hide assignments from instructor's gradebook view using API

[vikas1018]

Hello,

We are working on third party integration for canvas which creates assignment group in canvas using API call (Assignment Groups - Canvas LMS REST API Documentation where we set its position value to 1000 to ensure assignment group is placed at the end). Similarly, we create assignment using api call inside assignment group created in previous step ( position is set to 1000 here also). Now the problem is, instructors do not want to see these "auto-generated", "muted", "0 point" assignments in the gradebook. With above approach auto-generated assignment are placed at the end in gradebook (also on assignment page, thanks to position parameter), but this does not really solves core problem.  

So is there a way I can hide these auto generated assignments from instructor's gradebook view and still keep them available for student to attempt?

[kona]

 @vikas1018 ​, given the highly technical nature of this question I'm sharing this with the Canvas Developers​ group. No need to repost anything there, this will automatically show up for them!

[cesbrandt]

Welcome to the Canvas Community  @vikas1018 ​!

Down to business! I'm sorry to say that there is no way to hide any assignments from the gradebook if they are gradable. The only way to hide an assignment from the gradebook is to set its submission_types to not_graded. From the API, though, this is not an acceptable value (despite it being the value when you GET the assignment information). I haven't tested it, but you could try them, however, using this submission_types dramatically alters the data of the assignment.

I won't be able to get around to it until Monday, but I'll take a look and see what request parameters shouldn't be used when using this submission_types, however, I still can't promise it would even work via the API. That is, of course, unless you take a look before I can get to it. In which case, please provide your findings.

Having said that, there is an idea I submitted in development to expand the functionality of assignments with regards to the gradebook. You can find it here to more details, but it's basically to mate the submission_types have no direct control over whether an assignment can be included in the gradebook or not.

[cesbrandt]

Alright, so, from my testing I have determined that using not_graded works despite the documentation not listing it. Here's an example array that I used for testing:

array(
  'assignment' => array(
    'name' => 'Ungraded API Test',
    'position' => 1000,
    'submission_types' => array('not_graded'),
    'integration_id' => null,
    'integration_data' => new stdClass(),
    'peer_reviews' => false,
    'automatic_peer_reviews' => false,
    'group_category_id' => null,
    'grade_group_students_individually' => false,
    'points_possible' => null,
    'grading_type' => 'not_graded',
    'due_at' => null,
    'lock_at' => null,
    'unlock_at' => null,
    'description' => '',
    'muted' => false,
    'only_visible_to_overrides' => false,
    'published' => true,
    'grading_standard_id' => null
  )
)

Note: The submission_types is an array containing a single non-associative value of "not_graded". In addition, the grading_type is a string also containing "not_graded". Both must be set for it to be properly configured.

It's not much of an example, but it did successfully create the assignment, placed it in the topmost assignments category, and it did no appear in the gradebook. To be certain, I tested wtih assignment['assignment_group_id'] and was able to place it in the category of my choosing without issue. As far as I can tell, nearly all the settings listed in the documentation are acceptable to not_graded assignments.

[Robbie_Grant]

 @vikas1018 ,

We are giving the Canvas Admins area a little bit of love (especially questions that are really, really old) and just want to check in with you.  This will also bring this question new attention. 

Were you able to find an answer to your question? I am going to go ahead and mark this question as answered because there hasn't been any more activity in a while so I assume that you have the information that you need. If you still have a question about this or if you have information that you would like to share with the community, by all means, please do come back and leave a comment.  Also, if this question has been answered by one of the previous replies, please feel free to mark that answer as correct.

Robbie