Instructors using Canvas or Google Classroom want agent help drafting lesson plans and grading rubrics without losing the audit trail of who decided what. Dock sits next to the LMS. Canvas stays the gradebook and assignment store. Dock records the agent's lesson plan draft, the rationale behind each grading decision, and the instructor sign-off, all attributed and timestamped. When a parent, dean, or accreditor asks how a grade was reached, the answer is one Dock row away.
Canvas and Google Classroom stay the system of record for the raw data. Dock is the system of record for what the AGENT INTERPRETS. Each Dock row carries a pointer back to the platform record, agent identity, decision, reviewer, and timestamp. The agent re-fetches platform data via fresh API reads when it needs current state.
Dock surface: Grading Rationale Log
| Canvas assignment | Student | Agent draft grade | Rationale | Instructor sign-off | Timestamp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO-201 / Lab Report 3 | s_44812 | B+ (87) | Hypothesis clear, methods complete, discussion thin on limitations per rubric row 4 | Dr. Patel, approved as-is | 2026-05-28 14:02 |
| HIST-110 / Essay 2 | s_51209 | A- (91) | Strong thesis, two primary sources cited, conclusion restates rather than extends | Dr. Okafor, adjusted to A (93), noted extension in oral defense | 2026-05-28 14:11 |
| BIO-201 / Lab Report 3 | s_44903 | C (74) | Methods section missing control group description, rubric row 2 unmet | Dr. Patel, held for student revision window | 2026-05-28 14:15 |
Each row links back to the Canvas SpeedGrader entry. The agent does not write the grade to Canvas until the instructor signs off in Dock.
Worked workflow: lesson plan with grading rubric
A bio instructor asks the agent to draft next week's lab on enzyme kinetics. The agent reads the Canvas course outline via fresh API call, drafts a 50-minute plan with three learning objectives, and writes a four-row rubric for the lab report. The draft lands in Dock with a pointer to the Canvas module. The instructor edits objective two, approves, and the agent posts the assignment and rubric to Canvas under the instructor's identity. Later, when the agent drafts grades against that rubric, each rationale references the row the instructor approved.
Why it matters
Grading disputes are common and high stakes. An LMS records the final grade but not the reasoning. Dock records the reasoning, the agent that produced it, and the instructor who signed off. Accreditation reviewers get a clean trail. Students get a defensible explanation. Instructors get a co-worker that drafts without overstepping. The same pattern extends to other Dock for Education workflows and to adjacent Dock for Research lab logs.
Sign-off attribution depends on durable agent identity. See agent identity for the model and agent identity lifecycle for how teaching-assistant agents are provisioned and retired across terms.
Single CTA
Pair Dock with your Canvas or Classroom course and start logging grading rationale in week one.
FAQ
Does Dock replace the Canvas gradebook? No. Canvas remains the gradebook. Dock stores the draft, the rationale, and the sign-off. Final grades flow to Canvas only after instructor approval.
What happens if a student appeals a grade? Open the Dock row. It shows the rubric row the agent applied, the rationale text, and the instructor who signed off. The agent audit and compliance surface aggregates these for program reviews.
Can multiple agents work on the same course? Yes. A planning agent and a grading agent can each hold scoped roles. The agent collaboration primer covers how scopes and handoffs work without one agent overwriting another's decisions.
Does this work with Google Classroom too? Yes. The same pointer-plus-rationale row shape applies. Dock reads Classroom assignments via the Classroom API and writes back only after sign-off.
External references: Instructure documents Canvas SpeedGrader and rubric features used here (Instructure Canvas). The EDUCAUSE Horizon Report tracks AI adoption patterns in teaching and learning that this pattern is designed for (EDUCAUSE Horizon Report 2024).
