Question
How can I allow a student to resubmit an assignment?
Environment
Information
In Blackboard, instructors could delete (clear) a previous student attempt. In Canvas, previous assignment submissions cannot be deleted, but instructors can allow resubmissions or reassign the assignment.
Answer
Option 1: Reassign the Assignment
This option is only available for File Upload or Text Entry assignments. Additionally, the assignment still needs to be open and the due date has not passed.
- Navigate to the course.
- Click Assignments, then select the assignment.
- Click SpeedGrader.
- Locate the student by click the student name dropdown in the upper-right corner.
- Click Reassign Assignment.
- Note: You will first need to leave feedback before you can reassign to student.
The student will be notified that the assignment has been reassigned and can submit again. The original submission remains viewable in SpeedGrader.
Option 2: Use Assign To
If the due date has passed you can assign the assignment directly to the student.
- Open the assignment and click Edit.
- Scroll down to the Assign To section.
- Add the student’s name in a new Assign To block.
- Set a new Due date (and, if used in your course, update the Until date so the assignment is open for that student).
- Scroll to Submission Attempts:
- If the assignment is set to 1 attempt and the student already submitted, increase the number of attempts (e.g., to 2 or Unlimited) so they can submit again.
- Click Save to apply the changes.
- Confirm that only that student is listed in the separate Assign To block.
- This does not affect other students; their original dates and settings stay the same and are listed under the Everyone else block.
Option 3: Let Them Submit Again (If Multiple Attempts Allowed)
- Navigate to the assignment.
- Confirm it allows multiple submissions (by default, most File Upload/Text Entry assignments do).
- As long as the assignment is still open (before the Until date), the student can submit again without needing a reassignment.