Grades

1. 1. Select Grades in the course navigation bar. 
   2. Select the Start button at the bottom of the page to begin the Grades wizard.
   3. Choose a grading system: points, weighted, or formula (see above)
      • Watch this video to set up a weighted grade system.
   4. Select Continue.
   5. Choose a final grade release option: 
      • Select Calculated Final Grade to calculate the final grade based strictly on the grading formula that has been set up.
      • Select Adjusted Final Grade to be able to manually modify a grade before releasing it (recommended.)
   6. Note: Final Grades are not released to students automatically in D2L unless the instructor explicitly publishes the final grade. 
   7. Select Continue.
   8. Choose how the Grades area calculates ungraded items:
      •  Drop Ungraded Items: If a score is not entered for a grade item, they will not be calculated as part of the cumulative scores. If this option is selected, the final grade will show the cumulative score for the work assessed so far. However, instructors must manually enter a score of "0" for uncompleted assignments.
      • Treat Ungraded Items as 0: If a score is not entered for a grade item, they will be calculated into the cumulative final score as if they were scored as "0." 
   9.  Select the Automatically keep final grade updated checkbox to keep final grades updated automatically.
   10. Select Continue.  
   11.  Choose a default grade scheme. 
   12.  Select Continue.
   13.  Choose the “Student View Display Options.” This determines what students see when they visit the Grades area. The default settings are recommended. For more information on the options in this section, visit the D2L Resource Center.
   14.  Select Continue.
   15. Select Finish to save changes. 

If a Weighted grade system is being used, categories can be set to have a group of grade items count for a percentage of the overall course grade. In addition, a category can be set to drop the lowest scores on a particular type of assignment, e.g., the lowest quiz score out of 5 quizzes.

If a Points grade system is being used, e.g., 5 quizzes, 10 weekly discussions, a project that has many components that will be graded separately, etc., categories can be created to organize them and drop the lowest scores within a category.

 Create categories for a weighted grade system

1. 1. Go to the Grades area.
   2. Select Manage Grades.
   3. Select New.
   4. Select Category from the dropdown list. 
   5. The New Category page will open. Enter a name for the category.
   6. Enter a value for the weight of the category as part of the overall grade in the "Weight" field (weighted grade systems only.)
   7. (Optional) Select the Category grade can Exceed Category Weight checkbox if students will be able to earn extra credit for this category. See Creating Extra Credit Grade Items for more information.
   8. Under "Distribution" select the appropriate setting:
      • "Manually assign weight to items in the category "allows instructors to assign an individual weight to each item in the category.
      • "Distribute weights by points across all items in the category" allows instructors to assign weight according to the number of points given for each item in the category.
      • "Distribute weight evenly across all items" makes all items in the category even in weight.
   9. (Optional) Enter the number of grade items for D2L to automatically drop in the "Number of lowest non-bonus items to drop for each user" field.
   10. Select Save and Close.  

 Create categories for a points grade system

1. 1. Go to the Grades area.
   2. Select Manage Grades.
   3. Select New. 
   4. Select Category from the dropdown list.  
   5. The New Category page will open. Enter a name for the category.
   6. (Optional) Select Can Exceed if extra credit will be allowed on grade items within the category. See Creating Extra Credit Grade Items for more information
   7. (Optional) Select the appropriate settings to automatically drop grade items within the category that have the lowest scores.
   8. Select the checkbox next to "Distribute points across all items" to evenly distribute points for items within the category.
   9. Enter a number in the "Points per Item" field. This will set the number of points that will be assigned to each grade item within the category.
   10. Enter the number of grade items for D2L to automatically drop in the "Number of lowest non-bonus items to drop for each user" field.
   11. Select Save and Close.
   12. Note: If you delete a category, the grade items associated with it become independent grade items.

Grade items can exist independently in the gradebook  or can be associated with assignments such as Discussions, Quizzes, and Submission folders. 

1. 1. Select Grades in the navigation bar. 
   2. Select Manage Grades. 
   3. Select New.
   4. Select Item. 
   5. Select Numeric.
   6. Enter a name.
   7. (Optional) Select or create a category. If an existing category is selected, some fields on this page might be automatically filled based on the grade category settings.
   8. Enter the maximum number of available points in the "Maximum Points" field.
   9. Enter a value for the weight in the "Weight" field. (This field is only available for weighted grade items.)
   10. Select Save and Close.

