How to Print Out Student Submissions in Canvas LMS: A Comprehensive Guide

In the digital age of Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Canvas, the need to Print Out student submissions might seem counterintuitive. However, educators often find themselves needing physical copies of student work for various reasons. Whether it’s for offline grading, creating hard copies for record-keeping, or facilitating discussions in settings where digital access is limited, knowing how to print out submissions efficiently from Canvas is a valuable skill. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the methods available to print out student submissions from Canvas LMS, ensuring you can effectively manage and review student work in the format that best suits your needs.

Printing Individual Submissions from SpeedGrader

For individual student assignments, Canvas’s SpeedGrader offers a straightforward way to print out submissions. This method is particularly useful when you need to review and annotate a single student’s work in a tangible format. Here’s how to do it:

1. Access SpeedGrader: Navigate to your course in Canvas and select the assignment you wish to grade. In the assignment dashboard, click on “SpeedGrader” in the right-hand sidebar.
2. Select a Student: SpeedGrader will open with the first student’s submission. Use the student list dropdown at the top to select the student submission you want to print out.
3. View Submission: SpeedGrader displays the student’s submission directly within the browser if it’s a compatible file type (like PDF, DOCX). For other file types, you might need to download the submission first.
4. Print Option: Look for the print icon within the SpeedGrader interface. This icon usually resembles a printer and is often located in the top right corner, or within the file preview options. Clicking this icon will open your browser’s print dialog.
5. Configure Print Settings: In the print dialog, you can adjust settings like page range, number of copies, and printer destination. Ensure your printer is selected and adjust settings as needed.
6. Print: Click the “Print” button to print out the student’s submission.

Alt text: Canvas SpeedGrader interface showing a student submission with the print icon highlighted in the top right corner, demonstrating how to print individual student assignments.

This method is ideal for printing out individual submissions for detailed review and annotation. However, if you need to print out multiple submissions, or submissions in bulk, other methods might be more efficient.

Downloading Submissions for Printing in Bulk

Canvas doesn’t offer a direct “bulk print out” feature. However, you can download assignment submissions in bulk and then print out the downloaded files. This is a more efficient approach when you need physical copies of work from an entire class or a large group of students. Here’s the process:

1. Go to Assignment Settings: In your Canvas course, navigate to the assignment for which you want to download submissions.
2. Download Submissions: In the assignment dashboard, look for options like “Download Submissions” or “Download All Submissions”. This option is usually found in the assignment settings menu (often represented by three vertical dots).
3. Choose Download Format (if applicable): Canvas might offer options to download submissions as individual files or as a ZIP file. Downloading as a ZIP file is usually more convenient for bulk processing.
4. Download and Extract: Click the “Download Submissions” button. Canvas will prepare and download a ZIP file containing all student submissions. Once downloaded, extract the contents of the ZIP file to a folder on your computer.
5. Print from Downloaded Folder: Navigate to the extracted folder. Select the files you want to print out. You can select all files or filter by student name or file type if needed.
6. Print Selected Files: Right-click on the selected files and choose the “Print” option from the context menu. This will send the selected files to your default printer.
7. Configure Print Settings (if needed): Depending on your operating system and printer, you might have options to configure print settings before printing out the files.

Alt text: File explorer window displaying a folder of downloaded student submissions, illustrating the files ready to be printed in bulk after downloading from Canvas.

Downloading submissions for printing out in bulk is a more time-saving method for larger classes or assignments with many submissions. Remember to consider file types and ensure you have the necessary software to open and print out the downloaded files (e.g., PDF reader for PDF submissions, word processor for DOCX files).

Considerations Before Printing

Before you print out student submissions, consider these points to optimize the process and ensure you get the best results:

• File Types: Be aware of the file types students have submitted. Common submission types include DOCX, PDF, and TXT. Ensure you have the appropriate software to open and print out these file types. PDF files are generally the most print-friendly as they maintain formatting across different systems.
• Formatting: Student submissions might have varied formatting. Preview submissions before printing out to ensure they will print out as expected. You might need to adjust print settings to optimize readability (e.g., scaling, margins).
• Paper and Ink Usage: Printing out a large number of submissions can consume a significant amount of paper and ink. Consider if printing out is truly necessary or if digital review can suffice. If printing out is essential, explore options to print double-sided or in grayscale to conserve resources.
• Alternative Solutions: Before resorting to printing out, consider if there are digital alternatives that can meet your needs. Canvas offers robust annotation tools within SpeedGrader, which might be sufficient for providing feedback and grading without needing physical copies.

Conclusion

While Canvas is designed as a digital learning environment, the need to print out student submissions still arises in various educational contexts. Whether you need to print out individual submissions for detailed feedback or bulk print out submissions for offline review, Canvas provides methods to facilitate this. By using SpeedGrader for individual prints and downloading submissions for bulk printing, educators can effectively manage student work in both digital and physical formats. Always consider the file types, formatting, and resource usage to optimize your print out process and make informed decisions about when and how to print out student submissions from Canvas LMS.