Illinois Compass 2g, Grade Center

• Adding a column
• Sorting columns
• Moving columns
• Showing/hiding grade columns
• Showing/hiding grade rows (users) through the Row Visibility page
• Displaying your full class through the Row Visibility page
• Viewing a single student grade
• Creating categories
• Creating a new category
• Entering/changing grades
• Overriding grades in the grade details page
• Adding grades from external sources
• Downloading grades to a local computer
• Uploading grades from external sources
• Adding comments through Grade Center
• Entering a comment to a grade entry
• Entering comments through the Grade Details page
• Attaching feedback file through Grade Center
• Attaching a feedback file to an assignment
• Attaching a feedback file for SafeAssignment submission
• Using one or more extra credit columns and calculating them in the default total column
• Using several extra credit columns with a custom-built total column
• Related links

In Illinois Compass 2g, the Grade Center relates to everything previously referred to as the Gradebook. The following sections have tips on how to set up, edit, and customize your Grade Center.

Adding a column

1.  From the Full Grade Center, click on the Create Column button.
2. In the Create Column page, enter the Column Name.
3. Select the Primary Display (the format displayed in the Grade Center and in My Grades) and the Secondary Display (optional format which is not visible to students and appeared in the parenthesis behind the Primary Display in the Grade Center).
4. Choose a Category if desired (this is optional but recommended if you will be weighting grades according to type and necessary if you would like to drop highest/lowest grades).
5.  Enter the Points Possible and the Due Date.
6. In the Options area, choose whether you would like to include the grade, whether the grade will be visible to students, and whether you would like the class statistics to be visible to student in My Grades.
7.  Click Submit.
   

Sorting columns

1. Hover over Layout Position (next to Sort Columns By).
2. Select the criteria by which you would like to sort the visible columns.
3. Place your cursor over Ascending (next to Order).
4. Select whether you would like the rows to appear in Ascending or Descending order from left to right.

Moving columns

1. Hover over Manage.
2. Click Column Organization.
3. Click on the Column Name and drag the row to the desired location.
4. Click Submit.
   

Showing/hiding grade columns

1.  Hover over Manage.
2. Click Column Organization.
3. Check the boxes (to the left of the column names) for the columns you would like to hide or show.
4.  Hover over the Show/Hide button and select whether you would like to Hide Selected Columns, Show Selected Columns, or Show Selected Columns in All Grade Center Views.
5. Click Submit.

Showing/hiding grade rows (users) through the Row Visibility page

1. Hover over Manage.
2. Select Row Visibility.
3. in the Row Visibility page, select the desired users and choose to Hide Rows or Show Rows from the Grade Center View.
4. Click Submit.

Displaying your full class through the Row Visibility page

1. Hover over Manage.
2. Select Row Visibility.
3. in the Row Visibility page, click the check box beside Last name
4. Show Rows.
5. Click Submit.

Viewing a single student grade

1. Hover over the name of the student.
2. Click on the chevron .
3. Select Hide Other Rows.

Creating categories

If you do not see a Category (e.g. Extra Credit category) you want to use, you need to create a new category. Assigning a grade column to a category is necessary if you will be weighting grades according to type and dropping highest/lowest grades.

Creating a new category

1. Hover over Manage. 
2. Click Categories.
3. Click the Create Category button.
4. In the Create Category page, type in the Name and optional Description.
5. Click Submit. This category will now be added to the list of categories in the drop down menu.

Entering/changing grades

1. From the Full Grade Center page, click on the cell in which you would like to put a grade (you may need to scroll to the right to find the column)
2. Type the grade directly into the cell 
3. Press Enter to save the grade. The cursor will be now moved to one cell down by default.

 Overriding grades in the grade details page

1. From the drop down menu next to any automatically graded item, select View Grade Details.
2. Select the Manually Override tab. You will then be able to enter the grade.
3. Click Save and Return to Grade Center.

Adding grades from external sources

Instructors can do off-line grading and then upload grades into Grade Center. Instructors can upload grades from external sources such as a Comma-separated Value (.csv) file or an Excel spreadsheet. Data must be formatted specifically to upload correctly and be synced with existing Grade Center data.

