[Speedgrader] Rich Text Editor in Speedgrader Comments

[CommunityTeam]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas LMS

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Add the Rich Text Editor to the Comments section of Speedgrader.

"I want to recommend books, etc., or to properly format foreign words, and so on, and want to set the example, of course, of doing so properly.  Thank you"

"Instructors have told me they'd like formatting (bold, italic, colors) in the comment boxes in order to emphasize a statement without typing all caps (which seems like they're yelling at the students)."

"As an instructor in a virtual classroom I need to be able to make my communication with students richer to better get my points across.  Add rich text capabilities and allow me to make the Comment boxes larger while you are at it."

Transferred from the old Community

Originally Posted By: Joshua Shannon
Special thanks for contributions by: Teri Portman, Albert Turner

[AmandaFedorko]

Problem statement:

When teachers leave feedback in speedgrader, we often include paragraph breaks to separate out information and make it easier to digest. However, when students view this feedback, typically by clicking on the assignment in the gradebook, or the feedback flag button in the gradebook, they are presented with a wall of text that has removed all paragraph breaks.

Proposed solution:

Simply include the paragraph breaks in all ways that students can view feedback. This is a great solution because students see the wall of text and are discouraged, or it is more difficult than necessary to get the information they need due to the formatting. Teachers include the paragraph breaks for a reason, and presenting the wall of text to students is just another hurdle for many students with difficulties in reading and comprehending what they're reading.

User role(s):

instructor

[RachelBWright]

Problem statement:

When providing feedback to a student for an assignment, via the comments box there is no ability to format the text. This includes no paragraph breaks, and no ability to bold words or to add links. This is problematic because when providing detailed feedback to students it is usually easier for the student to take in if it is broken down into sections. This post from the question forum includes an excellent video describing the issue. https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Question-Forum/Please-Improve-Comments/m-p/569074

Proposed solution:

Add an RCE / WYSIWYG editor to the assignment comments box (at least for instructors) so they can leave better-formatted feedback for students.

User role(s):

instructor,student

[DrMM]

Problem statement:

I need a way to provide a Hyperlink in the comment section of Speed Grader. I need students to be able to click the hyperlink to view whatever it is I want them to view. I understand that I can paste a URL in the comments, but then students must copy and paste it into a browser. Students seem not to want to take the extra time to paste the URL into a browser. I am looking for this option for multiple reasons. 1. I want to provide students feedback that includes a specific resource for them to review. 2. I want to provide video feedback including recording my screen. I want to use an app like Screencastify that provides me with a link to a feedback video to share with students.

Proposed solution:

Make the comment section more compatible with different formatting. Allow for more text options like bolded text, hyperlinks, colored text

User role(s):

instructor

[KarlijnvanA]

Problem statement:

A teacher writes a comment on a submitted assignment in the Speedgrader. To make the comment more readable, the teacher uses the enter key, creating line breaks in the comment. Once the teacher publishes the comment, this formatting remains visible for the sender. However, the student receives the comment with all the text concatenated. All line breaks have disappeared. This seems to indicate that it is possible to retain the formatting but only for the sender of a message. For background (and screenshots), I'd like to refer to: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Question-Forum/Assignment-comment-layout/m-p/593290#M19787...

Proposed solution:

Ensure that the formatting in the comments of Speedgrader is visible not only to the person sending the comment but also to the reader. Why? Readibility is important! Thanks in advance

User role(s):

instructor,student

[rhansen4]

Problem statement:

Faculty request being able to add active hyperlinks when commenting in Speedgrader. Currently students have to copy and paste the URL.

Proposed solution:

Add active hyperlinks when commenting in Speedgrader. This will remove the need for students have to copy and paste the URL as is the current process. Being able to go to link directly increases the likelihood that they will.

User role(s):

instructor