LearnWise Virtual Feedback Assistant

Providing timely, actionable feedback for large student cohorts creates significant workload pressure, especially during peak marking periods. The Virtual Feedback Assistant is an embedded AI feature designed to help instructors manage this process directly within Canvas SpeedGrader.

How it works
The Feedback Assistant drafts rubric-aligned feedback directly inside Canvas SpeedGrader. Instructors review, edit, and publish each comment. The tool fits into existing grading workflows without requiring separate file uploads or changes to the marking environment.

Key benefits

  • Rubric-Aligned: Drafts comments grounded directly in your assignment rubric.
  • Customizable: Allows you to adjust the tone and length of the feedback.
  • Consistent: Maintains uniform support across large courses and multiple markers.

Human control and oversight
The Feedback Assistant does not grade assignments automatically or replace instructor judgment. Operating within institutional guardrails, it relies on a human-in-the-loop process to assist with repetitive drafting while leaving all final grading decisions to the instructor.

This is a trial feature (updated Sept 15)
The Feedback Assistant is not active by default. Instructors who wish to trial it during the LearnWise pilot can contact eclass@ualberta.ca to have it enabled. As a trial feature, the Feedback Assistant should not be used for high-stakes summative assessments.

Step-by-step guide to the Feedback Assistant

Step 1: Launch the tool
Open Canvas SpeedGrader and launch the LearnWise Feedback Assistant by clicking the chat bubble in the lower-left corner of SpeedGrader.

Step 2: Add optional instructor notes
At the outset of grading, enter initial thoughts into the General Comments field for overall feedback, or into individual Rubric Row fields for criteria-specific notes. LearnWise uses these notes to guide the generated draft.

Step 3: Configure your feedback profile (optional)
Define your individual tone, feedback structure, and grading preferences directly on the grading screen before opening the queue. This profile persists across all subsequent grading sessions.

Step 4: Generate feedback drafts

Step 5: Review and edit
Drafts are generated in the background as submissions arrive, so rubric-level commentary is ready when you open a student's file. Review, edit, and refine the draft:

  • Adjust the text directly or add personal observations.
  • Modify grade suggestions.
  • Use the Adjust Feedback panel to request a re-draft of the feedback.

Step 6: Submit feedback
Publish your finalized feedback. Nothing reaches students without explicit instructor confirmation. Grades write directly into the Canvas gradebook, and feedback appears in the standard student view. Queue progress saves automatically across sessions.

Step 7: Move to the next student
Keep the LearnWise sidebar open and use the standard "Next" arrow in SpeedGrader to navigate to the next student. The sidebar will update automatically.

Tips for best results

  • Browser compatibility: Use Google Chrome rather than Safari, which may block the Feedback Assistant’s workflow.
  • Provide specific rubric criteria: Feedback Assistant relies on your rubric to generate targeted, actionable comments. Specific rubric criteria enable the assistant to draft specific feedback (e.g., use "Student demonstrates critical analysis by comparing at least two theoretical perspectives with evidence from the text" instead of "Good analysis").
  • Use the “Adjust” feature: Apply the Adjust tool to shorten feedback, incorporate rubric-specific language, or alter the tone.
  • Enable grade suggestions: To receive point and grade recommendations, ensure the "Suggest points and grades" setting is enabled in your Feedback Profile.

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