Using the Canvas gradebook, regardless of course modality, is a good and transparent pedagogical practice. Likewise, maintaining an up-to-date gradebook is very important for students’ persistence and success. To keep your Canvas gradebook accurate, follow these five steps.
- Create an Assignment Group in Canvas for each of the grading categories in your syllabus.
- If your grading categories are weighted, add percentage weights to your assignment groups.
- By default, each point across all assignments is weighted equally in Canvas, however, you can create weighted assignment groups where the points from each group get weighted differently when calculating the total score.
- Watch this video demonstration to learn more about how to set up a weighted gradebook in Canvas.
- Create a Canvas assignment for each graded item.
- The Canvas gradebook looks like a spreadsheet where each row is a student, and each column is an assignment (graded discussions and quizzes are also considered assignments). Therefore, to create a column in the gradebook to enter scores, you must create an assignment in your Canvas course.
- Always add a due date to each assignment so it appears on student calendars and to-do lists. You can leave the availability dates blank unless you need to limit the timeframe in which students can access the assignment.
- Give each assignment a point value that matches what is listed in your syllabus.
- Keep up with entering grades in Canvas as the course progresses.
- Enter scores directly into the Canvas gradebook as you grade assignments.
- For students with missing work, be sure to enter a score of zero instead of leaving a “blank” in the gradebook. A blank will artificially inflate the student’s total grade.
- For assignments turned in online in Canvas, you can use SpeedGrader to view, grade, and leave feedback on student submissions in one place.
- Make sure your entered grades and feedback are visible to students.
- By default, grades and feedback are automatically visible to students as soon as you enter them, but you can switch assignments (or the whole course) to use a manual posting policy, which keeps scores and feedback hidden from students until you post them.
- Keep an eye out for the “eye” icon on gradebook column headers and next to total scores. The eye icon indicates a hidden score that needs to be posted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enter scores for activities completed outside of Canvas?
You can create a gradebook column for the scores by creating a Canvas assignment with the “no submission” or “on paper” submission type. Use the “On Paper” option if the assignment was turned in on paper, or “No Submission” if the activity does not involve turning anything in or if you simply need another column in your gradebook.
How do I show letter grades in Canvas?
To show letter grades in Canvas, set up a grading scheme and then enable it in your course. Watch a video demonstration on setting up a grading scheme to learn how.
How do I handle extra credit in Canvas?
There are a few ways to add extra credit in Canvas. Watch this video demonstration for a quick overview of some of your options.
Some cautions: If using weighted grading, pay attention to how weighted groups can affect the Gradebook if assignments are worth zero points. If you have drop rules set for assignment groups, adding extra points may affect your students’ scores.
How do I set up a late work or missing work policy in the Canvas gradebook?
Canvas can automatically calculate deductions for late work or enter a default score (such as zero) for missing work. To do so, set up a late submission policy or a missing submission policy in your Canvas gradebook settings.
Can I use the Canvas gradebook to send reminders and other messages?
Yes, you can! You can use the “Message Students Who” function directly from the Gradebook for students who may have missed an assignment and have not submitted yet, have not received a grade, or scored above or below a certain mark on a specific assignment. Watch a video demonstration on this feature to learn more.
Can I set up my gradebook to drop the lowest score(s) in a category?
Yes! You can set up rules for each assignment group to automatically drop the lowest and/or highest score(s) in that group.
How do I send final grades from Canvas to SIS at the end of the term?
You can use the grade sync tool to send final letter grades from Canvas to SIS instead of manually entering final grades.
How do I get additional help with setting up my gradebook?
You can schedule a consultation with CATL (catl@uwgb.edu).