D2L Gradebook Setup and Administration

James FalkofskeSCTC

Topics

• Start of Course-Final Grade Configuration• Course Grading Schemes• Grade Categories• Grade Items• Editing and Moving Items• Entering Grades and Feedback• Final Grade Preparation• Export / Backup copy for Excel

D2L Grades Screen

D2L Organization of Grades

• New Item creates a gradebook column into which you can enter grades

• Grade Items should be assigned to a “parent” Category.

• Pencil icon allows you to enter grades• Feedback icon allows you to add text narrative

about the graded item

Start of Course – Final Grade Configuration

• Do first – at start of semester• Final Grade calculation

(points recommended;weighted or formula allowed)– Auto-Recalculation– Include / Do not include non-graded items

Course Grading Schemes

• Grade Scheme (percentage recommended; customized scales allowed)

• Custom themes begin at 0%– Symbol is the letter grade or Likert-scale item– Start (%) is the lowest percentage before this

grade symbol starts to show (90% for A)– Assigned Value (%) is the percentage the student

should earn if you assign this symbol (giving a student an A = 100%)

Grade Categories

Grade Categories Tips

• Create long and descriptive NAMES for each item. The Name: is what shows up in the student view. Also provide Descriptions about the assignments requirements – or where to find them in the Content area.

• Create short names for your own Spreadsheet View of the grades list.

• Create all of your Categories before creating items (Quizzes, Exams, Papers, Homework, Projects, Cases, Labs, Attendance, etc.)

Auto-Dropping Grades from Categories

• The items that can be dropped must all be worth the same amount of points (i.e. 20 pts) and exist in a common Category

• In the Category view, checkmark the Distribute Points Evenly item and then indicate the number of Points per item.

• Indicate the number of highest / lowest graded items to drop (you must enter in a 0 when assignments are due and not turned in for grading)

Grade Items• Begin by entering Name (student view) and Short

Name (instructor spreadsheet view)• Choose Type:– Numeric (most often)– Checkbox

(attendance/completion)

– Selectbox (Likert)– Text

(project names)– Calculated

(midterm/progressgrades)

Grade Item

• Specify the Parent Category

• Indicate number of points (if not specified by Category)

• Indicate if bonus points can be earned / or if an extra-credit item

Editing and Moving Items

• To edit an existing Category or Itemclick on the name to edit text /points

• To change parent, click on Item and modify parent Category

• To modify order in which items appear, click Re-Order

• To Delete an Item, click the Delete iconand then checkmark items to remove

Entering Grades and Feedback

• Click on Pencil Icon to enter grades for an Item

• Enter in score• Comments “balloon”

for feedback• Recalculate All Grades

Enter Grade Tips• For completion exercises (and fieldtrips), use the Enter

Grade for All, and then modify grades only for student who did not complete satisfactorily

• Use an Attendance Deduction item for points lost due to missed attendance, and use the Comments to keep track of dates missed

• Create a “Late Penalty” Item worth 0.01 pts possible, and then enter in negative Points Grades for missed items (-5, -10); use Comments to keep track of assignments for late deductions

• Rounding grades up. Create a bonus item and then give everyone enough points to raise their grade by 0.5% (for example, in a class with 300 points, 300 * 0.005 = 1.5 pts)

Final Grade Preparation• Students cannot see

the final grade untilthe “eyeball” is checked

• Click on Pencil and – Recalculate Calculated Grades– Transfer Calculated Grades to Adjusted Grades– Eyeball – Save

Creating a Midterm/Progress Grade

• Create a New Item of type Calculated

• Checkmark the items graded todate

• Can be updatedthroughoutcourse

Export / Backup Copy for Excel

• After each major assignment, Export your Grades area (points only, not Comments)

• Click Import/Export icon; choose Export on next screen

• Select which assignments to Export from list of grade Items

• Click button “Export to CSV file” and save to network or local directory

• Can be opened in MS Excel

Assessment Hints

• Many assignments, each worth smaller weight – to keep students on-task

• Provide Comments on grades; use Private comments to document information for instructors only (academic misconduct, late work, etc.)

• Open Grades in one browser and the item to grade in another (right-mouse-click on My Home)