Canvas@Illinois , Finalize Grades
At the end of the semester, it’s important to review your Canvas gradebook before submitting final grades to Banner/Faculty Self-Service. We recommend reviewing the following settings in your course before releasing and submitting final grades:
- Verify that your assignment groups and gradebook are set up correctly to match your syllabus. This includes reviewing how the Total column is calculated (points vs. weighted total), assignment group rules, and ensuring that assignments are in the correct assignment group.
How do I create rules for an assignment group?
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In Course Navigation, click the Assignments link.
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Click the Assignment Group Options drop-down menu [1]. Click the Edit link [2].
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For each Assignment Group, you can create one of three grading rules:
- Drop (ignore) the lowest x scores for each student [1]. To drop a certain number of lowest scores, enter the number in the Lowest Scores field. You can use the arrows to adjust the number.
- Drop (ignore) the highest x scores for each student [2]. To drop a certain number of highest scores, enter the number in the Highest Scores field. You can use the arrows to adjust the number.
- Never drop a specific assignment [3]. To tell Canvas to never drop a certain assignment, click the Add an assignment link.
In the Assignment drop-down menu, select the name of the assignment in the Assignment Group that should never be dropped.
To select another assignment, click the Add another assignment link.
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When you are finished adding rules, click the Save button.
How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?
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In Course Navigation, click the Assignments link.
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Click the Assignments Options icon [1] and select the Assignment Groups Weights option [2].
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Click the Weight final grade based on assignment groups checkbox.
- Enter the percentage weights for each of the different Assignment Groups you created [1]. The percentage weights you specify here will determine how Canvas calculates the final grade for your course. These percentages can be changed at any time and students will be notified when any changes are made. The weights will show up in the Gradebook for both students and instructors.
- Click the Save button.
Notes:
- Assignment group weights can include decimals.
- The total percentage of all assignment groups can be set above or below 100%.
How do I use the Total column in the Gradebook?
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In Course Navigation, click the Grades link.
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If you enabled a grading scheme for the course, the grading scheme displays in addition to the overall percentage or points.
To customize the Total column, hover over the Total column header [1] and click the More Options menu [2].
- To sort the Gradebook by ascending or descending total grades, click the Sort by link, then select the Grade - Low to High or Grade - High to Low option.
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By default, total grades are shown as a percentage with two decimal places.
If your course uses unweighted assignment groups, you can view your students' total grades as points. Click the Display as Points link.
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Canvas confirms you want to switch the total grade view. If you do not want to see this warning message for your course again, click the Don't show for this course again checkbox.
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Click the Continue button.
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You can switch back to percentages by clicking the Total menu icon and selecting the Display as Percentage option.
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To move the Total column to the front of the Gradebook, click the Move to Front link.
Note: Selecting the Move to Front link pins the Total Grades column next to the Student Names column, keeping it visible while scrolling through the other grade columns horizontally.
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- Make sure that all missing/unsubmitted assignments are changed to zeros. Without a grade entered, the Canvas gradebook will exclude the assignment rather than assume a 0 in the Total column, which can lead to inaccurate, inflated grades for some students.
- If it was previously enabled, we also recommend disabling the “View ungraded as 0” setting at this time, as this is only a visual change and does not affect the actual grades for students.
- Review and/or enable a grading scheme (this will enable the gradebook to automatically show that a 93% is an A, for example). If you need to make adjustments, you can also add/edit a grading scheme.
- Make sure the total and assignment group total columns are visible to students. Select Settings in the course navigation menu, select the Course Details tab, select more options (this appears just below the Description text box at the bottom of the page), and ensure that “Hide totals in students grades summary” is unchecked.
- If you need to curve or adjust the calculated Total, we recommend using the Final Grade Override feature option. To enable the Final Grade Override feature option, you’ll need to manage course features.
- If extra credit is offered in your course, ensure it is set up correctly. Extra credit is not currently a default option in Canvas, but you do have a couple of options. For more information, see the How do I give extra credit in a course?documentation.
- View the gradebook as a student or view a specific student's grade from the Gradebook to check the accuracy.
Once these settings are reviewed, follow the instructions on the Final Grades page to submit grades to Banner/Faculty Self-Service system.
Need additional gradebook help?
Send an email to citl-info@illinois.edu to reach CITL's Instructional Support & Training team or consult@illinois.edu to reach Technology Services.