Uploading student work

Back to the user manual · Previous: Preparing rubrics · Next: Reviewing grades

Use Upload student work to add the answers you want grAider to grade. You can select files from your computer, upload a combined scan, or photograph the pages with a phone. grAider reads the work and drafts grades; you review the results before approving them.

Before you upload

Open the correct class and assessment, and check that its rubric is ready. An assessment needs at least one rubric criterion before you can upload student work. If you see Add rubric criteria before uploading student work, follow Preparing rubrics first.

Check that the pages are readable, complete, and in the intended order. Keep each student's pages together. The clearer the source, the easier it is to check the draft against the original later.

Choose the right upload method

Desktop uploads accept PDF, DOCX, PNG, JPG/JPEG, and WebP. The limit is 25 MB per file for One student per document, or 300 MB for the combined document. For a multipage scan, a PDF keeps the pages together in one file.

Upload separate student files

1. Select the assessment and click Upload student work.
2. Click Upload from this device, then One student per document. If you used the chooser recently, the two document choices may already be visible.
3. Select one or more files. Uploading starts when you confirm your selection.
4. Keep the page open until the file transfers finish. Each row shows Uploading and a percentage while its file transfers.
5. Check the list and any error messages before moving on.

The initial submission name comes from the filename without its extension. For example, Student-07.pdf appears as Student-07. Use names that help you identify the work. To change a name in the assessment's submission list, double-click it, edit it, and choose Save.

Selecting three separate image files creates three submissions, even if all three images belong to the same student. To keep several pages together, put them in a single PDF before uploading or use the phone workflow below.

Upload a combined scan

1. Arrange the scan so that each student's pages are together.
2. Click Upload student work → Upload from this device → One document containing all students.
3. Select the combined document. This choice accepts one file at a time.
4. Wait while grAider reads and separates it. The status can show Splitting document.
5. Review the resulting submissions, named Student 1, Student 2, and so on.

The split is automatic: there is no box for entering a fixed number of pages per student. Students can have different numbers of pages. The process keeps the scan's page order, so it is worth arranging the original carefully.

Before approving any result, check that each submission contains the right student's complete work. Automatic separation can make mistakes. If the grouping is wrong, prepare separate files for the affected students and upload them using One student per document. Rename the resulting submissions in the assessment list as described above. See Reviewing grades for checking pages and removing unwanted submissions.

Photograph student work with a phone

1. On your computer, open Upload student work for the intended assessment.
2. Scan the QR code under Take photos with a mobile device with your phone and open the link. The phone does not need a separate sign-in.
3. Check the assessment title at the top of the mobile page.
4. Tap Add student. Use the phone's camera or image picker, depending on the options your phone offers, to add the first page.
5. Use the + tile, labelled Add photo, inside that student's card for additional pages belonging to the same student.
6. Tap Add student only when you are ready to start the next student's work.
7. Check the previews and photo counts, then tap Upload.
8. Keep the page open through Preparing photos... and Uploading documents.... Wait for the success message confirming how many submissions were uploaded.

Use PNG, JPG/JPEG, or WebP photos. Large photos are reduced automatically before transfer. The upload service accepts image files up to 25 MB each; unsupported or unreadable images need to be replaced.

Keep the pages together and in order

One student card becomes one submission, regardless of how many photos it contains. Add pages in reading order. When selecting several photos together, check the preview order before uploading.

The mobile page lets you delete a whole student card using its bin button. It does not offer individual photo deletion or page reordering. If you add the wrong photo or put pages in the wrong order, delete that card and add the student's pages again. This removes the pending selection on your phone, not work you have already uploaded.

After a successful upload, the pending cards clear. You can add more students using the same link while it is valid. Return to the assessment on your computer to see and review their submissions; refresh the page if the new rows have not appeared.

Use the right QR code

A QR code opened from Upload student work adds student answers for grading. A QR code opened from the rubric's document upload area adds context documents, such as task sheets or marking guidance. On that mobile page, the button says Add context document, and previously uploaded context documents are listed separately. These documents support the rubric; they are not student submissions. See Preparing rubrics.

The QR link is private, but anyone who has it can use its upload page while it remains valid. Keep it with the people helping you upload. A newly created link lasts 12 hours; reopening the upload chooser may reuse an existing link. If the phone reports that the link has expired, reopen the upload chooser on your computer and scan the current QR code. Pending phone selections are not saved for a later visit, so keep the original photos until you have confirmed a successful upload.

Follow progress and handle problems

A completed file transfer is the beginning of processing, not a finished grade. Depending on the source, you may see Pending, Processing PDF..., Reading, or Drafting Grades. Ready for Review means the draft is ready for you to check. Continue with Reviewing grades.

With several desktop files, a failed file does not stop the remaining files from being attempted. Read the errors and check which submissions are present before retrying. On the phone, a failed upload keeps the pending cards available, but a partial failure can still have created submissions. Check the computer's assessment list before sending the whole batch again.