Anonymous evaluation in the Task module in ELF: How and why to use it

Anonymous grading is a useful feature of the Assignment module that allows graders (instructors or teaching assistants) to evaluate student work without knowing the author's identity. This ensures greater objectivity, fairness, and transparency in grading, especially in cases where it is important to minimize personal bias.

What is anonymous grading?

In anonymous grading, students' names are hidden and replaced with automatically generated identifiers. This means that the grader cannot see who submitted the work until the grading is complete. Once grading is complete, anonymity can be removed and the students' real names displayed.

Similarly, the grader's identity can be hidden from students, for example if multiple teachers are involved in the grading.

Why use anonymous grading?

• It increases objectivity: it eliminates the influence of personal knowledge or bias.
• It promotes fairness: students feel they are being graded more fairly.
• It improves feedback: graders focus more on the content and quality of the work.

How to set up anonymous grading

1. Create an assignment (or adjust the settings of an existing one).
2. In the Grade section, you will find the Anonymous submission option. Select Yes.
3. You can also Hide the assessor's identity from students here.
4. Save your changes.
5. In Task Management on the left, the Reveal student identities option will then be unlocked.

For more information on task settings, see our documentation.