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DBQ Online Update: Essay Feedback

How to view, manage, and give feedback on student essays

DBQ Online Update:Essay FeedbackHow to view, manage, and give feedback onstudent essays
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This guide will cover four topics:

  1. Creating Custom Feedback for all Classes and Student Essays
  2. Viewing Student Essays
  3. Collecting Student Essays
  4. Leaving Comments for your Students on their Essays

Creating Custom Feedback for all Classes and Student Essays Creating Custom Feedback for all Classes and Student Essays

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1. Navigate to the "Classes & Assignments" page

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2. Click "Essay" under the "Comments" tab

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3. Type in your chosen comment, choose the default color, and click "Add Comment"

These comments are not static!


  • You can always edit them in the same page you made them.
  • When leaving them for a student, you can always change the wording and color of the comment.

Viewing Student Essays Viewing Student Essays

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1. Navigate to the "Classes & Assignments" page

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2. Choose the proper class

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3. Click "Manage" on the assignment you want to view

This button will be orange, like in the image, if a student has sent you an essay.
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4. Click "View Essay" for the student whose essay you want to see

  • If the button is Orange, the essay is ready for feedback
  • If the button is Blue, you can view the essay but not leave feedback
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You will now be able to see the current essay the student is working on

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Any previous versions they submitted as well as any version awaiting feedback.

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Switch between student essays by clicking the student's name or "Next Student"

Collecting Student Essays Collecting Student Essays

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1. Navigate to the "Classes & Assignments" page

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2. Choose the proper class

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3. Click "Manage" on the assignment you want to view

This button will be orange, like in the image, if a student has sent you an essay.
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4a. Click "Collect All Essays"

This will collect the current essays for all students in the class as a version that can be graded and commented on
  • Only collects essays for students who have not sent you one (the buttons that are not orange)
  • Great for deadlines and timed essays to collect everything at once
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4b. Click the orange circle for the student whose essay you want to collect

This will collect the current essay for the specific student as a version that can be graded and commented on


  • Collects just the one student's essay
  • Great if you have already sent back feedback to some students or you want to give others more time

Leaving Comments for your Students on their Essays Leaving Comments for your Students on their Essays

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1. Go to the "Classes & Assignments" page and click "Manage" on the desired assignment

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If the "View Essay" button is Blue, you must first collect the essay before you can leave feedback

See earlier in this guide.
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2. Once the "View Essay" button is Orange, click "View Essay" to be taken to the "Teacher Comments" screen

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3. To leave a comment - highlight the word, sentence or section that you would like to give feedback on

Then click "Add Comment"
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4. This will bring up a text box on the right side of the screen. You have 2 options for feedback:

  1. Type in a brand new comment on your student's essay. Feel free to change the color!
  2. Choose "Select Comment" to pick a Custom Comment that you made earlier. This was covered at the start of the guide.
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For the first option, just start typing in the text-box

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For the second, click "Select Comment"

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And then choose the desired comment

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5. Once you have finished commenting, you can either "Send to Student" or mark it as "Feedback Complete" at the bottom of the page

  • "Send to Student" will immediately send your comments to the student for them to see
  • "Feedback Complete" will prep the comments to be sent but not send them until you choose
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6. If you choose "Feedback Complete", you can send that feedback in 2 ways. Both are on the "Manage" screen

  1. Clicking "Send All Essay Feedback" will send all prepped feedback to all students.
  2. Clicking the Blue Checkmark next to "View Essay" will send the feedback just to that student
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And that's all! Have questions?

Reach out to our Support team at support@dbqproject.com.
The DBQ Project
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