Delete a grade item

1. 1. Grade items that are associated with another course object, such as a quiz, discussion topic, or assignment, cannot be deleted until the association is removed by editing the item.Select Grades from the course navigation bar.
   2. The "Enter Grades" tab will open. Select the Manage Grades tab.
   3. Select More Options to release a dropdown menu.
   4. From the dropdown menu, select Delete.
   5. Select the checkbox next to the item(s) to be deleted.
   6. Select Delete.
   7. A confirmation window will open. Select Delete to finalize.Delete Grade ItemOn the navbar, click Grades.
   8. On the Manage Grades page, from the More Actions button, select Delete.
   9. Select the check box for each grade item or category want to delete.
   10. Click Delete.
   11. Note: You cannot delete grade items that are associated with another course object, such as a quiz, discussion topic, or assignment. To delete the item you must first remove the association. Click the Information icon for a grade item with an association to view details about where the item is used.

Creating extra credit grade items for more information

Bonus grade items are not included in the maximum points for a category or final grade. They are added on top of the calculated grade. Bonus grade items cannot make users' grades exceed the maximum points specified, unless the Can Exceed option is selected.

Note: Bonus grade items do not display to students with the grade scheme information like other grade items, no matter what display options you set. Because bonus grades are only added to final grades after all other calculations, students can only view the numeric points, and potentially the weight achieved, for a bonus grade, but no other grade scheme information, as the actual weight or points of the bonus grade item may not be consistent with the rest of the grade scheme.

1. 1. Go to Course Admin -> Grades -> Manage Grades
   2. Go to the Grade Item you are working with and select Edit Grade Item.
   3. In the edit screen, scroll down to the Grading section and check the box labelled “Bonus”. Click Save and Close.

 Enter grades in spreadsheet view

Spreadsheet view enables modification of grades for all students and all assignments on one page. However, this view will not allow for qualitative feedback.

1. 1. Go to Grades. (The Enter Grades page should be displayed, but if not, select the Enter Grades link.)
   2. Select the Switch to Spreadsheet View button [A]. All of the fields in the grade book will become text boxes. 
   3. Enter scores in the textboxes as necessary.
   4. Select Save.
       

 Enter grades by grade item

There is also an option to open just one grade item to enter grades for each student. When entering grades for a single grade item, qualitative feedback can also be entered.

1. 1. Go to Grades.
   2. Select the dropdown arrow next to the grade item.Select Enter Grades.
   3. Enter scores in the textboxes in the Grade column for each student.
   4. Select the comment icon in the Feedback column to leave qualitative feedback.
   5. Select Save and Close. 

 Give multiple students the same grade at the same time

1. 1. Go to Grades.
   2. Select the dropdown arrow next to the grade item.
   3. Select Enter Grades.
   4. Select the checkboxes next to the names of the students. (Select all of the students at once by selecting the checkbox above the list of students.)
   5. Select the Set Grades link.  
   6. Enter a value in the Grade textboxSelect Save
   7. Select Save and Close. 

 Give multiple students the same feedback at the same time

1. 1. Go to the Grades area.
   2. Select the dropdown arrow next to the grade item.
   3. Select Enter Grades.
   4. Select the checkboxes next to the names of the students you are giving the same feedback. (Select all of the students at once by selecting the checkbox above the list of students.)
   5. Select the Add Feedback link. 
   6. Enter feedback in the textbox.
   7. Select Save. 

 Exempt students from grade item

1. 1. Go to the Grades area.
   2. Select the dropdown arrow next to the item you’d like to grade.
   3. Select Enter Grades.
   4. Select the checkboxes next to the names of the students to exempt for the selected grade item. (Select all of the students at once by selecting the checkbox above the list of students.)
   5. Select the Exempt link. 
   6. Select Save and Close.
   7. Then select Yes.

 Exempt student from multiple grade items

1. 1. Go to the Grades area.
   2. Select the dropdown arrow next to any grade item.
   3. Select Enter Grades.
   4. Choose the  dropdown arrow next to the appropriate student.
   5. Choose Bulk Edit Exemptions. 
   6. Select the checkboxes next to the grade items to exempt for the student.
   7. Select or unselect all of the grade items at once by selecting Select / Unselect All at the top of the list.
   8. Select Save and Close. 

