For the Spring 2020 semester, ITS has added “Google Assignments” to Moodle.  Instructors can create a Google Assignment in their Moodle course and students can submit Google Docs, Sheets, and any other files directly without having to download as a PDF and upload into Moodle.

Full instructions on setting up a Google Assignment in Moodle

Many students already compose their work in Google Docs because it is easy to collaborate, the documents can be edited from any computer, and all work is automatically saved and backed up.  In the past, submitting files to Moodle required students to download their document as a PDF and then re-upload to Moodle.  With Google Assignments, students submit their work directly from their Google Drive.  Instructors can mark up and comment directly on the Google Doc, facilitating revisions.  Simple grading, rubrics, and originality reporting (plagiarism detection) are options available within the assignment.

If you don’t use Moodle, it is possible to create a standalone Google Assignment.

If you are interested in trying out Google Assignments, see the link to the instructions above or get in touch with your Academic Technologist.