Grade presentations on TimelyGrader! Compatibility coming today

We’re excited to announce a highly requested feature is coming today to TimelyGrader: PowerPoint (.pptx, .ppt) files are now supported!

This update means instructors can now upload, grade, and provide feedback directly on student presentation files. Whether it’s a marketing pitch deck, a leadership presentation, or a capstone report, you can upload them to TimelyGrader. Up to 60 slides!

Why support presentations?

Presentations are a common way to assess students’ understanding of course content, their ability to apply concepts, demonstrate creativity, and communicate ideas clearly. 

While many presentations are delivered live and graded in person, instructors are increasingly asked to review and evaluate the accompanying slide decks as standalone submissions, either as drafts, asynchronous assignments, or post-presentation documentation.

Grading presentation decks can be time-consuming, especially when done manually or outside the main grading workflow. Instructors often need to download files, open them in separate programs, and find alternative ways to leave comments or apply rubrics.

With this update, you can:

• View slides directly in the platform

• Generate slide-specific comments or general feedback

• Use your existing rubrics

What can be analyzed with TimelyGrader?

✅ Content Relevance and Clarity: Analyze whether the core ideas are well-articulated, accurate, and aligned with the assignment objectives.
✅ Visual Design and Aesthetics: Provide feedback on layout, color usage, font consistency, and how effectively visuals (charts, images, icons) support the message.
✅ Slide-to-Slide Flow and Structure: Assess the logical sequencing of ideas and whether the presentation tells a coherent, compelling story from introduction to conclusion.
✅ Text Economy and Readability: Identify slides with excessive text, unclear headings, or formatting issues that may hinder comprehension.

Update coming today at 4PM PST!