After learning how to create a rubric assessment, you may now want to use the Google Doc sharing capabilities. This includes the ability to make a copy for each student, directly through the rubric assessment!
💡 Tips:
Although this document refers to Google Docs throughout, this same process can be completed with Google Slides.
Don't let the word assessment deter you. In Otus, the term "assessment" is used to indicate the collection of student work; you don't have to include the results in the gradebook! Check out this link for more details.
Before You Start
Before beginning the process of assigning a rubric assessment with a Google Doc, please take note of the following:
You must be logged in via Google SSO in order to have access to your documents in Google Drive.
If you are the co-teacher of a class, the main teacher must login with Google SSO at least once before you are able to assign a rubric to make a copy of a Google Doc for each student.
Are you getting an error message when assigning an assessment with a Google Doc? Try logging out of Otus and Google completely, then logging back in. To completely log out of Otus, select your profile icon on the bottom-left portion of the screen, then select Log Out.
Attach the Google Doc and Assign
Step 1: While in your rubric assessment, select Choose File under Attachments.
Step 2: Select the Google Drive icon.
Step 3: Choose the document you wish to share.
Step 4: Choose how you want the students to interact with the document (view, edit, or force a copy).
❗ If selecting "Make a copy for each student", please check out the FAQ section below for more details.
Step 5: Assign the rubric assessment. The process of assigning a rubric assessment with a Google Doc attached is the same as assigning any other assessment.
❗ Notes:
The "Allow Multiple Attempts" setting plays a significant role in the student editing permissions and emails sent upon submission. See this section below for more details.
The process for Google to make a copy made for each student can take up to 10 minutes. If you are seeing a longer delay, please reach out to the support team, and we can help!
Accessing the Google Doc
Once the assessment is assigned, the teacher and students will have access to the Google Docs.
Students
In Otus: the student will receive the Google Doc in the rubric assessment.
In Google: the student will also receive the Google Doc in their own Google Drive. It will be in their Shared with me section. It will be a stand-alone document (not in a folder).
Teachers
In Otus: the main teacher and any co-teachers of the class will be able to see the live Google Docs in the rubric assessment. See details below.
In Google: the main teacher and any co-teachers of the class will be able to see the live Google Docs in their own Google Drive.
There will be a folder in their "My Drive" tab named Otus.❗Note: do not delete, move, or rename the Otus folder or the documents within the folder.
Within that folder, there will be a folder for each class.
Within the class folder, there will be a folder for each of the assessments assigned to that class.
The assessment folder will hold all of the student documents that were generated for that assessment.
❗ Are you are having issues seeing the folder and/or Google Docs? Check out this resource for troubleshooting information.
Upon Submission
When the students are ready, they will submit their rubric assessment. The "Allow Multiple Attempts" setting when you originally assigned the assessment will play a role in the editing rights for the students and the emails sent. Please see below for details.
If Multiple Attempts are NOT Allowed
(this box was left unchecked when assigning the assessment).
Student Editing Rights
The student will no longer have editing rights to the Google Doc in Otus or in their own Google Drive
Emails
The main teacher will receive a "transfer of ownership" email via Google.
The co-teacher will receive an "invitation to edit" email via Google.
Teachers
The main teacher and any co-teachers will have access to the Google Docs in the rubric assessment and in their own Google Drive.
💡 Tip from the Otus Team: want to filter out all of those emails? Check out this resource to learn how.
If Multiple Attempts ARE Allowed
(this box was checked when assigning the assessment).
Student Editing Rights
The student will not be able to access or edit the document in the assessment until the submission has been graded.
Once the submission has been graded, the rubric assessment will open back up, and the student can continue working on the Google Doc in the assessment.
Please note - the student will continue to have editing rights to the Google Doc in their Google Drive, even after they have submitted.
Emails
Since the ownership and permissions of the Google Doc do not change when the student submits, there will not be an email sent to the main teacher or co-teacher.
Leaving Comments
The most direct way to leave a comment is to use the built-in Leave a Comment button:
If you intend to leave comments within the Google Doc itself, we do not recommend using the Add comment feature in the Google Doc:
By default, these comments will not be visible to students after you grade the assessment. This is the case because students lose Edit access and the Google Doc reverts to View Only after they Submit the assessment. When a Google Doc is View Only, comments are not accessible.
An alternate option is to write teacher comments inline with the student's text, using parentheticals and/or identifiable fonts to draw attention to your comments:
❗ Note - The Google Doc Add comment button will work before the student Submits the assessment. In addition, if Allow Multiple Attempts is ON for the Rubric Assessment, then the Google Doc comments will work even after the assessment has been graded. This is because students retain Edit access to the Google Doc indefinitely. Since they have permission to Edit, they'll have access to Google Doc Comments.
