want to grade.
5. In the upper right corner, click on View submitted assignment link.
6. Choose grade from the drop-down list.
   

Grading group assignments

When using groups for assignments, one student should be designated to be the one to submit the final file(s) ready for grading and should be the only student in the group that has a submission next to their name in the "View submitted assignments" area. Though each student in the group has the ability to submit a file (meaning if there are five members, you could receive five files), you should encourage your students to select one member to submit the final file(s) for grading. Note that students within a group assignment cannot see one another's submitted file(s), so they'll need to coordinate with one another outside of PolyLearn as to who is submitting the final file(s).

The instructor has the ability to view only the participants of a particular group (one group at a time) for the assignment, thus allowing the instructor to give everyone in that group the same grade quickly and easily.

The instructor will still have to give each member a grade individually (i.e., pick the same grade for all the members of the group individually; there is no "assign the group this grade" button), but selecting groups from the group list shows only the members of one group at a time so the instructor can select the same grade for the participants of that group and then move onto the next group.

1. Turn Editing On
2. Click on the Assignment name.
3. In the upper right corner, click on the View 'x' submitted assignments link.
4. Select a group from the separate groups / visible groups pull-down menu in the top left corner of the page.
   Note: The menu will be called separate/visible groups depending on the group mode you have selected for the assignment on the "edit" page for the assignment under Common module settings (see Options). For reference:
   Separate groups - Each group member can only see their own group, others are invisible
   Visible groups - Each group member works in their own group, but can also see other groups
   
5. After selecting a group, the page will refresh and display only the members of the group you chose.
   Note: Only Student 1 has submitted files, but all group members will receive the same grade. Having each group member upload the same file(s) is unnecessary.
   
6. When you are ready to assign grades, place a checkmark next to Allow quick grading, click Save preferences, and give all members of the group the same grade (and feedback, if desired).
   
   
7. Click on Save all my feedback to save your grade and feedback changes.
   
8. Select another group from the separate groups / visible groups pull-down menu and repeat steps 5-7.