> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gradingpal.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Where student work comes from
> Decide who uploads the work, whether your students need accounts, and what each choice means for visibility and deadlines.
export const updated_0 = "19 September 2026"
export const page_0 = "/teachers/collect/collection-modes"
Every assignment collects work one of three ways. You choose when you set it up, on the **Student submissions** section of Instant or the **Student work** step of Guided, and you can change it later under **Settings > Submission rules** without losing any work. The choice decides whether students need accounts, what they can see, and how deadlines behave.
## The three choices
| | **I'll upload the work** | **Students submit in GradingPal** | **Students submit in Google Classroom** |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The card says | Scan or upload files yourself โ students don't need accounts. | Students submit from their own GradingPal account โ invite by email or link. | Posted to Classroom โ students submit there, no GradingPal account needed. |
| Student accounts | None needed | Needed. Students join with the class code or invite link | None needed in GradingPal. Students use Classroom |
| What students see | Nothing, until you share feedback by email or hand it back on paper | The assignment in their **To do** list once you open it, and their feedback once you share | The assignment in Classroom once you post it, and their grade there once you share |
| The assignment's status | No pill. A **Teacher-only** chip in the class list | **Draft**, **Scheduled**, **Live** or **Closed** | **Draft**, **Scheduled**, **Live** or **Closed**, with a Classroom mark |
| Going live | Nothing to do. Upload and grade | **Open for submissions**, or **Schedule** | **Post to Google Classroom**, or **Schedule** |
| The deadline | For your records only | Students can still submit after it. Late work is flagged, not refused | The same, and the date is posted to Classroom |
| Available when | Always | Always | The class is linked to Google Classroom |
## What each one is for
**I'll upload the work** is for paper. Scan the stack, upload it as separate files or one batch scan, and grade. It's also the right choice for a high-stakes assessment where students shouldn't have a copy online. Sharing still works: feedback goes by email to students who have one, or you print reports.
**Students submit in GradingPal** gives the assignment a real lifecycle. You decide when it opens, students turn in from their own account with an attempt count you set, and feedback lands in the same place. Students need to join the class first, with the six-character class code or the invite link.
**Students submit in Google Classroom** keeps students where they already are. Posting the assignment creates it in Classroom, turn-ins flow into GradingPal on their own, and sharing puts the grade on their Classroom submission. Only students whose email Google shares with GradingPal come across on import.
## What this does not mean
* **Choosing a collection mode doesn't stop you uploading.** **Upload submission** is on the **Submissions** tab whatever you chose. A student who couldn't submit can hand you a file and you add it to their row.
* **A due date passing doesn't close the assignment.** Late work is marked **Late**. Only **Close for submissions** stops new work.
* **Classroom mode doesn't need a GradingPal account for students.** If you switch a Classroom class to collecting in GradingPal, students will need one.
## What to read next
Control exactly when students can submit.
Post an assignment and let turn-ins flow in.
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