This article lists the Best Practices for setting up an accurate Canvas Gradebook. If you ever need assistance or have questions, please visit the LTS Training Calendar for upcoming Q&A Sessions (available daily on Zoom).
Beginning of the Semester
Setting up the Canvas Grade Book in the beginning of the semester helps ensure:
Faculty: Easier grading for faculty, if everything is set up in the Grade Book the instructor can simply enter grades throughout the semester and can feel confident that students are seeing the correct scoring and overall grade for the course.
Student: Smoother and more transparent experience with the course regarding grading, being alerted to missing assignments, and seeing a correct final grade based off of the work that has been received.
Grade Center Tools: | Understanding the Tools: |
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Update the Canvas Grading Scheme*Optional: There is a default standard schema already set up in Canvas. *Required for Canvas Grade Transfer Tool. | To tell Canvas what each student’s Total Grade % should equate to in a Letter Grade. For example, an instructor might want to tweak the scheme to allow students who receive an 88% or higher to receive an A. |
Set up the Missing Submission Policy*Recommended *Note: This policy does not impact "no submission" or "on paper" assignments. These items will require the instructor to manually assigning the zeroes. | Set up the Missing Submission Policy to automatically apply Zeros for missed assignments that use Due Dates.
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Change the default Grade Posting Policy*Optional | Choose if grades become visible to students automatically, or must be “Posted” by the instructor. |
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Create Assignment Groups in Canvas*Optional: If you prefer not to use this feature it is ok not to. **Pro-Tip: If not using Assignment Groups, note that one “group” MUST exist for calculations in the Grade Center to work correctly. A great trick is to update the name of the single Assignment Group to “Subtotal” so that students are not confused by its existence in their Grades area. |
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Set up Weighted Grading in Canvas*Optional: If you prefer not to use this feature it is ok. Grades are default calculated as raw scores. | Weighted Grades Example:
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Assignment Group
Assignment Group Pro-Tip: Don’t accidentally drop the Extra Credit as the lowest Grade!
You can designate individual assignments as exceptions to the drop rule if needed.
How to Drop the Lowest Grade and Use Exceptions
For example, if there is an additional extra credit assignment in your pop-quiz assignment group, you will need to make sure the extra credit assignment is listed as an exception for the drop rule to work correctly or else students who do not complete the extra credit assignment will be penalized.
Create all of your Assignments/Quizzes/Discussions/etc. (and assign them to the Assignment Group/Weighted Grading Assignment Group if you using this feature)
Pro Tip: These Assignments can be "assignment shells" right now, meaning that they simply state the assignment title, due date, and how many points they are worth. You can come back and edit each assignment at any time to include more detailed information.
How to Create a Grade Center Column for Manual Grading in Canvas
For any graded items for which students will not submit work online, e.g., an in-class exam, create an on-paper assignment. For any graded items for which students do not submit anything tangible, e.g., participation, create a non-submission assignment.
Pro Tip! You can organize and rearrange the columns in your gradebook by clicking-and-dragging them into your desired display order.
During the Semester: Grading
Grade Student Submissions Using Speedgrader in Canvas:
Grades can be “Excused” by typing EX into the grade book.
Excusing a grade allows an assignment to be ignored while determining the final grade.
Don't like working in Canvas? You can complete your edits in Excel!
You can export your Canvas gradebook to excel and make changes to student grades, and then use the Import a CSV file option to upload your grade changes to Canvas.
End of Semester: Wrap-Up and Post to Peoplesoft
Review your Grade Center and verify that all columns and students have grades entered.
Important: Confirm the Grade Schema is checked in Canvas
To check and/or alter the Course Grading Schema:
In the Canvas Course Site, select Settings from the Course Layout Menu.
Scroll to mid-screen and check the “Enable course grading Scheme” box
Note this box MUST be checked in order for Grade Transfer from Canvas to Peoplesoft to work at the end of the semester.
If you wish to alter the standard grading schemed review this article: Grade Scheme in Canvas
Standard Canvas Grade Scheme:
The last step of managing a GradeCenter is to make sure the final grades are submitted to Peoplesoft. We have developed a tool to help automatically transfer grades from Canvas to Peoplesoft: Canvas Grade Transfer Instructions
Relevant Information
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Email us! lts@boisestate.edu
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