Gradebook 2

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Contents

Overview

There are two gradebook applications in e-Learning - Gradebook is the original tool and Gradebook 2 is a later addition offering a few more options. The two tools are integrated in such a way that any data entered into one gradebook will show up in the other. BUT, be aware that though the columns, categories and data entered is the same in both gradebooks, because Gradebook 2 has additional functions, the calculations will not necessarily be the same. While you may enter a column called "Extra points," Gradebook 2 will calculate that as true extra credit, where Gradebook does not have that ability. If you tell Gradebook 2 to drop the lowest score in a category, the calculation will be different than in Gradebook because Gradebook doesn't have the ability to drop the lowest score. If you are using the extra features of Gradebook 2, make sure you remove or hide the Gradebook tool from students so they don't see two conflicting grades.

Gradebook 2 will do everything Gradebook will do and will also:

will not be accurate until all data is in and zeros have been entered into empty columns.

Gradebook 2 will not:

NOTE: The reason Gradebook 2 will not let you enter more than the most possible points is that Gradebook 2 will calculate extra credit, where Gradebook will not. If you had an exam worth 100 points, but there was a bonus question worth 5 points, you would set up a column for the exam worth 100 points and an extra credit column worth 5 points.

Calculation Options

There are four main ways that you can set up Gradebook 2 calculations:

Option 1) Create columns and enter points. The gradebook will add all columns to give you a total number of points for the course. The Final letter grade will be based on a percentage of the total points.

Option 2) Create weighted columns and grade using percentages. This would be used if you have single items that make up a certain percentage of the grade. For example, the course project is 40% of the grade, the mid-term exam is 25% of the grade and the final exam is 35% of the grade.

Option 3) Create weighted categories, place columns within the categories and enter points. This would be used if you have several items under one category. For example, you assign 10 quizzes during the semester and the total of those quizzes will make up 15% of the grade. There are 5 assignments and the total of those assignments will make up 30% of the grade, etc.

Option 4) Grade using letter grades. There are a few things you need to consider before you decide to you letter grades in Gradebook 2:

Set Up Calculation Options

Gradebook 2 interface is a double-paned view. The left pane will list your categories and columns while the right column is for student data and editing. If this is the first time you’ve opened Gradebook 2, the "Set Up Gradebook" screen will be opened for you in the right pane. Any other time, click Edit at the top of the blue box and choose “Gradebook Settings.” The “Set Up Gradebook” screen will appear in the right pane.

Set Up Gradebook 2 for Option 1

NOTE: You would utilize the "Categories" option if you want to drop lowest score(s) or if you just want to use the Categories for organizing your columns.

Now you need to add columns for your data:

NOTE: The Source denotes where the column was created and where grades can be entered. This column is being added in the gradebook and so must have the grades entered in the gradebook. If you had created an Assignment that automatically created a column in the gradebook for you, the source for that column would be "Assignments." Grades could only be entered through the Assignments tool, not through the gradebook. The same is true if the column was created through Assessments or Tests & Quizzes.

Set Up Gradebook 2 for Option 2

Now you need to add the columns. Be aware that since you are grading using percentages, every column will be worth 100 "points" (percent).

NOTE: The Source denotes where the column was created and where grades can be entered. This column is being added in the gradebook and so must have the grades entered in the gradebook. If you had created an Assignment that automatically added a column in the gradebook for you, the source for that column would be "Assignments." Grades could only be entered through the Assignments tool, not through the gradebook. The same is true if the column was created through Assessments or Tests & Quizzes.

Set Up Gradebook 2 for Option 3

Now you need to add your categories and columns:

To create columns:

NOTE: The Source denotes where the column was created and where grades can be entered. This column is being added in the gradebook and so must have the grades entered in the gradebook. If you had created an Assignment that automatically created a column in the gradebook for you, the source for that column would be "Assignments." Grades could only be entered through the Assignments tool, not through the gradebook. The same is true if the column was created through Tests & Quizzes or Assessments.

Set Up Gradebook 2 for Option 4

Set up Gradebook 2 (Edit > Gradebook Settings) by choosing "Letter Grades" from the "Grade Using:" drop-down menu. Other than the fact that you are using letters rather than points, setting up the categories and columns are exactly like options 1 & 3 above. When you create a new column, it will ask for "Points." Just ignore this box. Other than that, follow the instructions for Option 1 to set up Gradebook 2 for letter grades.

Customize Gradebook 2 Appearance

The left pane contains all categories and columns. By default, they will be displayed in alphabetical order. Columns and categories can be rearranged by clicking the item and then dragging it to the place in the list where you want it to be. If you drag a category, all columns within that category will move also.

The right pane is used for editing settings, categories and columns. When you do not have an editing screen open in the right pane, it displays student data. By default, you will see the Students' names, displayed last name first, the Course Grade and the Grade Override column in the right pane. You can choose which columns to display when you click the Attributes & Grades tab at the top of the left pane. Check the box next to the item(s) you want to see in the right pane, or uncheck the box next to the item(s) you do not want to see.

Click the Gradebook tab at the top of the left pane to return to the list of categories and columns.

You may also choose to display any or all of the gradebook columns you have created in the right pane. Check the box beside any column you want to see in the right window pane. With this system, you may choose to only display the column you are currently working with to minimize the need to scroll.

Gradebook2: Input Student Grades, Import from Scantron, Import and Export Using Excel

Manually inputting Student Grades

Inputting student grades in Gradebook 2 is just like entering into an Excel spreadsheet. From the left pane:

Grades are automatically saved. The green triangle in the upper left corner of the box designates a grade that was manually entered.

