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Changelog

Stay up to date with the latest features, improvements, and fixes in The Grading Assistant.

Major v2.0.0 March 26, 2026

Google Workspace, PowerPoint, Video & Audio Grading + Class Insights

Google Workspace Support

Grade submissions created in Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets. Files are pulled directly from Google Drive or Google Classroom — no downloads or file conversions needed. Each format is fully parsed and evaluated against your rubric, just like locally uploaded files.

PowerPoint Grading

Upload .pptx files directly as student submissions. The Grading Assistant analyzes each slide against your rubric — evaluating content coverage, required topics, visual organization, and language quality. Every slide is referenced by number in the feedback so you can see exactly where points were earned or lost.

Video Submission Grading

Students can now submit video files (.mp4, .mov, .webm) for grading. The audio track is automatically transcribed using Azure Speech Services, then evaluated against your rubric. Perfect for oral presentations, language proficiency recordings, and video essays.

Audio Submission Grading

Direct support for audio submissions (.mp3, .wav, .m4a, .ogg). Audio files are transcribed and graded the same way — ideal for foreign language speaking assessments, podcast assignments, and verbal responses.

Class Insights Report

After grading a full class, The Grading Assistant now generates a collective insights report that includes:

  • Score distribution across all students
  • Common strengths identified across submissions
  • Common weaknesses and areas for improvement
  • Class-wide trends in rubric criteria performance
  • Actionable recommendations for instructional focus

Available on the Pro plan and above.

A New Approach to AI Detection

Most AI detection tools ask a single question: was AI used? We think that’s the wrong question for 2026.

The Grading Assistant takes a more nuanced approach — powered by Claude — that reflects how students actually work today. Rather than flagging AI use as pass/fail, our analysis identifies where on the spectrum a submission falls:

  • AI-Assisted — the student’s own research, ideas, and core content are present. AI was used to refine, polish, or structure the final product, much like a proofreader or writing tutor would. This is a widely accepted academic practice.
  • AI-Generated — the core concepts, facts, and substance of the submission appear to originate from AI rather than the student’s own work and research.

The distinction matters. A student who researches a topic thoroughly and uses AI to improve their writing is doing something fundamentally different from one who prompted an AI for the whole answer. Our analysis helps you see that difference clearly, without treating every tool-assisted submission as academic dishonesty.

How it works: Claude analyzes each submission for markers of original thought, personal voice, research depth, and structural patterns — producing an assessment of where the work sits on the AI-Assisted to AI-Generated spectrum, along with the reasoning behind the assessment.

Included in student reports: The AI analysis can optionally be appended to each student’s report, giving teachers a documented record alongside grades and feedback.

Available on all plans.

Major v1.0.0 February 5, 2026

The Grading Assistant — Initial Release

AI-Powered Grading

Upload student submissions and let AI grade them against your rubric. Supports PDFs, Word documents (.doc, .docx), plain text, Excel spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx, .csv), and images — including handwritten work in any language. Each student receives a detailed feedback report with a numeric score and per-criteria breakdown.

Rubric System

  • Upload your own — Bring an existing rubric as a PDF, DOCX, or text file
  • AI rubric generation — Describe your assignment and let the AI build a rubric for you (Pro plan)
  • Rubric suggestions — Upload student submissions first and the AI will analyze them to suggest rubric criteria (Pro plan)
  • Classroom rubric import — Pull rubrics directly from Google Classroom assignments

Google Classroom Integration

Connect your Google account to import directly from Classroom:

  • Browse your active courses and assignments
  • Download all turned-in student submissions with names preserved
  • Push grades back to Classroom after grading
  • Attach graded PDF/DOCX reports to each student’s submission
  • Mark submissions as returned

Google Drive Integration

Browse files in your Google Drive and import them as submissions or rubrics without re-uploading. Save graded reports back to Drive with one click.

Grading Controls

  • Harshness slider — Adjust grading strictness from lenient (0) to strict (100) to match your expectations
  • Anonymized grading — Hide student names during AI evaluation for unbiased feedback
  • Formatting analysis — Evaluate document formatting (font, margins, page count) as part of the grade (Standard plan)

Export & Reports

  • PDF reports — Branded, professional grading reports with score badges and detailed feedback
  • Word reports — DOCX format for easy editing and annotation
  • CSV gradebook — Export all scores in a standard CSV for LMS or spreadsheet import
  • Batch download — Download all graded files from a session at once

Dark Mode & Settings

  • Light and dark theme with system preference detection
  • Privacy controls and analytics opt-out
  • Classroom import preferences (overwrite existing grades toggle)
  • Google Sign-In with secure OAuth 2.0