As a teacher, you probably use Google Classroom every single day. Learning how to use some of the hidden tools and features can save you time and effort. Recently, Google Classroom added a handy little feature that you may or may not have noticed when reviewing student work...it is called "Student Engagement Signals" and it looks like this:
Basically, it just gives you a quick view into when a student last updated their attached Google documents (could be a Doc, Slide, Sheet, or Drawing). Note that it does NOT work for other types of attachments such as links, Canva files, videos, etc. It also provides a checkbox to filter out only students who have not edited their document at all. This new feature gives you the ability to quickly see whether students are working on the assignment BEFORE it is due.
To make this work - ensure that students have a document attached to the assignment as soon as it is posted. The best way to make this happen is to have Google Classroom create the document for the student. This feature has existed for a long time, but if you haven't used it, here's a quick explanation:
First, consider if you have some sort of template you want students to work from or if you just want them to start with a blank document (either option will work).
Create a new assignment as you usually do with the title, instructions, due dates, etc.
In the "Attach" section...if you have an existing template you want students to work from, click "Drive" and select the document. If you do not have an existing template, you can click "Create" and choose Docs, Slides, Sheets, or Drawing:
If you opted to Create, make sure you title the document and then feel free to add anything you want to be included on all student files. You are also welcome to leave it blank. Then you can close the document and return to Classroom. (It will still show that the file is "Untitled"...don't worry, it won't when it is posted.)
Next to the attachment, select "Make a copy for each student"
Ensure that everything looks the way you want everywhere else in the assignment and then click the "Assign" button.
This process will create a document for each student and attach it to the Google Classroom assignment:
This process has quite a few benefits:
You can track whether students have begun working on the assignment and how recently they worked on it.
You can quickly filter out students who have not started working so you can reach out to those students directly.
You can use a tool such as Brisk Teaching to "Inspect Writing" if you suspect AI usage.
Students can easily find the document attached to the assignment rather than hunting through their own Google Drive to find it.
File names are consistent (though students certainly could rename them if you or they want.)
Creating a document for each student and using Google Classroom's new Student Engagement Signals feature will help improve your efficiency and help you be more aware of student progress. As always, feel free to reach out for support or more detailed explanation on this process!
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