Add a Comment and View Grade History

If you right click on a grade, a window opens that allows you to

Excuse (Drop) a Grade for an Individual Student

In the right window pane where your students are listed:

Import from Scantron

NOTE: Because Gradebook 2 does not allow you to enter more than the most possible points in a column, if your scantron file has any grades greater than the most possible, the file will not import. You will need to import your file through Gradebook.

When you take your bubble sheets to Turlington B-213 for scanning, you will be asked to fill out paperwork. Make sure you check the box stating that you are using e-Learning. This will make sure your results include the gatorlink usernames of your students. You also need to take a flash drive or a floppy disk for the files you will receive.

You will receive two .csv files from the scanning office. One file contains the students' gatorlink username and grade. It will be called "UploadExam1." The other is called "NoMatchExam1" and contains any grades that do not match a UFID entered on the bubble sheets. This could happen if a student entered his/her UFID incorrectly on the bubble sheet. You will need to manually enter these grades after you finish the import of the UploadExam1 file.

NOTE: If you do not already have a column created, the process will create a new column for your data. The default points possible for this column will be 100 points.

If your points possible is more or less than 100 points, create a column with the correct points possible before you import.

You are now ready to import this file into Gradebook 2.

NOTE: If you have a file that will not import, verify that there are no duplicate usernames (common with Web Assign files). tutorial will describe how to search the Student ID column for duplicate entries. Use the second option described. If there are some users no longer in the course or with invalid usernames, it will give you a warning, but will go ahead and import the grades.

Import and Export Using Excel in Gradebook 2

Exporting your gradebook is an important part of the end-of-semester process. You can save this spreadsheet to your computer, or burn it to a CD or DVD for long-term storage. This serves as a back-up of this important data.

Export from Gradebook 2

Import into Gradebook 2

NOTE: If you are working with a file you exported from Gradebook 2, it will include a column with the student UFID and a column with the section number in it, even though you do not see those columns in Gradebook 2. Those columns have been inserted so that when you export your grades at the end of the semester for import into Grade-A-Gator, you will have the UFID and Section Number. But if you are going to re-import this spreadsheet back into Gradebook 2, you will need to delete the UFID and the Section Number columns. Those columns will not import.

View Student Grades in Gradebook 2

You may verify what students are seeing when they go to Gradebook 2. In the right pane, click any students' name. You may edit grades or enter comments here. There is a button at the bottom of the pane that says "View as Student." This view will show you exactly what this particular student sees when he/she goes to Gradebook 2.

Any grades that are dropped or are not included in the final gradebook calculations will show in red with a strike-through. NOTE: If you chose the option to "give ungraded no credit" in a particular column, a zero will show until a grade is entered. This zero is not struck through in red when the lowest score is dropped in a category.

Gradebook 2: Change the Letter Grade Scale

Courses created after August 10, 2011, will have the UF Grade scale by default. Any course created prior to this date will need to adjust the Grade scale and this process is best done in Gradebook as Gradebook 2 does not allow for the entry of more than the most possible points and so it is not possible to override the A+ option. Once you make the changes in Gradebook, Gradebook 2 will reflect the changes.

Prepare Grades for Submission to Grade-A-Gator in Gradebook 2

If any of the Course Grades have three asterisks beside them, for example, "B (87.2%)***" that means that all data has not been entered for that grade. If a student doesn't have a grade in at least one column, you will see the three asterisks. You will need to add zeros to the empty cells:

To automatically add zero's to a gradebook item:

  1. In the left pane, double-click on the name of the column.
  2. In the right pane, check the box beside "Give ungraded no credit."
  3. Click Save
  4. Continue until all columns have zeros inserted. Click Save/Close

You have the option to override any grade. If there is a final grade that you want to change before exporting the grades, you may do that. In the Gradebook 2 left pane:

  1. Click the "Attributes and Grades" tab
  2. Make sure the check box is checked beside "Course Grade" and "Grade Override."
  3. In the right pane, those columns appear beside the student names. In the Grade Override column, enter the grade you want to give the student(s). In the "Course Grade" column,

the calculated percentage will change to say "override."

NOTE: You cannot use this process to change an "F" to an "E" or an "I" as those are not valid grades in the system. You can only change the letter grade to another valid

letter grade; A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F.

You are now ready to download the grades.

  1. At the top of the Gradebook 2 screen, click Tools > Export > Only Grades > as CSV (.csv)
    • The file will be downloaded to your computer. This file must be adjusted to meet Registrar requirements. We have created a process that will format the file as needed for import into Grade-a-Gator. This formatting process will put your columns in the correct order, remove the comma from between the last and first names, remove column headings, remove the percentage from the Letter Grade column, change any grade of "F" to an "E", add Credit Hours and Gordon Rule if needed.
  2. Click here to format your file.
    1. Upload your .csv file. You will receive an alert message listing the changes that were made to the document and anything you need to address, such as missing section numbers (for students that were manually enrolled, for example). You are given a link to download your correctly formatted file.
    2. Click the blue "Download your File" button to download the correctly formatted file. You must download this file within 15 minutes or submit the file again. Files are erased to protect student grade data from unauthorized access.
  3. Once you have retrieved your properly formatted file, proceed with upload to Grade-A-Gator.

NOTE: If you have a Gordon Rule class, all students will be given a "y" in the Gordon Rule column. If there are students in your course that did not meet Gordon Rule requirements, you will need to change the "y" to an "n" in the spreadsheet.

For Grade-A-Gator instructions: Go to my.ufl.edu > Main Menu > My Self Service > Enter Grades. Please contact the Office of the University Registrar at (352) 392-1374 if you have questions about the submission process.

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