This tutorial assumes you have a Google account and have a basic knowledge of Google Docs and that the paper to be graded is already available in Google Docs.

There are a few ways you can grade in Google Docs.  Unfortunately, Google doesn't have any built-in "track changes" or highlighting features like you have in Microsoft Word so you have to be a bit creative.

Adding Basic Comments

1. Begin by opening the Google Docs paper.
2. Place your cursor in the location where you wish your comment to appear.
3. From the Insert menu choose Comment.
4. A comment box will appear where your cursor was placed with the text "type here" highlighted in blue.  Begin typing your comment.
5. When finished click away to deselect the comment edit box.  Your comment should appear in the document with your login, date and time of the comment at the end.

   

6. These comments can be deleted by you or the owner of the paper at any time by clicking on it and choosing Delete Comment.
7. You can change the color of your comment highlighting by clicking on the comment and choosing a new color.

    

Using Grading Icons to Expedite the Process

You can create a separate document with an icon key where an icon represents a grading feature.  For example, represents spelling or grammar errors.  This key can be distributed to the students before grading.

1. Begin by opening the Google Docs paper.
2. Next open the grading key document.
3. To insert an icon, single click on the icon from the key document.
4. Copy the icon by clicking on Control-C (Win) or Command-C (Mac).
5. In the paper place your cursor in the location where you wish your icon to appear.
6. Paste the icon by clicking on Control-V (Win) or Command-V (Mac).

   

    

7. This may seem time consuming but not as time consuming as typing "spelling" 40 times :)

Adding Colored Text to the Document

There maybe times you want to make suggestions, similar to the Track Changes feature in Word.  This is more time consuming in Google Docs but it's possible to replicate the appearance of Track Changes.

1. Begin by opening the Google Docs paper.
2. Place your cursor in the location where you wish your edits to appear.
3. Strikeout text
   1. Highlight the text you wish to strikeout.
   2. From the Format menu choose Strikeout.
   3. Your text will now appear with a line through it.
4. Colored text
   1. Highlight the text you wish to color.
   2. From the icon toolbar choose the A icon and a color board will appear.

      

       

   3. Choose the color you want.  The color board will disappear and your text should appear in that color.

      

While these methods are not as flexible and robust as the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word they can be a good substitute.  Have fun grading papers in Google Docs.

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