By default, D2L does not automatically display final grades to students; they only see their scores on individual assignments, not their cumulative grade for the course. At the end of the term, instructors can opt to release the final grade so that students can view it.

Note: Final grades in eLearning/D2L are not automatically transferred to WebAdvisor (Colleague). You must manually enter a midterm grade or final grade in WebAdvisor at the end of the semester.

1. 1. Check Settings
      1. Click Grades link, then on the right side, click Settings.
      2. Click Calculation Options tab
      3. Scroll down to Final Grade Released section
      4. Verify that Calculated Final Grade is marked instead of Adjusted Final Grade.
      5. Click blue Save button at bottom of page and follow Release Grades below next.
   2. Release Grades
      1. Go to Grades.
      2. On the Enter Grades page, from the Final Calculated Grade or Final Adjusted Grade context menu, click Enter Grades.
      3. To release grades for all users, on the Final Grades page, from the Final Grades context menu, click Release All. To release final grades for a specific user, do one of the following:
         1. Select the check box by the user name and click the Release/Unrelease link.
         2. Select the check box in the Release Final Calculated Grade or Release Adjusted Final Grade column.
      4. Click Save.

The Final grade is released icon displays in the Final Calculated Grade or Final Adjusted Grade column for any user who has their final grade released. The   Final grade is not released icon displays in the Final Calculated Grade or Final Adjusted Grade column for any user who does not have their final grade released.

The date and time a grade is released or unreleased is displayed in a learner’s Grades Event Log.

Grade schemes allow you to define levels of achievement for students based on their performance on an assignment.  For example, a quiz scored out of 100 points might label scores between 0 and 59 as “Needs Improvement”, scores between 60 and 89 as “Acceptable”, and scores between 90 and 100 as “Exceeds Expectations”.  This page explains the different features of a grade scheme and how to set one up. 

1. 1. The “Schemes” tab displays the grade schemes already created and available for use.  The default scheme is also displayed, which in our case is the “Percentage” scheme.  To create a new scheme, click the blue “New Scheme” button in the top-left corner of the page.  
   2. Fill out the relevant scheme information.
      • Name – Enter the name of the new grade scheme.
      • Symbol – Decide on the labels for each level of performance in the grade scheme.  In this example, we are using “Needs Improvement,” “Acceptable,” and “Exceeds Expectations.”
      • Start % – Set the minimum score required for each level of performance.  For example, in this example, 60% is the minimum value need to be in the “Acceptable” range.
      • Color – Decide on the color associated with each level of performance in the grade scheme (Optional).
      • Assigned Value % – If using a Selectbox grade item, this determines the numeric score that students receive for each level of the Grade Scheme (Optional). 
      • Add Ranges – Add additional levels of performance to your grade scheme.
   3. The “Schemes” tab now displays the new scheme in the “Course Schemes” section highlighted below.  You can now assign this scheme to any grade item or, if desired, set it as your default grade scheme.

• • When creating a grade item, ensure that the Max. Points field for the item is not set to null or zero
    • The Max. Points field can be found in the Grading section of the Create a new grade item page (or the edit page for existing grade items) under the Properties tab.
  • When sorting grade categories and items, ensure they are sorted in the appropriate order
    • The best way to ensure grade items are sorted correctly is to create the categories and items in the order that they will be marked. Brightspace Learning Environment automatically sorts the categories and grade items in the order that they are created.
    • If you want to see the order of your grade items, from the Course Homepage, go to Grades. Select Manage Grades.
  • When creating a grade item, make sure that you are not creating duplicate entries in the grade book
    • Duplicate grade items can occur for a variety of reasons, such as from multiple course package imports or from users. Duplicates have the same title and often have no associated activity.
  • Gradebooks that exceed 200+ grade items feature Sort Order text fields beside the grade items on the Reorder Grade Items and Categories page. The order of the grade items can be changed by entering a positive integer in the fields. Items with the same sort order number, such as two grade items being marked “1,” retain their current sort order, relative to each other.
    • The Sort Order drop-down menu still appears for Gradebooks with fewer than 200 grade items.

A simple and effective way to submit your Final Grades without having to go into Faculty
Self-Serve and entering your grades.  

