Microsoft Teams for Education makes it easy to grade assignments and have those grades automatically sync to your gradebook in your LMS. In Teams, you can give grades and feedback to students, set up grading categories and different grading systems, and see how your students' grades are changing over time. You can also ask students to revise their work when you provide them with feedback. 

Learn more about how to grade, return, reassign, and excuse students from assignments below!

How to grade an assignment in Microsoft Teams

1. Open a class team

2. Navigate to Assignments

3. Choose an assignment that students have turned in.

4. Select a student's status in the Status column to open their work. 

turned in

5. Review work and add comments on the document itself, where relevant. If the student submitted more than one file, you may select other files on the right to view. 

Note: Can't see a file in Teams? You might have to open files created in other apps on their own. Older Microsoft Office files with .doc, .xls, and .ppt file extensions need to be edited in the desktop versions of those apps. 

6.  Add feedback by typing in the Feedback textbox. Attach a file by selecting Attach file or + New.

7. If you designated points for this assignment, add points in the box below the Feedback textbox.

8. If you are ready to return work to the student, select Return, or choose Return > Return for revision

9. Use the arrows on either side of the student's name on the right to navigate from student to student. 

Note: To work with less distraction, you can choose Hide pane in the bottom right corner of the grading pane. This will hide the pane, but you can still use arrows to move to other students' work and return the work by selecting Return

10.  Select Close to return to the full student list for this assignment. 

 Mark students as excused from an assignment

1. Repeat the above instructions for returning an assignment to multiple students or one-by-one. 

2. Select the dropdown arrow next to Return, then select Return for revision

3. Choose the option for Mark as excused and return

return 

4. A dialogue box will appear asking you if you wish to mark this submission as excused. Be aware that all rubric data and points will be removed. Feedback will still be shared the student. 

mark as excused

5. Choose the Mark as excused button.  

6. Students with their assignments marked as excused will have their status changed to "Excused." 

grades

Grading multiple assignments at once

1. Navigate to a student's name in your To return list. 

Tip: Select the arrow to sort students in ascending or descending alphabetical order. 

2.  Check the Status column to see whether students submitted a document for this assignment. It will also show you if their work is overdue, missing, or returned for revision. 

3. Choose the Feedback icon next to the student's status to open a Feedback box for that student. Here you can write quick comments. Your comments will be preserved even if you navigate to another page in Teams, close the tab, or begin grading assignments individually.

assignment

Note: If you want to attach files as feedback, you will need to grade and return assignments one-by-one. You can also take action or turn in on behalf of a student.

4. Add points in the box to the right of the Feedback textbox if you designated points for this assignment. You can add a grading scheme as well. Learn more about setting up weighted grading categories and schemes.

5. To return graded assignments to checked students, select Return or Return > Return for revision at the top. Checking feedback or grades for students checks their names. Uncheck them if you want to keep their assignments. 

Note: The students you selected will receive a notification that their assignment has been returned. Their name will now show up in the Returned list. Their assignment status in the Grades tab will update, too.

Grade a group assignment

If you've created group assignments, give a group grade or give individual grades to members of the group. 

After you have opened the assignment, you will notice each group and its members in your to return tab.

grades

Grade and return multiple group assignments at once

1. Navigate to a group in your to return list.

Tip: Select the arrow to sort groups in ascending or descending alphabetical order.

2.  Check the Status column if groups turned in a document with this assignment. You will also see if their work is late, not turned in, or returned for revision. 

3. Select the Feedback icon to open a Feedback box for that group, then add comments. Your comments will be saved even if you go to another page in Teams, close the tab, or start grading assignments one-by-one. 

4. Add points in the box to the right of the Feedback textbox if you designated points for this assignment. 

Note:  If you would like to give group members individual grades instead, select More options in the group's row, then Grade students individually.

5. Choose Return, return for revision, or Mark as excused and return at the top of the page to send back graded assignments to the checked groups. 

When you give a grade or feedback to a group's assignment, the checkbox next to their name is marked. You can unmark those checkboxes if you want to save a group's assignment for later. 

Note: The students in the groups you selected will receive a notification that their assignment has been returned or if they have been marked as excused. Their name will now show up in the Returned list. Their assignment status in the Grades tab will update, as well. 

Video feedback 

1. Choose an assignment.  

2. Select a student from the list.  

3. The student's assignment will open. Navigate down to the Feedback section.  

4. Choose the camera icon to open a video meeting.  

feedback

5. With the video window open, press the center button to both record and stop the recording.  

record

6. When finished, choose the Review button to view the recording. If you approve, move on by selecting the Next button.  

7. A file name for the recording is required to upload it. The file will be saved as a .webm extension.  

8. Choose the Upload button.  

9. Once the video has been uploaded, select the Done button to complete video feedback.

Return as assignment for revision

1. Select a student’s status in the Status column to open their work.  

2. Select the dropdown arrow next to Return

3. Choose the option for Return for revision.  

The assignment of the student will appear in your Returned list, and they will see Needs revision. The student will receive a message to edit their assignment and submit it again.  

Tip: If you want to change the deadline for receiving turn-ins, you can do it at any time by selecting the assignment and then choosing More options > Edit. Choose Edit assignment timeline under the due date and time, and then adjust it. 

Set up weighted grading categories

1.  Navigate to your desired class team and select the Grades tab.

2. Select the Assignments settings icon.

3. Scroll to Grade settings and toggle Weighted grading categories to On.

4.  A Manage grading categories window will appear. Select Add grading category. 

5. Name your grading category and enter the percentage you'd like to assign as that category's weight. 

6. Repeat for each desired grading category.

7. When you've finished adding your categories select Save.

Note: Percentages must add up to 100% to move on. 

8. In grade settings, your grading categories and percentages are now visible. To edit, select Manage grading categories

9. Now you can select a grading category each time you create an assignment. 

Important: In classes using grading categories, any assignment with points must have a grading category. 

Learn more

Assignments and grades in your class team

Grade, return, and reassign assignments

Track student progress in the Grades tab

Create and manage grading rubrics in Microsoft Teams

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