Canvas Gradebook

Navigating the Gradebook and managing final grades in Canvas is crucial for teachers to ensure a smooth assessment process. Here's guidance to help you manage the Gradebook and finalise grades:

• Marking and grading: The page provides valuable insights into the assessment process. It covers essential aspects of marking and grading, offering guidance on effective evaluation strategies for instructors. Whether it is understanding assessment criteria or implementing fair and consistent grading practices, this resource serves as a comprehensive guide for teachers seeking to enhance their assessment practices.
• Feedback tools in assessment: The "Feedback Tools in Assessment" page explores various tools and techniques for providing constructive feedback to students. Instructors can find information on diverse feedback methods, including digital tools and traditional approaches. This resource is tailored for educators aiming to improve the feedback loop, fostering a more engaging and supportive learning environment for students.
• Canvas Gradebook: Teachers can find information on using the Gradebook effectively for tracking student progress, managing grades, and providing timely feedback. This resource is particularly beneficial for teachers looking to optimise the use of digital tools for efficient grading and assessment management within the Canvas.

The SSO Grade Submit (Final Grade Submission Tool) facilitates the addition of special grades and the submission of final grades to Student Services Online (SSO). This tool is conveniently accessible through the Canvas Gradebook as well. Read further guidance for the Final Grade Submission Tool.

Even though they won't be able to access grades via the Grades menu in navigation, they can still see their overall grade so far for each course by clicking the View Grades button on their Dashboard. Use the Manually Post Grades policy in Canvas to properly hide grades from students before they are finalised.

From your Canvas course, go to Grades, locate the assessment. Click the three dots beside the name of the assessment.

Click Grade Posting Policy and choose Manual, scroll to the bottom and click Save.

Watch a video demonstration of setting the Gradebook's Grade Posting Policy to 'manually'.

You can find the View Ungraded as Zero option under 'View' in Canvas' Gradebook. Once the option is ticked, "Ungraded as 0" will display in the headings of assignment group columns and the total column. Please see an example in the screenshot below.

Canvas gradebook. The view options tab is open and the view ungraded as zero checkbox is ticked.

When the option is ticked, the assignment groups and total columns will display grades as if all ungraded assignments were given a score of zero. Only the instructor who enabled the option will see the affected grades.

Please note that:

• Each time the option is ticked, a pop-up window will show the details about the option.
• The option won't populate zeros in assignments or affect grades for students.
• Other instructors in the course will not see any change in their view of the Gradebook.

Yes, this is a feature of Canvas that the University has allowed. Use cases might include: submitting a late assignment on a student's behalf after the deadline, or where a student has encountered technical difficulties in submitting their document.

View details on the Canvas instructor guide or watch this video.

Video - Submitting an assignment on behalf of a student.

• For unsubmitted assignments – you have the option to leave a dash or hyphen (-) in the Gradebook. Use the “Treat Ungraded as Zero” (view-only) function. Enabling this setting shows the total score that has calculated the ungraded assignments as scores of zero. This feature only has a visual impact. Regardless of whether you have enabled or switched off the feature, Canvas will send the grade that has factored in all scores of zero for each student.
• Alternatively, by giving the student a zero (recommended), the students’ Total in Canvas will match the grade to be sent to the Final Grade Tool.

Here are screenshots of the various options. Notice that the total score changes.

Unsubmitted assignment marked as ' - ' only.

Unsubmitted assignment marked as ' - ' with the 'Treat ungraded as 0' feature enabled.

Unsubmitted assignment marked as '0.'

Remember – Special grades such as DNS, DNC or NA cannot be applied at this point (they can be entered in the Final Grades Tool).

Do not excuse students from final exams; leave the column blank.

• This should follow a different process where the student's grade can be submitted to SSO as they are (most likely a failed grade) or as a DNS via the Final Grade Tool, with paperwork to follow up.