Setting up a grading system can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, Desire 2 Learn walks you through the process through the Gradebook Setup Wizard.

The following instructions will show you how to use the Setup Wizard and provide tips for building your Gradebook.

Access the Gradebook via the Grades link on the Navbar.

The Grades page is also available by clicking the Course Admin menu item, and then selecting Edit Course.

Now, in the Course Administration Page Select the   Icon under Assessment.

Next, click on the link Setup Wizard to begin setting up the gradebook.

The Setup Wizard allows you to set all grading options for your course. However, don’t worry if you make a mistake when first completing the Setup Wizard. After you’ve completed the Wizard, you can always come back to make changes.

Click on the Start button. 

The Setup Wizard

Step 1:

First, choose the Grading System you would like to use: There are two main grading systems available: weighted and points.

There is also a Formula Grading System. Don’t use it.

Weighted Grade System

Use the weighted system if you want grade items to be calculated as a percentage of a grade category and each category to be a fixed percentage of a final grade worth 100%.

Example:

Grade Category: Assignments (20% of final grade)
Grade Item: Assignment #1 (50% of Assignments Category)
Grade Item: Assignment #2 (50% of Assignments Category)

Grade Category: Participation Category (20% of final grade)
Grade Item: Week 1 Participation (25% of Participation Category)
Grade Item: Week 2 Participation (25% of Participation Category)
Grade Item: Week 3 Participation (25% of Participation Category)
Grade Item: Week x Participation (25% of Participation Category)

Grade Category: Exam Category (60% of final grade)
Grade Item: Grade Item: Mid Term   (30% of Exam Category)
Grade Item: Final Exam (70% of Exam Category)

——————————————–
Final Grade: /100%

Points Grade System

The points system calculates the final grade by totaling the points users received on grade items.

Example:

Grade Category: Assignments (50 points total)
Grade Item: Assignment #1 (25 points)
Grade Item: Assignment #2 (25 points)

Grade Category: Participation Category (50 points total)
Grade Item: Week 1 Participation (12.5 points)
Grade Item: Week 2 Participation (12.5 points)
Grade Item: Week 3 Participation (12.5 points)
Grade Item: Week x Participation (12.5 points)

Grade Category: Exam Category (150 points total)
Grade Item: Grade Item: Mid Term   (50 points)
Grade Item: Final Exam (100 points)

——————————————–
Final Grade: /250 points

Formula Grade system

The Formula Grade System calculates the final grade using a custom formula that lets you set conditions on grade items. It is not recommended for use on UW-Madison campus.^[1]

Step 2:

Final Grade Released – This step allows you to choose which grade you would like to release to students

Calculated Final Grade – (not recommended) Instructors cannot make adjustments to the final grade (except by adjusting item scores)

Adjusted Final Grade – (recommended) Instructors can easily modify or adjust a final grade before releasing it.

Click Continue.

Step 3:

Grade Calculations – This step allow you to choose how evaluate ungraded items.

Drop ungraded items are items that do not have a grade inputted are not counted in the final grade.

Treat ungraded item as 0 are items that do not have a grade inputted are counted as 0 in the final grade.

Automatically keep final grade updated. This option will automatically adjust final grades when changes are made to grade items or calculation options.

Select the Grade Calculation(s) you prefer, then click Continue.

I suggest selecting Treat ungraded item as 0 and Automatically keep final grade updated

Automatically keep final grade updated allows you to track student progress easily, hand in midterms without having to do any calculations, and give students a clear understanding as to their current progress in the course.

Treat ungraded item as 0, means you will not have to make certain to give a student a ‘0’ if they fail to turn in an assignment.

Step 4

Choose Default Grade Scheme – This step shows the Default Grade Scheme. Within Learn@UW, the Default Grade Scheme is set to Percentage; however you may go back and create your own grade scheme so students can also see their letter grade. For more on Grade Schemes see the Grade Scheme’s module.

Step 5

Managing View Display Options – This step shows the Number of decimal places to display option. This setting controls how many decimals will be displayed to users grading a course. The value must be an integer between 0 and 5.

Suggestion: I’d recommend 2 decimal places

For Example:

82.34
92.92
87.40

Step 6

Student View Display Options – This step allows you to set the global display options students will see when they view their grades.

The settings you select are entirely up to you.

Grades Details

Points grade: This setting determines whether or not students can see how many points each grade item is worth.

Grade scheme symbol: This setting determines whether or not the Grade scheme symbol associated with a grade item is displayed for students.  For example, a student might see an “A” rather than a percentage or points out of.  This can be used for feedback as well, with examples like exemplary, successful, satisfactory, etc.

Grade scheme color: This setting determines whether or not the grade scheme color associated with a grade item is displayed. Note: The Grade scheme color can only be displayed if the grade scheme symbol is also displayed.

Decimals Displayed option, you may choose the Number of decimal places to display for students.

Characters Displayed: If you choose to provide text-based grades (exemplary, exceptional, satisfactory, etc.), this setting determines how many characters display on the user list. The value must be an integer between 0 and 50. If the Text item is longer than the value specified, the text will be truncated.

Under the Final Grade Calculation, you may choose to Display final grade calculation to users. This setting determines whether users can see how their final grade was calculated in the submission view of Grades.

The global Student View settings you just built set the course’s default student view.  If you want certain grade categories or grade items to have different student view settings, you can override those settings when building (or editing) grade categories and grade items.

Step 7

Grades Setup Summary – This screen shows a summary of all your Grades Setup options. See below:

You may go back and return to any of the steps at any time.  When you are done with Grade Setup, click “Finish”.