Create a Microsoft Assignment

Note: This guide assumes Microsoft Education has already been set up in your course. If not, follow the setup guide to enable Microsoft Assignments in Canvas.

Microsoft Assignments provide instructors with flexible assignment options that support diverse submission formats including videos and audio recordings through Flip, Microsoft documents, and more. This assignment type offers a multi-modal approach to assignments for students, and they integrate seamlessly with Canvas while offering enhanced multimedia capabilities through Microsoft's ecosystem.

Create a Microsoft Assignment

Microsoft Assignments handle details and due dates exclusively during the setup process, not through traditional Canvas assignment settings. You can create these assignments from either the Modules or Assignments area.

From Assignments Page

Navigate to the Canvas Assignments page, select the three-dot menu, and choose Microsoft Education.

Create from Assignments

From Modules Page

Navigate to the Canvas Modules page, select the three-dot menu beside a module, and choose Microsoft Education.

Create from Modules

After selecting Microsoft Education, choose the Assignment option.

Configure Assignment Settings

Microsoft Assignments require detailed configuration during creation, as settings cannot be modified through standard Canvas assignment options later.

Title and Description

Provide a clear title and detailed description. The description is critical for Microsoft Assignments since students can submit various formats (videos, documents, recordings). Specify exactly what submission type you expect to avoid confusion.

Reference Materials (Optional)

Use the Attach, New, or Learning Accelerators options to provide students with reference materials:

Website links or attached files
New Microsoft documents
Learning accelerators
Flip video recordings

Assignment Parameters

Set the due date, due time, and point value during creation. While these can be adjusted later, establishing them during setup is recommended for proper gradebook integration.

Note: The rubric option here creates a Microsoft-made rubric, not a Canvas rubric. You can attach Canvas rubrics after assignment completion without using Microsoft's rubric feature.

Select Save to complete the assignment creation. The assignment will appear in your course's Assignments area.

Student Experience

Students access Microsoft Assignments like any other Canvas assignment. They'll see the assignment information, description, and any reference materials you've provided. In this example, a Flip video recording was attached during creation using the "New" option.

Tip: A separate submission guide is available to share with students.

Grading Microsoft Assignments

Microsoft Assignments display differently from traditional Canvas assignments, featuring an embedded window with student enrollment status and submission tracking (late, submitted, graded).

Important: Microsoft Assignments are managed exclusively through this embedded interface and do not support Canvas SpeedGrader. They use Microsoft's own grading system.

To start grading a submission, select a student with "Turned In" status to open their submission in Microsoft's grading interface.

The grading interface resembles Canvas SpeedGrader, with submission content on the left and grading tools on the right.

Note: Microsoft Forms assignments use a different grading interface than shown here.

Grading Features

Student Navigation: Switch between submissions using the student name picker
Feedback: Use the Rich Content Editor to provide detailed feedback with attachment options
Grade Assignment: Enter point values and sync to Canvas gradebook

Submit Grades to Canvas

After reviewing the submission and providing feedback, assign point values and select Return and sync to send grades to Canvas. The dropdown arrow offers a "Return for revisions" option, allowing students to address feedback before final grading.

Note: If grading options appear greyed out, ensure you assigned points during creation. Edit the assignment to add point values if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a Canvas rubric to a Microsoft Assignment?

If you didn't use Microsoft's rubric during creation, you can attach a Canvas rubric normally through the assignment details page, just like any other assignment.

Can I limit submissions to one attempt?

Microsoft Assignments don't fully integrate with Canvas attempt limitations, but you can control this through your grading approach. The assignment interface clearly shows which students have resubmitted, so you can choose to grade only the first submission and communicate this policy to students.

Why can't I grade using Canvas SpeedGrader?

Microsoft Assignments use their own grading interface that's integrated into the assignment view. This allows for better handling of multimedia submissions and Microsoft-specific content, but requires using the embedded grading interface instead of Canvas SpeedGrader.

What submission types can students use?

Students can attach various file formats in their submission:

Flip video recordings
Microsoft 365 documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Audio recordings via Flip
On-device file attachments

Be specific in your assignment description about which format you expect to avoid confusion.