Check out the links below to see how to grade a rubric assessment.
Otus Live Video
Click to see a video from our Otus Live series on how to make an individual copy of a Google Doc or Slide for each student with Otus rubric assessments.
Click to see a video from our Otus Live series on how to make an individual copy of a Google Doc or Slide for each student with Otus rubric assessments.
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Click to see FAQ and troubleshooting details
Click to see FAQ and troubleshooting details
We have an entire article dedicated to troubleshooting with Google. Click here to learn more.
How long should it take for the copies to be made for my students?
It can take up to ten minutes for the copies to generate. Both the number of students you are assigning it to and the size of the document itself can impact the speed at which the copies will generate. If it has been at least one hour and not all copies have been made, please reach out to us in our chat feature, and we can help!
Can a co-teacher assign a rubric assessment to make a copy of a Google Doc for each student?
Yes, they can! To see the exact implications of a co-teacher assigning, please check out this article that outlines the capabilities of a co-teacher.
If I turn on Multiple Attempts, how does that impact the Google Doc?
The student will continue to have editing rights to the Doc even after it has been submitted and graded. In order for the second (or any subsequent) attempts to become available for the student, their most recent submission must be graded. Once it is graded, the student will be able to go back into the assessment to make edits. The content of the Doc will remain the same as it was when they submitted it; the students will not be starting from scratch.
If I choose to assign the assessment at a later date, how does that impact the Google Doc?
If you chose to make a copy for each student, Google will begin making the copies immediately; it does not wait for the assign date. Similarly, if you chose to have the Doc as view only, the students will have access to the doc immediately.
If I unassign the assessment, how does that impact the Google Doc?
Unassigning the assessment will leave the Doc in the student's Google Drive. You will still have access to the folder and the Docs that Otus created for each of your students. To change the editing rights on the student's Docs after the assessment has been unassigned, you'll have to do that via your Google Drive.
Why is it not allowing me to assign the assessment with the Google Doc?
In order to use a Google Doc in a rubric assessment, the teacher assigning the assessment has to have editing rights to the Doc. If the Doc was shared with you, the owner will have to give you the correct permissions for you to be an editor. You aren't able to use a Doc that you only have viewing rights for.
Can an assessment have more than one Google Doc attached?
Yes. You can attach more than one Google Doc to a rubric assessment. It will make copies of both Docs for students provided both Google Docs are attached before assigning.
After assigning a Rubric with Google Doc copy for each student, can I add another Google Doc?
No. If a Google Doc is added after assigning, it will not generate unique copies of that new Doc for students. As mentioned in the previous question, you can attach more than one Google Doc before initially assigning though! It will make copies of one or more Google Docs, but the Docs need to be attached before assigning.
Can Rubric Assessments use the Lockdown Browser Google Docs at the same time?
Yes. Google Docs can be linked to a Rubric Assessment, and students can access that Google Doc from the Lockdown Browser as well. Note: students will still need to be signed into Otus via the Google single sign-on button.
If I delete a draft or unassign an assessment where students have a copy of a Google Doc, will the student’s copy of the Google Doc be deleted?
No. Rubric Assessments in Otus can trigger Google to generate a copy of a Google Doc for students. After Google generates that Google Doc copy for the student, Otus cannot automatically delete it.
How can my student access their document again after it is submitted for grading?
If multiple attempts is not on: the document will remain in the student's Google Drive and will switch to view only. Once the assessment has been graded, they will be able to review their assessment in Otus and see the Doc there as well, but they will not be able to edit it.
If multiple attempts is on: the document will remain in the student's Google Drive and they will still have editing rights to the Doc. In order for them to access the Doc in Otus for the next attempt, the assessment will need to be graded. Once the assessment is graded, they will be able to begin the next attempt with the same Doc they submitted previously.
I receive an email every time a student submits a Rubric with a Google Doc attached. Can I turn that off?
Those emails are automatically sent by Google when the permissions on one of your Google Docs changes. In this case, Google generated a copy of your Google Doc for each student. Once the student submits their Rubric Assessment, it revokes their editing privileges, and Google sends that email to you notifying you that the permissions have changed.
While Otus cannot change the settings of those automatic Google email notifications, there is a way to filter out those emails! Here is our article showing how to filter out Google's document-sharing emails.
I've assigned it, but students haven’t received their copy of their Google Doc or Google Slide
When Google generates copies of Google Docs or Google Slides, students usually receive their copy in about 10 to 15 minutes. Depending on Google’s traffic, on rare occasions, it can be up to an hour. If it has been longer than expected, please let us know and we can investigate!