We've shipped a batch of improvements to the Canvas integration. Here's what's new and what to expect when you use it.
Faster roster sync
Previously, syncing a roster of 500+ students could take 30+ seconds. The new sync runs in under 5 seconds for classes up to 1,000 students. This matters for large lecture sections and cross-listed courses where one "class" in Canvas actually contains hundreds of students across multiple sections.
No user action is required — the speedup applies automatically to all synced rosters.
Grade posting is now atomic
When PaperScorer posts grades back to Canvas, it now does so atomically. If a post fails mid-batch (due to a Canvas API hiccup or network issue), the partial post is rolled back rather than leaving some students' grades updated and others not.
The user-visible difference: no more "some grades synced, some didn't" ambiguity. Either the whole batch went through, or PaperScorer surfaces an error and retries.
Weighted assignments handled correctly
Canvas supports weighted assignment groups (e.g., "Tests" weighted 40%, "Homework" weighted 20%). Previously, PaperScorer would post a raw score and leave Canvas to apply weighting. That worked in simple cases but failed when the Canvas assignment had custom point values that didn't match PaperScorer's default 100-point scale.
Now we detect the Canvas assignment's configured point value and post a score proportioned correctly. Your assignment group weights work as expected without manual adjustment.
Existing assignments keep working
If you've configured point values manually in the past as a workaround, nothing breaks. The new behavior respects existing configuration and applies the improved scaling to newly-linked assignments.
Canvas Free for Teachers support confirmed
We've validated the integration end-to-end on Canvas Free for Teachers accounts. Teachers on the free Canvas tier can now install the PaperScorer LTI at the course level without institution admin involvement. The roster sync, grade post, and LTI launch all work identically to institutional Canvas.
This opens PaperScorer up to a lot of teachers who previously couldn't use the integration because their district hadn't paid for Canvas.
Better error messaging
When something fails — expired token, network issue, unsupported Canvas configuration — the error message in PaperScorer now tells you what went wrong and how to fix it. Previously, errors often surfaced as generic "integration error" notifications that required support tickets to debug.
Common cases we now surface clearly:
- Expired auth tokens (with a one-click re-auth link)
- Grade posting rejected because the assignment is locked or in a closed grading period
- Roster changes detected since last sync (prompt to re-sync)
- Attempted post to a student who has been withdrawn from the course
Setup reminders
If you're setting up the Canvas integration for the first time:
- In PaperScorer, go to Integrations → Canvas
- Paste your Canvas domain (e.g.,
yourschool.instructure.com) - Authenticate via OAuth — this creates the LTI tool registration
- In Canvas, add PaperScorer to your course via Settings → Apps
- Link a PaperScorer assessment to a Canvas assignment
Most teachers complete setup in under 10 minutes. Institution-wide deployments may require an admin for the initial LTI registration at the account level.
What's next for the Canvas integration
On the roadmap:
- Support for Canvas Outcomes (standards-based grading sync)
- Better handling of Canvas grading schemes (e.g., letter grades vs. points)
- Bulk operations for multi-section courses
Feedback from Canvas users has shaped this release heavily — keep it coming.
