GradesPlus, a new integrated tool in Canvas, makes it easier to submit grades and finalise student results quickly. You can submit all student results – including Authority to Vary Results (AVRs) – from one simplified screen in Canvas.
Use the following points to check the health of your Gradebook before you submit your results with GradesPlus.
1. Are your assessment tasks organised in weighted assignment groups?
Assessment tasks need to be in weighted assignment groups in Canvas so that the final subject mark can be automatically calculated in your Gradebook. An Assignment Group can contain more than one assessment task.
Organise any formative or practice tasks (any tasks that do not contribute to the final subject mark) in an unweighted assignment group and/or set these to ‘Do not count this assignment towards the final mark’.
Check that the weighted Assignment Groups in your Canvas Gradebook add up to a total of 100%. Depending on your assessment strategy, the total of your weighted Assignment Groups may exceed 100%. If this is the case, book a consultation so we can help you check that your Gradebook has been set up to calculate the final subject mark correctly.
2. Are there any blank cells in your Gradebook?
Enter a zero ‘0’ in any blank cells where a student has failed to submit or if a result is pending. Use the Notes column in your Gradebook to add a comment for record keeping, if required.
If the enrolment status of a student is pending (for example, when a student has indicated that they intend to withdraw, but this is not reflected in Canvas) enter a zero ‘0’ in the relevant cell in your Gradebook. Results can be adjusted after the results deadline via the the AVR process.
3. Are there any borderline marks that need to be reviewed?
You may want to review any final subject marks that are on the border between grades (e.g. 64, 74) before submitting, to ensure the result matches the student’s performance in relation to subject outcomes and criteria. You can adjust marks up or down with the Override feature in your Gradebook. Once adjusted in your Gradebook, this will flow into GradesPlus.
You can also override final marks in GradesPlus.
Decimal places are automatically rounded up or down to the nearest integer on submission, with 0.5 rounding up (so 64.5 will automatically round to 65 – Credit on transfer).
4. Are there any exception grades you need to enter?
Exception grades are now entered in GradesPlus (i.e. no longer in Canvas Gradebook). Enter any exception grades (such as W, T, Q, etc.), where results are pending in GradesPlus.
Ready to submit?
When you are ready to submit, select all (or a selection of) your students in GradesPlus. Then select the ‘Review and Submit Grades’ button. You can submit results as often as you like before the results deadline.
Once submitted, check the Submission status column in GradesPlus to confirm that your results have submitted successfully – you will see a “Submitted” status in this column for each student if the submission is successful. If not unsuccessful, an error code will appear in this column.
Still not quite sure or curious about the types of submission errors? Have a look at the guide to submitting grades with GradesPlus.
Need more help?
If you’re unsure about the health of your Gradebook, book a consultation with us via Service Connect.