google classroom assignment copy for each student

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How to Make a Copy for Each Student in Google Classroom

Dominic Anderson As a content marketer by day and tech enthusiast by night (and some of the day too), I share my thoughts about new platforms and fixes for the problems I’ve encountered with the technology I use. Read more December 22, 2023

Distributing assignments to students online can be a stressful task for teachers. However, Google Classroom’s user-friendly interface helps them create, manage, and share various assignments such as quizzes and discussions. Better still, the create and assign features ensure that each student can receive tasks and collaborate with teachers.

This article will explain how to make individual file copies for each student on Google Classroom.

Making a Copy for Each Student on Google Classroom

When attaching a file to share with students, Google Classroom provides you with three options:

Students can view the file: Students can only open and view the document but can’t edit it.
Students can edit the file: Students can not only open and view the file, but they can also make changes of their own. This setting is mostly for group work assessments.
Create a copy for each student: This option produces a distinct copy of the original file for each student. It also allows teachers to see everyone’s work but limits students’ access to their files only.

Here’s how to make a copy for each student on Google Classroom:

google classroom assignment copy for each student

“Title” section and type the copy’s title.
“Instructions” section and type what you want the students to do with the copies.
“Attach” section and tap the location where you’ve saved the file you want to share from the sources listed there.
On the pop-up window, find the file you’d like to assign and select the blue “Add” button at the bottom. The file will appear beneath the “Instruction” section.

Select specific students to complete the assignment or all students
Put in a due date for submission
Create a point value if the assignment is for grading
Select a topic that the assignment is based on for future reference

Managing Student Copies on Google Drive

If you go to Google Drive immediately after assigning students copies, it’ll be empty. Google doesn’t make a copy of the teacher’s document until the students open the file. When students do so, the Google Drive assignment folder will contain the relevant copies. If a student fails to open their assignment, their copy won’t be available in the assignment folder.

Updating an Assignment Shared as Copy to Each Student

Unfortunately, after assigning copies to students, you can’t add another document as “Make a copy of each student.” The only option you have is to add a document as “Can view” or “Can edit.” This can be a problem if you want students to make edits to the copy.

Fortunately, you can bypass this hurdle:

Open the file you want to add to the assignment you shared as a copy to each student.

When a student clicks on the link, it’ll prompt them to make a copy. In addition, the copy won’t go to the Google Drive class assignment folder, but to the student’s Google Drive. As such, the teacher won’t have access to the copy.

Best Practices When Sharing Copies with Students

Here are some best practices that can make document sharing with students more effective.

Give Clear Instructions on What You Expect from Students

Giving clear instructions to students helps them understand what the assignment entails and what you expect of them. It reduces the likelihood of students getting confused or misunderstanding the assignment. On this note, it’s also important to include the due date to help students organize their time properly.

Name the Files Uniformly

When working on the same form, use a uniform name. This makes it easy for you and students to identify it among other files quickly. Providing a uniform file naming convention can help in this case.

Make Use of the Comment and Feedback Feature

The comment and feedback feature facilitates smooth communication and collaboration with students. Use the features to provide clarification to students and to answer any questions. For more personalized communication, use the private comment feature.

Monitor Students’ Progress

Without monitoring, students can lose track of online classes. To keep everyone on their toes, always check student’s progress. Check who hasn’t checked the assignments and contact them. This way, you can offer timely support and hold students accountable.

Can I share a previously shared copy with students who join the class later?

Yes, you can share a previously shared copy with students who join the class later. Google Classroom has an option for editing and updating the copies.

Can students access their copies after the due date?

Students will be able to access their copies even after the due date. When they open their copies, you’ll see their names in the Google Drive assignment folder.

Collaborate Smoothly with Students

Knowing how to make a copy for each student on Google Classroom is a necessary skill for a teacher. It ensures each student has their study materials and helps you to follow up on individual learning progress.

What do you like or dislike about the Google Classroom feature for making student copies? Do you use an alternative that works better for you? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Create assignments

Create an assignment

This article is for teachers.

