How do I show a letter grade for a Turnitin assignment?

This article is intended for anyone in a school or discipline that requires the release of any provisionally marked assignment to be a letter grade, rather than a number.

Option 1: Use Turnitin Framework attached to a standard Canvas Assignment

Visit this guide for full information on Canvas Assignments that add Turnitin in the background - known as Turnitin Framework.

The video below demonstrates how to create this type of assignment.

Set the assignment to show as a letter grade.

Choose or create the relevant grading scheme to convert a numerical mark to the letter grade that will be shown to students.

Option 2: Use a full Turnitin assignment and export, enter marks, then re-import the gradebook

If it is necessary to use a full Turnitin assignment rather than a Canvas assignment with Turnitin framework (as recommended above), then create a Turnitin assignment as usual.

Create the assignment, add any rubrics as needed, and otherwise proceed as usual prior to marking.

When you are ready to mark, export the gradebook. Open this file in Excel (hide the other columns if you wish).

As you mark, provide feedback on the submission if you wish, but add the numerical mark to this spreadsheet directly, rather than to the assignment submission itself.

When you have finished marking, save the file. Before you upload it back to the gradebook, check the following:

  1. Ensure that, in the Canvas part of the Turnitin assignment settings (where you would adjust the due date), the assignment is set to show a letter grade and that the relevant grading scheme is selected.

This area can be accessed by clicking the three stacked dots to the right of the assignment name (in Assignments), choosing Edit, and then continuing to More Options.

2.        Confirm that the column in the gradebook for this Turnitin assignment is hidden and set to Manual posting for grade release.

We recommend that you enter any numerical mark for Test Student to trigger the hidden icon to appear next to the name of the assignment in the gradebook.

Finally, upload the file you exported from the gradebook (now with the marks in the Turnitin assignment column) back into the gradebook. When you are ready to release the feedback and letter grade to students, post the grades as usual and ensure the Feedback Release Date has passed.

If you used an 'Until' date, remove it before the Feedback Release Date passes to allow students access to any feedback on their submission.

Note: if you use a rubric that calculates a score, this will be visible to students. If you wish to provide rubric feedback to students without any calculation, use the Qualitative rubric option.