Gradebook

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Overview

The Gradebook (GradebookNG) is a powerful grade management tool that allows instructors to record, calculate, and analyze student performance. It supports multiple grading schemes, category weighting, and automated grade calculations while providing students with real-time access to their grades.

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Key Features

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Grade Items

Create and manage various types of grade items:

• Manual items: Create standalone grade items for participation, attendance, etc.
• Tool-integrated items: Automatically created from Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, etc.
• Extra credit: Support for bonus points that don’t affect grade denominator
• Points or percentages: Flexible scoring options
• Released/unreleased: Control when students can view grades

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Grading Interface

The modern gradebook interface provides:

• Spreadsheet view: Grid layout showing all students and grade items
• Quick editing: Click any cell to enter or update grades
• Color coding: Visual indicators for submitted, graded, and overdue work
• Sorting and filtering: Organize by student name, grade, or status
• Search functionality: Quickly find specific students or assignments

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Categories and Weighting

Organize grade items into categories with custom weights:

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Grading Scales

Support for multiple grading systems:

• Points: Traditional numeric scoring (e.g., 0-100)
• Percentages: Calculate as percentage of possible points
• Letter grades: A-F scale with customizable thresholds
• Pass/Fail: Binary grading option
• Custom scales: Define institutional grading schemes

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Grade Calculation Methods

Choose how the course grade is calculated:

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Student View

Students can access their grades with:

• Individual grade view: See all released grades and current course grade
• Points and percentages: View scores in multiple formats
• Category breakdowns: See performance by category
• Grade statistics: Compare performance to class average (if enabled)
• Assignment feedback: Access instructor comments directly from gradebook

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Instructor Analytics

Powerful analysis tools for instructors:

• Class statistics: Mean, median, mode for each grade item
• Grade distribution: Visual charts showing score ranges
• Performance tracking: Identify struggling students early
• Export functionality: Download grades to Excel/CSV
• Audit log: Track all grade changes with timestamps

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Permissions and Security

Granular control over grade access:

• Instructor: Full access to create items, enter grades, and view all data
• TA/Grader: Can view and grade assigned sections or groups
• Student: View only their own released grades
• Section-based permissions: Restrict grader access to specific course sections

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Grade Import and Export

Efficiently manage grades in bulk:

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Comments and Feedback

Enhance grades with contextual feedback:

• Per-item comments: Add text feedback for individual grade items
• Private notes: Instructor-only notes not visible to students
• Inline feedback: Comments display alongside grades in student view
• Feedback history: Complete record of all feedback provided

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Drop Lowest Scores

Automate grade calculation policies:

• Configure categories to drop the lowest N scores
• Useful for homework or quiz categories with multiple attempts
• Automatically recalculates as new grades are entered
• Display dropped items clearly in student view

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Grade Override

Handle special cases with manual overrides:

• Override calculated course grades when needed
• Document reason for override in comments
• Visual indicator shows when a grade has been manually adjusted
• Original calculated grade preserved for reference

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Curved Grading

Apply curves to grade items or overall grades:

• Add fixed points to all students
• Apply percentage-based curves
• Set minimum/maximum grade thresholds
• Preview curve impact before applying

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Best Practices

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Setup Phase

• Configure your grading scale and calculation method before the semester starts
• Create categories that align with your syllabus
• Set up grade item templates for recurring assignment types
• Test grade calculations with sample data before going live

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During the Semester

• Release grades consistently and promptly after grading
• Use comments to provide meaningful feedback beyond numeric scores
• Regularly export gradebook backups
• Monitor class statistics to identify items that may need adjustment
• Keep students informed about when grades will be released

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End of Semester

• Review all grade items are released or final
• Check for missing grades or incomplete entries
• Verify course grade calculations before submitting final grades
• Export final gradebook for your records
• Consider keeping gradebook data for one year for student inquiries

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Integration with Other Tools

The Gradebook automatically integrates with:

• Assignments: Grades sync automatically when assignments are graded
• Tests & Quizzes: Assessment scores appear as grade items
• Lesson Builder: Embedded activities can send scores to gradebook
• External LTI Tools: Integrated tools can post grades back

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Technical Details

The Gradebook is implemented using:

• Core Service: GradingService interface (gradebookng/api/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/grading/api/GradingService.java:55)
• Data Models: Gradebook, GradebookAssignment, GradingEvent entities
• Framework: Modern front-end using web components and Bootstrap 5
• Calculation Engine: Supports multiple calculation methods with configurable precision
• Permissions: Integrated with Sakai’s role-based security system