 Downloading grades to a local computer

1. Hover over the chevron next to Work Offline .
2. Click Download.
3. From the Download Grades page, select desired Options and choose My Computer for the Download Location.

   NOTE: We recommend saving the data file into your local computer.

4. Click Submit, Download and OK. You may now open the file on your computer and enter grades.

Uploading grades from external sources

1. Hover over the chevron next to Work Offline.
2. Click Upload.
3. From the Upload Grades page, browse the file to upload and choose Auto for the Delimiter Type.
4. Click Submit.
   

Adding comments through Grade Center

Comments entered in the Feedback to User textbox appear to Students when they access the grades. Comments entered into the Grading Notes textbox cannot be accessed by Students.

Entering a comment to a grade entry

1. In the Full Grade Center, hover over an entered grade.
2. Click the chevron.
3. Click Quick Comment.
4. Enter text into the Feedback to User textbox to share with the student.
5. Enter text into the Grading Notes textbox for reference. 
6. Click Submit.
   

Entering comments through the Grade Details page

1. From the Full Grade Center, hover over an entered grade.
2. Click the chevron.
3. Select View Grade Details.
   
4. In the Grade Details page, add comments. 
   

• To add a comment for a current grade: in the Edit page, enter text and Save.
• To add a comment for an overridden grade: in the Manually Override page, enter text and Save.

Attaching feedback file through Grade Center

For Assignments and SafeAssignments, instructors can attach a feedback file in addition to adding comments to a grade to share with students. Students can view the feedback file attached by the instructor when they access the completed Assignments or SafeAssignments.

Attaching a feedback file to an assignment

1. From the Full Grade Center, hover over a cell with the Needs Grading icon.
2. Click the chevron.
3. Select Attempt.
4. In the Grade Assignment page, enter a point for a Grade and/or enter text into the Feedback to User textbox to share with the student.
5. Attach a feedback file using the Browse My Computer button.
6. Enter text into the Grading Notes textbox for reference.
7. Save and Exit or Save and Next.
   

Attaching a feedback file for SafeAssignment submission

1. From the Full Grade Center, hover over a cell with the Needs Grading icon.
2. Click the chevron.
3. Select Attempt.
4. In the Modify Grade page, enter a Grade and/or enter text into the Comments textbox to share with the student and attach a feedback file using the File to Attach button.
5. Click Submit.

Using one or more extra credit columns and calculating them in the default total column

1. To create an Extra Credit column, select Create Column in the Grade Center action bar.
2. Enter the column information.
3. Select Score for the Primary Display and/or the Secondary Display.
4.  Select the desired Category (Extra Credit) from the drop down menu.

   NOTE: The Extra Credit category is not a default category. Therefore, it needs to be created.

5.  Enter a 0 in the Points Possible.
6.  Select the optional Due Date.
7.  In the Options area, select Yes to Include this Column in the Grade Center Calculations and Show this Column to Students and Show Statistics if you want the students to see these options.

Using several extra credit columns with a custom-built total column

1. Create the number of Extra Credit columns necessary. For the first extra credit column, enter the value of .1 in the points possible area and select Extra Credit for Category.
2.  For the rest of extra credit columns, enter the value of 0 in the points possible area and select Extra Credit for Category.
   
3. Create a custom Total Column for all Extra Credit Assignments (e.g. Extra Credit Total) by selecting Create Calculated Column, then Total Column.
4. Select the Selected Columns and Categories option for Include in Total.
5. Select Extra Credit from Categories to Select and move it to the Selected Columns box using the arrow button.

   NOTE: If extra credit columns haven't been assigned to the Extra Credit category in step 1, select all the Extra Credit columns from Columns to Select, and then move them to the Selected Columns using the arrow button.

6. As students complete the extra credit enter the points possible.
7. If a student does not complete the first extra credit assignment which contains the point value of .1 you will need to enter a value of 0 in order for the total to calculate correctly. If you do not do this then the extra credit will not calculate in the Extra Credit Total Column.