Welcome to VelociGrader! This guide will walk you through your first grading session, from signing in to seeing the results in your Google Classroom. Let's get started.
The first step is to connect VelociGrader to your Google account. This is essential for both accessing your Classroom data and verifying your subscription.
Once you're logged in, you'll see the main control panel. Here, you can choose which assignment you want to grade.
Before you start, you can customize how the AI grades and provides feedback. Here are the key options:
With everything configured, you're ready to go. Click the large "Grade Submissions" button. The System Log on the right side of the screen will come to life, showing you real-time progress as VelociGrader processes each student's submission.
Once the process is complete, you can see the results in two places:
That's it! You've completed your first AI-assisted grading session. We recommend exploring the other support topics to learn how to get the most out of VelociGrader's advanced features.
VelociGrader is deeply integrated with Google Classroom to provide a seamless experience. To make this work securely, the application uses your active Google account as the "key" that unlocks both your Classroom data and your VelociGrader subscription. Here’s what you need to know.
When you use the VelociGrader Web App or Chrome Extension, the application securely checks which Google account you are currently signed into in your browser. This is the standard, secure method used by all Google Workspace Add-ons.
This single sign-on serves two vital purposes:
This is the most common support question, and it almost always has a simple solution: you are likely signed into a different Google account in your browser than the one you used to subscribe.
For VelociGrader to work, the Google account you used to purchase your subscription must be the active account in the browser where you are using the app.
If you're facing an authorization error, follow these steps:
gmail.com or myaccount.google.com. Look at the profile icon in the top-right corner to see which account is currently active.gmail.com account instead of your school account), you will need to switch to the correct one.Many educators use multiple Google accounts (e.g., one for school, one for personal use). The best way to keep these separate and avoid conflicts is by using Chrome Profiles.
You can create a dedicated Chrome Profile for your schoolwork. When you sign into that profile, your school Google account will always be the default, ensuring VelociGrader and other school-related apps work without a hitch.
By ensuring your active Google login is the same account you used to subscribe, you guarantee that VelociGrader can securely connect to your Classroom and validate your license, giving you uninterrupted access to its features.
VelociGrader uses Polar.sh as its secure payment and subscription management partner. Here’s how to manage your subscription.
You can easily manage your subscription—including updating your payment method, viewing invoices, or canceling your plan—at any time through your personal billing portal.
If you can't find the "Manage Subscription" button or believe there is an issue with your subscription status, please ensure you are logged into the correct Google Account (the one you used to purchase the subscription). If problems persist, please contact support directly.
This guide provides best practices for creating Google Classroom assignments that will work seamlessly and effectively with VelociGrader, ensuring accurate and efficient automated grading.
1:), 2:), etc. Use this format for numbering questions.===== (five equals signs) to signal the end of a question, especially for longer, free-response questions.By following these guidelines, you'll empower VelociGrader to provide the most accurate, consistent, and helpful automated grading for your Google Classroom assignments!
To get the most accurate and nuanced results from VelociGrader, it's helpful to understand how the AI "thinks." It works by analyzing the complete context you provide. The clearer that context, the better the outcome. Here are the most impactful ways to maximize VelociGrader's grading ability.
Your primary tool is the Assignment Instructions field in Google Classroom. VelociGrader sends these instructions directly to the AI as its core directive.
The AI is programmed to look for distinct, gradable parts of an assignment. When you structure your assignment with clear, separable questions, you guide the AI to provide a more granular and accurate assessment.
1:), 2:), etc. This explicitly tells the AI where a new gradable item begins.===== on its own line. This is useful for separating complex instructions from the student response area.This is one of the most powerful features at your disposal. When you attach a rubric to an assignment in Google Classroom and enable the "Utilize Classroom Rubric" option in VelociGrader, the AI's entire focus shifts.
When you attach a Google Doc and select "Make a copy for each student," VelociGrader can identify this as the assignment template.
This gives the AI a perfect "before" and "after" picture. It can clearly see what you provided versus what the student added. This is especially effective for:
Imagine an assignment about the water cycle.
Instructions: Please write about the water cycle and include a diagram.
Problem: This is too vague. What about the water cycle? What should the diagram include? The AI has to guess your intent, leading to inconsistent grades.
Instructions: In a Google Doc, please answer the following questions in complete sentences.
Rubric Attached:
Why it Works: The instructions are explicit and numbered. The rubric gives the AI precise, non-negotiable rules for scoring. This setup removes ambiguity and empowers VelociGrader to act as a reliable and consistent assistant.
