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Overview

GradingPal’s Structured Assignments are designed for grading quizzes, exams, worksheets, and problem sets with question-by-question analysis. The AI provides detailed feedback on each question based on your answer key and partial credit settings.

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Prerequisites

  • Teacher account with at least one class created
  • Assignment materials prepared (questions, answer key)
  • Student submissions in supported formats

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Create a New Assignment

Navigate to your teacher dashboard, select the class for this assignment, click “New Assignment” or “Create Assignment”, and choose “Structured Assignment” as the type.
2

Choose Assignment Type

Select the specific type of structured assignment:
  • Quiz: Short assessments with multiple questions
  • Exam: Comprehensive tests with various question types
  • Worksheet: Practice exercises with step-by-step solutions
  • Problem Set: Mathematical or analytical problems
3

Enter Assignment Details

Fill in the basic assignment information:Required Fields:
  1. Assignment Title: Descriptive name (e.g., “Chapter 5 Math Quiz”)
  2. Assignment Description: Instructions, time limits, materials allowed
Optional Fields: 3. Due Date and Time: When the assignment is due 4. Publish Date: When students can access the assignment 5. Time Limit: How long students have to complete it
4

Upload Assignment PDF

  1. Upload your assignment PDF (the one students will complete)
  2. Ensure the PDF is clear and readable
  3. Verify all questions are visible
  4. Check that the format is student-friendly
5

Set Up Questions

Option A: Auto-Detect Questions
  1. Click “Auto-Detect Questions”
  2. AI analyzes your PDF and identifies questions
  3. Review and edit the detected questions
  4. Add or remove questions as needed
Option B: Add Questions Manually
  1. Click “Add Question”
  2. Enter question number and text
  3. Specify question type (multiple choice, short answer, etc.)
  4. Set point value for the question
  5. Repeat for all questions
6

Create Answer Key

For each question, provide the correct answer:Multiple Choice Questions:
  1. Select the correct answer (A, B, C, D)
  2. Optionally provide explanations for each choice
Short Answer Questions:
  1. Enter the correct answer or key phrases
  2. Add alternative acceptable answers
  3. Specify if partial credit is allowed
Mathematical Problems:
  1. Enter the numerical answer
  2. Include units if required
  3. Set tolerance for rounding differences
Essay Questions:
  1. Provide key points that should be included
  2. Set up rubric criteria for scoring
  3. Configure partial credit options
7

Configure Partial Credit

Set up how partial credit is awarded:
  1. Enable Partial Credit: Toggle on/off for the assignment
  2. Credit Levels: Define how much credit for different levels of correctness
  3. Keyword Matching: Set up automatic credit for key terms or concepts
  4. Step-by-Step Credit: Award points for showing work or process
8

Set Up Grading Settings

Configure how the AI will grade:Grading Strictness:
  • Lenient: More forgiving, awards partial credit generously
  • Balanced: Fair assessment with moderate partial credit
  • Strict: High standards, minimal partial credit
Feedback Style:
  • Detailed: Comprehensive feedback for each question
  • Concise: Brief, focused feedback
  • Encouraging: Positive tone with constructive suggestions
Additional Instructions:
  • Add specific grading notes for the AI
  • Example: “Award full credit for correct method even if final answer is wrong”
  • Example: “Be generous with partial credit for showing work”
9

Review and Publish

  1. Review all questions and answer keys
  2. Test the assignment with a sample submission
  3. Verify partial credit settings
  4. Click “Publish Assignment”

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Student Submission Process

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How Students Submit

  1. Access Assignment: Students log in and navigate to the assignment
  2. Download PDF: Students download the assignment PDF
  3. Complete Work: Students work on the assignment (on paper or digitally)
  4. Upload Submission: Students upload their completed work
  5. Confirmation: Students receive confirmation of submission

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Supported Submission Formats

