Configuring and Using the Gradebook in ISU Canvas

This article provides instructions on how to configure and use the gradebook in ISU Canvas at Idaho State University (ISU). By following the steps below, you will confirm accurate grading policies, consistent naming conventions, and clear communication for your students. This proactive approach sets your students up for success and makes your own workload more manageable. Note: Canvas does not automatically count unsubmitted activities as zeros. Only the assignment groups and total columns will automatically factor scores of zeros into the overall percentages for each student.

• Using the Canvas Gradebook Viewing Options
• Configuring the Grading Scheme in ISU Canvas
• Publishing and posting all graded items in ISU Canvas
• Matching your Canvas Gradebook to your Syllabus
• Messaging Students from the Gradebook
• Additional Resources

• Grades for assignments can be viewed as points, percentage, complete or incomplete, GPA scale, or letter grade. Only graded activities that have been published display in the Gradebook. Non graded assignments are not included.
• The default view in the Gradebook is to view all students at a time, but you can also view students individually in the Individual Gradebook.
• You can switch between gradebook views at any time. To select a different gradebook view, click the current gradebook view, then in the Change Gradebook view menu, select on of the following options:
  • Traditional Gradebook: Displays all students, assignments, and grades. This gradebook is the most common default and is also know as just Gradebook.
  • Learning Mastery Gradebook: Displays the Learning Mastery Gradebook (external link) which assesses outcome standards being used in Canvas courses. This gradebook is a course-level feature option.
  • Individual Gradebook: Allows you to assess one student and one assignment at a time (external link) and is fully accessible for screen readers. Individual View currently does not support settings and options from the Gradebook.
  • Gradebook History: Displays the Gradebook History page (external link) which logs recent grade changes in the course according to student, grader, assignment, and date.

The "grading scheme" in Canvas is the relationship between the final grade percentage and letter grades. All ISU Canvas courses are created with a Default ISU Grading Scheme. To view and/or configure the grade scheme in your course,

1. In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.
2. Click the Course Details tab.
3. Scroll through the page and located the Grading Scheme section. If the checkbox next to Enable course grading scheme is not selected, click the box to select it. 
4. To view the default grading scheme, make sure it is showing in the list of schemes and click the View button. Note: You will not be able to edit the ISU default grading scheme since is has already been used for grading throughout ISU Canvas courses.
5. To configure your own grading scheme, you can click Copy to copy the default grading scheme and edit it or click New Grading Scheme to start from scratch. To edit grading scheme details:
   1. Edit the title in the Grading Scheme Name field.
   2. Choose to have the grading scheme by percentage or points.
   3. For each line item, edit the grading scheme in the Letter Grade field.
   4. Edit the minimum end of each individual range in the To [Number] % Field.
   5. If you need to add ranges, click the Add button. You can remove individual ranges by clicking the Delete button.
   6. When you are finished editing your grading scheme, click the Save button.

See How do I edit a grading scheme in a course? (external link) for more information.

• Unpublished and unposted grades are excluded from the total grade calculation, which can lead students to see inaccurate or inflated grades. Publishing and posting all graded items ensures transparency and helps students understand their true course grade.
  • As in instructor, you can publish or unpublish a graded item in a course. Unpublished assignments are invisible to students and excluded from grade calculations. You can manage the state of all assignments on the Assignments Index Page, or you can manage each assignment individually. See How do I publish or unpublish an assignment as an instructor? (external link) for more information.
  • You can use posting policies in the Gradebook to manage assignment grade visibility for students. Posted grades are visible to students in your course. Hidden grades are visible only to you in the course gradebook.
    • Posting policies can be set for an entire course and/or individual assignments. When a posting policy is set to automatic, grades are automatically posted to students when they are entered. When a posting policy is set to manual, grades must be manually posted to students using the Post Grades option before they can be viewed.
    • Posted grades can also be hidden using the Hide Grades option. The Hide grades option only hides grades that are currently invisible to students.  See How do I use posting policies in a course? (external link) for more information.
  • Note: It is recommended that you set course and assignment posting policies before entering grades.

In Canvas, grade categories are called "assignment groups". In order to reduce the possibility of students misinterpreting how their grade is calculated, each graded item in ISU Canvas should correspond to an assignment group (category) or assignment listed in your syllabus. It is recommended that you maintain uniform names for assignments, quizzes, discussions and other graded items across both ISU Canvas and your syllabus. See How do I add an assignment group in a course? (external link) and Applying Weighting to Course Grades in ISU Canvas for more information.

You can use the Gradebook to send messages to your students. See How do I send a message to students from the Gradebook (external link) for more information.

• Resource 1: How do I use the Gradebook? (external link)
• Resource 2: How do I arrange columns in the Gradebook? (external link)
• Resource 3: How do I use the Total column in the Gradebook? (external link)
• Resource 4: How do I enter and edit grades in the Gradebook? (external link)

• Chat with Canvas Support for Faculty (external link)
• Canvas Instructor Guides (external link)
• Visit the ITRC Portal for answers to common questions (external link)
• For additional assistance email AnswersITRC@isu.edu