Steps with images

1. First, make sure every cell in the gradebook is filled. Even if the student has not
   completed the activity, that box should have a 0 in the box. The denominator SHOULD
   ALL be the same for every student otherwise it will be a false calculation and grade
   submission.
2. Verify that you have grades released in D2L. This is done differently depending on if you
   are using Calculated Final Grade or Adjusted Final Grade. You can follow the
   instructions on Inside Delta for more information -
   https://www.delta.edu/employees/online-learning/d2l-tutorials/grades.html
3. To submit grades, click Grades in the navigation bar à then click “Submit Grades” gray
   button.
4. This next step will be different if you are submitting grades for a single course or a
   merged course. 
   1. Single Course
   2. Merged Course – Select which section you want to submit using the dropdown
      next to Scope.
5. Next, you will select the students you want to submit grades by clicking the check box
   on the left side next to their username. You can do one at a time, all your students or
   only some students.
   1. You can add an Override Grade if deemed appropriate
   2. You can enter an “I” (capitol i) in the Override grade to send in Incomplete to the
      system, you DO NOT need to enter a Default Incomplete Grade, these will
      automatically convert to an F if an incomplete is not finished within the time
      limited. Select a date for the Incomplete Extension Expiry Date field
   3. Incomplete Grade Deadlines:
      1. For Fall courses, incomplete grades must be converted by April 1st of the
         following year.
      2. For Winter and Spring/Summer courses, incomplete grade must be
         converted by December 1st
         of current year.
      3. Extensions due to extenuating circumstances must be approved by the
         Registrar.
   4. If you do an Incomplete, you must still fill out an Incomplete Form for the
      student.
      1. Refer to the Inside Delta documentation for faculty regarding Incomplete
         Students - https://www.delta.edu/employees/registration/grading.html
         Incomplete Student form - https://r.delta.edu/incompletegrade
      2. When incomplete form is submitted the eLearning Office is notified and
         we will adjust the student’s access in D2L to Incomplete Student
         (Student2). This allows the student to access the course when it closes.
         There is NO NEED to leave the course open for in an Incomplete. Once an
         Incomplete has finished, the eLearning Office is notified again, and our
         office will change the status back.
   5.  “F” Grades
      1. All students receiving an F grade are required to enter a Last Date of
         Attendance.
      2. This date MUST be entered in the date field.
      3. Last Date of Attendance is defined as, the date the student last had
         activity in the course. Just logging into D2L or the course is not enough to
         qualify as Last Date of Attendance. This date can be easily identified
         through Class Progress and running through the options. For instance,
         when did the student last submit an Assignment Dropbox, do a
         Discussion Board, or take a Quiz. All of these are date stamped and can
         be used to show Last Date of Attendance.
   6. Once you have selected the students you want to submit, click the blue Export at the
      bottom of the page.
   7. On the Export page, here are a few items to look out for:
      1. Status – this will change as the process works through the submission of grades
      2. Failed Exports – this will let you know how many students failed to send the first
         round.
      3. Accepted by SIS means that the grade was accepted by the Student Information
         System (SIS). If it has not, you will see ERROR.
         d. History – submission information will stay in this box if you need to go back and
         review previous submission information. An error massage will report in this box
         if there was an error during submission.
   8. If you receive an error message, you can resubmit grades for just the students that did
      not go through on the first round. We have seen this in many tests that not all students
      go through the first push. If this happens, select the students that had an error and
      resubmit. This is a common error message when a student grade was not accepted.
      Resubmit the grade for this student. 
   9. Other Messages
      1. Accepted – No other action required. You can double check grades submitted in
         Faculty Self-Serve
      2. Excluded – you either forgot to check the box on the left side to select the
         student or on purpose to exclude that student in this submission.
      3. Send failed -Resubmit student
      4. Send Failed – contact eLearning Office
      5. Invalid Grade Posting – You tried to submit a grade that has already been
         accepted and verified.
         1. An instructor can submit and resubmit a new grade for a student anytime
            during the day.
         2. After the grade has been verified overnight and a new grade is being
            submitted through D2L, you will receive an invalid grade posting error
            message and you will need to fill out a grade change request form. Refer
            to the Inside Delta page for more information -
            https://www.delta.edu/employees/registration/grading.html Grade
            Change form - https://r.delta.edu/gradechange