  • Scanned PDFs: Students scan their completed work
  • Digital PDFs: Students complete work digitally and export as PDF
  • Image Files: Photos of completed work (JPG, PNG)
  • Google Drive: Direct upload from Google Drive

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AI Grading Process

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Question-by-Question Analysis

  1. Question Detection: AI identifies each question in the submission
  2. Answer Extraction: AI locates and extracts student answers
  3. Answer Comparison: AI compares student answers to the answer key
  4. Partial Credit Assessment: AI evaluates partial credit based on your settings
  5. Feedback Generation: AI creates specific feedback for each question

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Scoring Process

Multiple Choice Questions:
  • Full credit for correct answer
  • Zero credit for incorrect answer
  • Optional: Partial credit for common misconceptions
Short Answer Questions:
  • Full credit for exact or equivalent answers
  • Partial credit for partially correct responses
  • Keyword matching for key concepts
Mathematical Problems:
  • Full credit for correct numerical answer
  • Partial credit for correct method with wrong answer
  • Step-by-step credit for showing work
Essay Questions:
  • Rubric-based scoring
  • Partial credit for addressing some criteria
  • Detailed feedback on strengths and weaknesses

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Reviewing and Editing Grades

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Teacher Review Process

  1. Navigate to Submission: Go to the graded submission
  2. Review AI Scores: Check the AI’s scoring for each question
  3. Adjust Scores: Modify individual question scores if needed
  4. Edit Feedback: Customize feedback for specific questions
  5. Add Comments: Add your own targeted comments
  6. Finalize Grades: Approve and return to students

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Common Adjustments

Score Modifications:
  • Increase scores for creative but correct approaches
  • Decrease scores for significant errors
  • Award bonus points for exceptional work
  • Adjust partial credit based on student effort
Feedback Customization:
  • Add encouraging comments for struggling students
  • Provide additional resources or explanations
  • Suggest specific improvement strategies
  • Acknowledge student strengths

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Advanced Features

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Batch Grading

Process Multiple Submissions:
  1. Select multiple submissions for batch processing
  2. AI grades all submissions simultaneously
  3. Review and adjust scores as needed
  4. Return all grades at once

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Grade Analytics

View Class Performance:
  • Question-by-question statistics
  • Common incorrect answers
  • Class average scores
  • Individual student progress

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Answer Key Management

Update Answer Keys:
  1. Edit correct answers as needed
  2. Add alternative acceptable answers
  3. Adjust partial credit settings
  4. Regrade submissions with updated keys

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Best Practices

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Creating Effective Answer Keys

  • Be Specific: Provide clear, unambiguous correct answers
  • Include Alternatives: Add common acceptable variations
  • Set Realistic Expectations: Consider student skill level
  • Test Your Keys: Verify answers work with sample submissions

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Partial Credit Setup

  • Generous for Process: Award credit for correct methodology
  • Specific Criteria: Define exactly what earns partial credit
  • Consistent Standards: Apply same criteria across all questions
  • Clear Communication: Explain partial credit to students

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Feedback Optimization

  • Question-Specific: Address each question individually
  • Constructive Tone: Focus on improvement, not just errors
  • Actionable Advice: Provide specific steps for improvement
  • Encourage Growth: Acknowledge progress and effort
Problem: AI struggles to interpret handwritten submissions.Solution:
  • Ask students to write more clearly
  • Suggest using digital tools for completion
  • Manually grade unclear submissions
  • Provide handwriting guidelines to students
Problem: AI isn’t awarding partial credit as expected.Solution:
  • Review partial credit settings
  • Check answer key for alternative answers
  • Adjust grading strictness level
  • Manually adjust scores and provide feedback
Problem: AI misses or misidentifies questions.Solution:
  • Manually add missing questions
  • Edit question boundaries
  • Improve PDF quality and formatting
  • Use manual question setup instead of auto-detect
Problem: Overall scores don’t match expectations.Solution:
  • Adjust grading strictness setting
  • Review answer key for accuracy
  • Check partial credit configuration
  • Manually adjust individual scores