[SpeedGrader] Allow Simultaneous Grading

[tim_kato]

SpeedGrader documentation ( https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12774-415255021 ) states that only one grader from a course can work in SpeedGrader at a time. Users report that not all grades and comments are saved when multiple graders from the same course are using SpeedGrader simultaneously. This is a known limitation in SpeedGrader and we would like to see this updated. This is particularly important for large courses.

SpeedGrader is generally designed for one instructor role to grade submissions at a time. Because of how SpeedGrader data is loaded and stored in the browser, multiple users should not grade assignments at the same time since each grader cannot view the most recent information for a submission. Updated grades also affect the Gradebook.

[James]

 @tim_kato ,

Despite the warnings from the documentation, you can have more than one person grading at the same time using SpeedGrader, you just have to be careful about it. I often have SpeedGrader pulled up on two browser windows as I have students work in teams and then submit assignments. The comments I leave for one can be copy/pasted to the other quickly this way. But I know that I shouldn't be grading Johnny on both windows, so I grade him on one and don't touch him on the other. Occasionally I will refresh both browser windows to update both instances of SpeedGrader.

It would be mostly safe, for instance, for one person to be grading section 01 of a course while someone else was grading section 02 of the course.

What you need to make sure is that no one enters a grade for someone they're not supposed to enter a grade for.

[Stef_retired]

 @tim_kato , we also have a related idea open for voting, aimed at preventing multiple graders from entering grades simultaneously (and thereby risking data loss): https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/14247-notify-graders-when-multiple-graders-is-present-in-speed... 

[cholling]

 @tim_kato ‌ -- I have experienced problems when I use two tabs in the same browser. But I frequently work in multiple areas in Canvas by logging into two different browsers. They don't seem to "know I'm there" that way, but when I try to use the same browser window, it remembers the cached login info. So the point to take away from Jim's response is work in one, but don't touch the same person in the other if you're using tabs.

[James]

It's James, not Jim.

[cholling]

Sorry, James.

[tim_kato]

Thanks for the input all! To clarify, the pain point we're experiencing is that we have two or more graders working in the same course at the same time (but on different sets of students) and SpeedGrader doesn't consistently save their grading work due to the limitations mentioned in the documentation. We will experiment with the workaround of splitting the graders by section clearly where possible, but we have many large courses at UBC including several cases where a single section has multiple graders. Another workaround is to tell them to schedule the grading in a large course so that only one grader is working at a time, but this is exactly the type of limitation that we would expect a modern LMS not to have. Any modernization or revitalization of SpeedGrader would be much appreciated!

[trr10]

My TAs learned this the hard way when one spent over two hours grading using the clunky grading system only to have all her grades lost. Now they have to text each other and say, "Hey, I'm going to grade now. Yes, I get that it is the most convenient time for both of us to grade, but you'll just have to wait. I'll be done in two or three hours. Enjoy starting your grading at midnight" 

[erica_hill]

There is one workaround, if you have TA's enrolled in their specific section in a merged course, then the grade center is sorted by section, the TA's can grade their own section at the same time with the grades and comments being saved.  TA's still cannot mark across sections at the same time.

[gemma_sinclair]

For large courses this is an issue as there is nothing in Speedgrader to prevent markers from trying to grade the same student - however only the latest submitted grades are saved.

We have created our own tool to enable concurrent grading when using rubrics which avoids accidentally grading the same student. Would really love to see this as part of the core Speedgrader tool. 

Especially important the move to digital assessments replacing Exams in response to COVID-19.

[sharon_kitching]

Does the refresh after grading (which reloads the page, and saves the comments) work if everyone uses it?