Why do grades change for other students when I update one student's grade in Canvas?

Grades entered for individual students in Canvas were unexpectedly changing because the assignments were set as group assignments, affecting all students in the same group.

Quick Links: | Environment | Solution | Root Cause |

When entering a grade for a single student in Canvas, the grade appears to change after grading other students. This issue impacts the accuracy of grade reporting and affects all students grouped in the same assignment. This issue may manifest as a student receiving a grade they did not earn. Likewise, upon checking the gradebook history, an abnormally high number of grade changes for a student may display.

Environment

• Canvas
• Courses that have used group assignments

Solution

To fix the issue of grades changing after entry due to a group assignment setting, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Assignments section of your course.
2. Select the assignment in question.
3. In the assignment settings, scroll down to find the Group Assignment checkbox.
4. Ensure that the Group Assignment checkbox is not selected if the assignment is meant to be graded individually.
5. Select Save at the bottom of the page to apply the changes.

Now, grades entered for each student will be maintained individually, and there will be no automatic synchronization of grades across a group.

Root Cause

When the grade for one student in a group assignment is updated, it automatically updates the grades for all students in that group due to the group assignment settings in Canvas. This issue arose from the assignment being mistakenly set as a group assignment.

Still need help? Reach out to Canvas support or the Technology & Learning Program for further assistance.