When you create an assignment, you can post it immediately, save a draft, or schedule it to post at a later date. After students complete and turn in their work, you can grade and return it to the students.

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Create & post assignments

When you create an assignment, you can:

Select one or more classes

Select individual students

Add a grade category, add a grading period, change the point value, add a due date or time, add a topic, add attachments, add a rubric.

Turn on originality reports

Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign In.

Enter the title and any instructions.

You can continue to edit and customize your assignment. Otherwise, if you’re ready, find below to post, schedule, or save your assignment .

Select additional classes

Assignments to multiple classes go to all students in those classes.

Create an assignment (details above).

Unless you’re selecting multiple classes, you can select individual students. You can’t select more than 100 students at a time.

Click a student's name to select them.

Use grade categories to organize assignments. With grade categories, you and your students can find the category an assignment belongs to, such as Homework or Essays . Teachers also find the categories on the Grades page.

For more information on grade categories, go to Add a grade category to posts or Set up grading .

To organize assignments and grades into your school or district’s grading structure, create grading periods, such as quarters or semesters.

From the menu, select a grading period.

Tip: Before adding a grading period to an assignment, create a grading period for the class first. Learn how to create or edit grading periods .

You can change the point value of an assignment or make the assignment ungraded. By default, assignments are set at 100 points.

Under Points , click the value.
Enter a new point value or select Ungraded .

By default, an assignment has no due date. To set a due date:

Click a date on the calendar.
To create a topic, click Create topic and enter a topic name.
Click a topic in the list to select it.

Note : You can only add one topic to an assignment.

Learn more about how to add topics to the Classwork page .

Create an assignment.

Important: Google Drive files can be edited by co-teachers and are read-only to students. To change these share options, you can stop, limit, or change sharing .

To add YouTube videos, an admin must turn on this option. Learn about access settings for your Google Workspace for Education account .
You can add interactive questions to YouTube video attachments. Learn how to add interactive questions to YouTube video attachments .

Tip: When you attach a practice set to an assignment, you can't edit it.

If you find a message that you don’t have permission to attach a file, click Copy . Classroom makes a copy of the file to attach to the assignment and saves it to the class Drive folder.
Students can view file —All students can read the file, but not edit it.
Students can edit file —All students share the same file and can make changes to it.

Note : This option is only available before you post an assignment.

Use an add-on

For instructions, go to Use add-ons in Classroom

For instructions, go to Create or reuse a rubric for an assignment .

For instructions, go to Turn on originality reports .

You can post an assignment immediately, or schedule it to post later. If you don’t want to post it yet, you can save it as a draft. To find scheduled and drafted assignments, click Classwork .

Post an assignment

Follow the steps above to create an assignment.
Click Assign to immediately post the assignment.

Schedule the assignment to post later

Scheduled assignments might be delayed up to 5 minutes after the post time.

To schedule the same assignment across multiple classes, make sure to select all classes you want to include.
When you enter a time, Classroom defaults to PM unless you specify AM.
(Optional) Select a due date and topic for each class.
(Optional) To replicate your selected time and date for the first class into all subsequent classes, click Copy settings to all .
Click Schedule . The assignment will automatically post at the scheduled date and time.

After scheduling multiple assignments at once, you can still edit assignments later by clicking into each class and changing them individually.

Save an assignment as a draft

Follow the steps above to create an assignment

You can open and edit draft assignments on the Classwork page.

Manage assignments

Edits affect individual classes. For multi-class assignments, make edits in each class.

Note : If you change an assignment's name, the assignment's Drive folder name isn't updated. Go to Drive and rename the folder.

Edit a posted assignment

Enter your changes and click Save .

Edit a scheduled assignment

Enter your changes and click Schedule .

Edit a draft assignment

Changes are automatically saved.

Assign it immediately (details above).
Schedule it to post at a specific date and time (details above).
Click a class.

You can only delete an assignment on the Classwork page.

If you delete an assignment, all grades and comments related to the assignment are deleted. However, any attachments or files created by you or the students are still available in Drive.