LATTE’s Advanced Uploading of Files
The Advanced Uploading of Files assignment is incredibly useful. It allows students to submit more than one file at a time, to add explanatory notes describing the submitted files, and to submit unfinished documents as drafts. It also allows instructors to upload annotated copies of the students’ files along with grades and comments.
Creating an Advanced Uploading of Files Assignment
Step 1: From the course homepage, click the "Turn Editing On" button on the upper left-hand side of your course homepage.
Step 2: In the module of the course outline you want to add the assignment, click the down arrow next to the Add an Activity... option box.
Step 3: From the drop-down menu, select Advanced uploading of files
Step 4: The Adding a new Assignment… page will open. Enter a name and description for the assignment.
Step 5: Modify the settings to fit your course needs:
- Grade: Assignments can be assigned a maximum numerical grade, no grade, or a custom grading scale. Custom grading scales are an advanced feature and must be set up before creating the assignment.
- Available from: If you want the assignment to be unavailable to students until a specific time, set it as the Available from date. If you want the assignment to be available to students immediately, use the default date (the current date and time) or check the “Disable” box to the right.
- Due date: Set the date and time by which all student submissions should be turned in. If you wish the assignment to remain open for submission indefinitely, check the “Disable” box to the right.
- Prevent late submissions: If you have set a due date for the assignment, selecting “No” will allow students to submit assignments after the due date has passed. These will be marked as late and you can grade them accordingly. If you do not wish to accept any assignments after the due date has passed, select “Yes.” If this option is selected, students will not be able to upload a file to the assignment after the due date has passed.
- Maximum size: Most word documents fall in below the file size limit. Media rich documents like audio or video files will be much larger. Generally the default maximum setting (50MB) will easily accommodate all student admissions.
- Allow deleting: All files are uploaded as provisional “draft” files until the student specifically submits the file for grading. When the default setting of “Yes” is selected here, the student may delete any uploaded draft files until they as submitted for grading.
- Maximum number of uploaded files: Default setting is 3. Any number of files from 1 to 20 may be selected here.
- Allow notes: Default setting is “No.” If enabled (set to “Yes”), students may enter explanatory notes about the submitted files into a text area.
- Hide description before available date: Default setting is “No.” If enabled, students will not be able to view the assignment description until the assignment’s Available from date. This is useful for take home exam assignments.
- Email alerts of teachers: Default setting is “No.” If enabled, instructors will receive a short email notifying them whenever students add or update an assignment submission.
- Enable Send for marking: Default setting is “Yes.” When enabled, students will see a “Send for marking” button, which allows them to indicate to graders that a submitted file is the final version, rather than a draft. Instructors may choose to revert the assignment to draft status if they feel that it needs further work.
- Group mode: Groups are an advanced feature of LATTE and must be set up before the assignment is created. If the instructor has already created groups and wants students to work on an assignment as a group, “Separate groups” or “Visible groups” maybe selected. However, generally the default, “No groups,” should be used.
- Visible: Default setting is “Show.” This will make the assignment visible to students as soon as it is created, even if it is not open. If you would prefer to make the assignment visible at a later date, you may select “Hide.” The assignment WILL NOT become automatically visible at its Available from date. If it is hidden you must remember to make it visible manually when it becomes available.
- ID number: It is not necessary to provide an ID number. This is only required for advanced grading calculation.
- Grade category: You may add the assignment to one of the categories you have created in the gradebook or you may leave the assignment as “Uncategorized.”
Step 6: Click either Save and return to course to return to the main course page or Save and display to view the assignment.
Retrieving Submitted Assignments
Step 1: Enter the course.
Step 2: Enter the assignment either by clicking on it in its module on the main course page or clicking on Assignments in the Activities box in the upper right hand corner, then clicking on the assignment in the list.
Step 3: Click on “View # submitted assignments” in the upper right hand corner.
Step 4: In the “Last modified (student)” column to the right of the student in question, click on the title of the document listed next to “Draft.” Open the file as you open any other downloaded document.
Step 5: In Word (or similar software), click “Save As” and give the file a new name that makes it clear that you have edited the document (e.g. if the student uploaded “JSmith-paper1.doc” save your copy as “JSmith-paper1_comments.doc” or similar). Be sure to save your document somewhere you can find it (like the desktop or My Documents).
Step 6: Edit or comment on the document and save.
Adding/Editing Grades, Comments, and Uploading Response Files
Step 1: Enter the course.
Step 2: Enter the assignment either by clicking on it in its module on the main course page or clicking on Assignments in the Activities box in the upper right hand corner, then clicking on the assignment in the list.
Step 3: Click on “View # submitted assignments” in the upper right hand corner.
Step 4: In “Status” column to the right of the student in question, click “Grade.”
Step 5: If you have a commented response file to upload, add it before typing comments and grading. Click on the “Browse” button below the comment box and navigate to the file to upload. Click “Open.”
Step 6: The file location will appear to the left of the “Browse” button, click the “Upload this file” button.
Best Practice – Rename the Commented Document Before Uploading
It is possible to save and upload an annotated copy of the student’s paper with the exact same document name as the student’s original file. In fact, this will happen by default, if you do not alter it. However, your commented file may fail to upload (given two files with the same name, LATTE will usually keep the original) or may cause confusion for the student.
We recommend that instructors rename student documents using the “Save As” function before commenting on them. This helps prevent confusion when uploading the commented file to LATTE. For example, if the student submitted “MyPaper.doc,” you might save your copy as “MyPaper_comments.doc” or “MyPaper_graded.doc.” (Other suggestions include: _revised, _response, or your initials, e.g. _AB).
Step 7: The document will appear below the “Upload this file” button:
If wish to remove or replace your response file, click the red X to the right of the file name.
Step 8: Select a grade from the Grade dropdown menu that appear in the upper right corner.
Step 9: If desired, enter comments in the text box. These comments can be formatted using the standard LATTE text editor.
Step 10: If you would like your students to receive an email notifying them that you have uploaded a response document, make sure the check box next to “send notification emails” is checked.
Step 11: Click the “Save changes” button to save and exit the grading window. Click the “Save and show next” button if you are grading more than one student’s submission and would like to save and progress to the next student in the grading window.
Step 12: If the next student that appears has not yet submitted or you are not ready to grade his submissions, you may click the “Next” button to progress to the next student without saving any grading information.
Step 13: To change grades, comments, or response files, return to the submission and click “Update” in the Status column. Be sure to the upload response files before altering comments or grades.
Retrieving Commented Assignments
Once you have uploaded a commented response, you can access it by repeating most of the steps you took to upload it.
Step 1: Click on the assignment in its module.
Step 2: Click on “View # submitted assignments” in the upper right hand corner.
Step 3: In “Status” column to the right of the student in question, click "Update."
Step 4: Click on the annotated document, which should appear just below the “Upload this file” button in the grading window.
Step 5: Proceed as you normally do when opening an attachment.