By investing a few extra minutes in setting up your assignments with this level of clarity, you provide the AI with the high-quality context it needs to deliver the best possible results.
Click here to make a copy of the official VelociRubric Template
The VelociRubric is a powerful, proprietary feature that gives you ultimate control over the AI's grading process. By creating a simple Google Sheet, you can define custom, multi-level criteria that force the AI to assess student work with unparalleled precision.
A VelociRubric is a Google Sheet with a specific structure. The first row must be a header row, and the subsequent rows define your criteria.
Criterion. Subsequent columns should define your performance levels and their point values, like Excellent (4pts), Good (2pts), Needs Work (1pt).Criterion column, name the skill you are assessing (e.g., "Thesis Statement").Example Structure:
| Criterion | Excellent (5pts) | Good (3pts) | Needs Improvement (1pt) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argument Clarity | Argument is exceptionally clear, insightful, and well-supported. | Argument is clear and supported by evidence. | Argument is present but may be unclear or lack support. |
In your Google Classroom assignment, simply attach your VelociRubric Google Sheet as a "material" that students can view. Then, in the VelociGrader app, make sure to check the "Utilize Classroom Rubric" box. VelociGrader will automatically detect your VelociRubric and use it as the sole basis for its grading.
Click here to make a copy of an example VelociPlate Template
A VelociPlate is our term for a well-structured Google Doc or Sheet that you provide to students as a template for their work. Using a VelociPlate is one of the most effective ways to ensure accurate and reliable AI grading.
When you attach a file to a Google Classroom assignment and select "Make a copy for each student," you create a VelociPlate. This gives the AI a perfect "before" (your template) and "after" (the student's completed work) picture. The AI can then precisely identify what the student added, changed, or completed.
This method is especially effective for:
[Type your answer here] or a series of underscores.1:) and ===== syntax directly within your VelociPlate document to give the AI even more explicit instructions about where questions begin and end.In your Google Classroom assignment, click "Attach," select your Google Doc or Sheet, and in the dropdown menu that appears, choose the crucial option: "Make a copy for each student." This simple step transforms your file into a powerful VelociPlate, ready for high-precision AI grading.
VelociGrader is designed to be a powerful and time-saving assistant, but it's important to remember that it is a tool to assist your professional judgment, not replace it. The teacher is, and always should be, the final authority in the classroom. Here’s a guide to understanding the AI's limitations and how to best work with them.
Artificial intelligence is incredibly advanced, but it doesn't "understand" context in the same way a human teacher does. It excels at following patterns and explicit instructions, but it can sometimes falter.
Sometimes, you might see a result in the log that seems unusual. Here are the most common scenarios:
Your system is built with a fallback mechanism. If the AI fails to provide a score in the strict Grade: [score] or Score: [score] format, VelociGrader will:
What this means for you: If you see a student unexpectedly received full points, check the AI Feedback in the log. It may indicate that the AI couldn't parse the work, and you should review that submission manually.
This is often intentional and a feature of the system's pre-checks. VelociGrader automatically assigns a grade of 0 if it detects:
The AI has built-in safety filters. If a student's submission contains content that violates the safety policy (e.g., hate speech, harassment, etc.), the AI will refuse to process it. The log will show a "content generation blocked" message, and the submission will be graded as a 0.
Because of these limitations, we strongly recommend a "trust, but verify" approach.
By using VelociGrader as a diligent but fallible teaching assistant, you can save countless hours while maintaining the high standards of quality and fairness that define your teaching.
To power its AI features, VelociGrader requires you to use your own personal Google Gemini API key. This approach ensures you have full control and transparency over your AI usage and associated costs, while keeping the VelociGrader subscription price as low as possible.
Google provides free access to the Gemini API for developers and individuals. Here's how to get your key:
Once you have your key, adding it to VelociGrader is simple:
That's it! The key will be saved securely to your account. The next time you click "Grade Submissions," VelociGrader will use your personal key for all AI communications.
Yes. When you enter your API key, it is sent securely to the VelociGrader backend where it is immediately encrypted and stored in your personal user settings in our database. It is never stored in plain text and is only ever decrypted at the moment it's needed to make a call to Google's AI services on your behalf. This ensures your key remains protected.
We'd love to hear your ideas for making VelociGrader even better. Please send any feature requests or suggestions to our support email. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of the platform.