> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.coraltalk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Oral assignments

> Create and manage one-to-one voice assessments with AI evaluation

**Oral assignments** (Oral Learning) are asynchronous, one-to-one voice conversations between each student and Coral. You define questions and a rubric; Coral evaluates responses and produces scores and feedback.

## When to use oral assignments

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Check understanding" icon="brain">
    Go beyond written essays to verify conceptual understanding
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explain work" icon="comments">
    Ask students to orally defend their submitted written work
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scale oral exams" icon="users">
    Replace or supplement manual oral exam segments at scale
  </Card>

  <Card title="Faster feedback" icon="bolt">
    Provide instant AI evaluation and feedback
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Create an oral assignment

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Oral Assessments">
    Open your class → **Oral Assessments** (or **Oral Test** from Summary)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start new assignment">
    Click **New Oral Assignment**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure assignment details">
    Walk through the creation flow:

    * **Title and instructions** — Clear assignment name and student-facing instructions
    * **Questions or prompts** — Add your questions (AI-assisted generation available from your materials)
    * **Rubric criteria** — Define evaluation criteria and point scale
    * **Availability** — Set dates and attempt rules where configured
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish when ready">
    Review and publish the assignment to make it visible to students
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Creation typically takes about **2 minutes** for a straightforward assignment.
</Tip>

## AI-assisted question generation

Coraltalk can generate questions based on your uploaded course materials:

1. During assignment creation, look for **Generate with AI** option
2. Select which materials to base questions on
3. Review and customize the generated questions
4. Add your own questions as needed

## Define your rubric

Your rubric tells Coral how to evaluate student responses:

<Accordion title="Rubric structure">
  * **Criteria name** — What you're evaluating (e.g., "Conceptual understanding", "Use of examples")
  * **Point value** — How many points this criterion is worth
  * **Description** — What makes a good response for this criterion
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Best practices">
  * Use 3-5 criteria per assignment
  * Make criteria specific and measurable
  * Include point ranges (e.g., 0-4 points per criterion)
  * Align with your course learning objectives
</Accordion>

<Warning>
  Be specific in your rubric descriptions. Coral evaluates based on what you define, so clear criteria lead to more accurate grading.
</Warning>

## Share with students

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Via class dashboard">
    Students automatically see assignments under **Oral Learning** after enrolling in your class
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Direct link">
    Use **Share** button to copy a direct assignment link to send via email or LMS
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Canvas integration">
    If using Canvas LTI, assignments can appear as Canvas assignments with grade sync
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Review submissions

Open an assignment to see the submissions dashboard:

| View                 | What you see                                                        |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Submissions list** | All student submissions with status (pending, evaluating, complete) |
| **Grade bands**      | Distribution of grades and class average                            |
| **Video playback**   | Watch student responses with synchronized transcript                |
| **Evaluation tab**   | AI rubric breakdown and scoring (unless hidden from students)       |

### Filter and search

* Filter by **unwatched** submissions
* Filter by **grade range** (A, B, C, etc.)
* **Search** by student name
* Sort by submission date or grade

### Manual overrides

While Coral provides initial evaluation:

1. Review the AI-generated grade and feedback
2. Adjust scores for individual criteria if needed
3. Add your own teacher comments
4. Save changes — students see the updated evaluation

<Info>
  Your adjustments help improve Coral's future evaluations. The AI learns from your patterns over time.
</Info>

## Student visibility settings

Control what students see using **Settings** on the oral assignments list:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Hide evaluation from students">
    Students do not see the evaluation tab or status on assignment cards. Use this for formative assessments where you want to review before sharing feedback.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Hide grade from students">
    Scores and letter grades are hidden, but written feedback may still show. Good for reducing grade anxiety while maintaining feedback loops.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Show everything">
    Default setting — students see grades, rubric breakdown, and feedback immediately after evaluation completes.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Usage and minutes

Oral conversations consume **oral learning minutes** on your plan.

<Card title="Monitor usage" icon="chart-line">
  Watch sidebar usage alerts and purchase more minutes before peak assignment weeks if needed.
</Card>

## Legacy assignments

<Warning>
  Older assignments may use a legacy format that cannot be edited or duplicated in place.
</Warning>

To update a legacy assignment:

1. Create a **new** oral assignment with updated questions or rubric
2. Existing student work stays on the old assignment for your records
3. Assign the new version to students

## Student experience

What students see when completing an oral assignment:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open assignment">
    Student clicks on the oral assignment from their class dashboard
  </Step>

  <Step title="Allow microphone">
    Browser requests microphone permission (one-time)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete conversation">
    Student has a natural conversation with Coral, answering questions and follow-ups
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit">
    Student submits when conversation is complete
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for evaluation">
    AI evaluation processes (may take several minutes)
  </Step>

  <Step title="View feedback">
    Student views grade and feedback per your visibility settings
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Tips for effective oral assignments

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Start with clear instructions">
    Tell students what you expect: depth of answer, use of examples, time limits
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Test yourself first">
    Complete the assignment yourself to verify question flow and timing
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Use scaffolded questions">
    Start with easier questions, build to more complex ones
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Combine with written work">
    Use oral assignments to have students explain or defend their written essays
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Review first batch carefully">
    Check the first 3-5 submissions closely and adjust rubric if needed
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Teaching assistant" icon="headset" href="/teaching-assistant/customize-ta">
    24/7 student Q\&A with Coral
  </Card>
</CardGroup>