Canvas LMS Instructor Guide

How do I use grading schemes in a course?

A grading scheme is a set of criteria that measures varying levels of achievement in a course. Course-level grading schemes are grading schemes that you can create and enable for a course or assignment. Account-level grading schemes are grading schemes created by your institution that you can use in a course or assignment. Without a grading scheme, scores are not measured against any specific standard.

You can enable a grading scheme created by your institution, you can add a new grading scheme specific to your course, and you can view and manage grading schemes.

View a video about Grading Schemes.

00:07: How do I use grading schemes in a course?

00:10: Grading schemes are built based on points and percentage ranges,

00:14: and each percentage range is assigned a name value.

00:17: You can create any type of grading scheme by editing the name and percentage

00:21: range for each item. When enabling a grading scheme for a course, the

00:25: grading scheme is applied to the students' final grades

00:28: in addition to the overall percentage. Take

00:32: note that, grading schemes only support two decimal places.

00:37: The only scores allowed in the Gradebook are those defined in the grading scheme.

00:43: Gradebook entries that are not specifically defined in the grading scheme revert

00:47: back to the icon showing that the submission needs to be graded. Depending on

00:51: an assignment's display grade, some Gradebook entries cannot convert to

00:55: a grading scheme.

00:57: Letter Grades is the most traditional type of grading scheme and is the default

01:01: format for new grading schemes.

01:03: Only supported scores are allowed in the Gradebook,

01:06: so if you build a letter grade scheme with name values for only A, B,

01:10: and C, you cannot enter a score that converts to an A minus or B+.

01:16: Performance grading schemes are based on a standard of individual performance.

01:20: Only supported scores are allowed in the Gradebook,

01:23: so if you build a performance scheme with the name values of only

01:27: Excellent and Poor, you cannot enter a score of Good.

01:32: Points grading schemes are based on a set of points in a range.

01:35: When the course grading scheme is point-based, Assignment Group totals

01:39: and Final Score display a tooltip of raw earned points and total

01:43: points. In the gradebook cell, points

01:46: display scaled points as fractions.

01:49: Take note that when the Final Grade Override feature option is enabled for an institution

01:54: and a course is using a point-based grading

01:56: scheme, instructors can override the grade with a letter grade only.

02:01: When enabling a grading scheme for a course, the grading scheme is applied

02:05: to the students' final grades in addition to the overall percentage. Learn

02:09: how to enable a course grading scheme.

02:12: Students can view the results of the grading scheme on their Grades page.

02:17: Grading schemes can be applied specifically to individual assignments.

02:20: Each assignment includes a field that allows you to choose how the grade

02:24: is displayed in the Gradebook and in the student Grades page. Learn how

02:28: to enable an assignment grading scheme. For Letter Grade

02:32: Schemes, you can input scores in the Gradebook depending on the assignment display type:

02:38: For any assignment type, you can enter grades as points or a

02:42: percentage. For instance, if an assignment is worth 10 points and the student

02:46: earns 9, you can input 9 or 90% (which displays the

02:50: grade defined in the percentage range). When an assignment

02:54: grade display is specifically set to Letter

02:56: Grade, you can also input a letter grade directly, such as an A

03:01: minus. For Performance schemes, you can input scores in the Gradebook by points,

03:05: percentage, or performance value. For instance, if an assignment is

03:09: worth 10 points and the student earns 9, you can input 9 or

03:14: 90% (which displays the performance defined in the percentage range).

03:17: You can also input a performance value directly. Take

03:22: note that grading schemes do not apply to Assignment Group columns in the Gradebook.

03:27: In the Grades page, students can see their grades displayed with both the points

03:31: earned and the grading scheme equivalent.

03:35: This guide covered how to use grading schemes in a course.

Common Grading Schemes

Grading schemes are built based on points and percentage ranges, and each percentage range is assigned a name value. You can create any type of grading scheme by editing the name and percentage range for each item. When enabling a grading scheme for a course, the grading scheme is applied to the students' final grades in addition to the overall percentage.

Notes:

Grading schemes only support two decimal places.
The only scores allowed in the Gradebook are those defined in the grading scheme.
Gradebook entries that are not specifically defined in the grading scheme revert back to the icon showing that the submission needs to be graded. Depending on an assignment's display grade, some Gradebook entries cannot convert to a grading scheme.

Letter Grades

Letter Grades is the most traditional type of grading scheme and is the default format for new grading schemes. Only supported scores are allowed in the Gradebook, so if you build a letter grade scheme with name values for only A, B, and C, you cannot enter a score that converts to an A- or B+.

Performance

Performance grading schemes are based on a standard of individual performance. Only supported scores are allowed in the Gradebook, so if you build a performance scheme with the name values of only Excellent and Poor, you cannot enter a score of Good.

Points

Points grading schemes are based on a set of points in a range. When the course grading scheme is point-based, Assignment Group totals and Final Score display a tooltip of raw earned points and total points. In the gradebook cell, points display scaled points as fractions.

Note: When the Final Grade Override feature option is enabled for an institution and a course is using a point-based grading scheme, instructors can override the grade with a letter grade only.

Course Grading Schemes

When enabling a grading scheme for a course, the grading scheme is applied to the students' final grades in addition to the overall percentage. Learn how to enable a course grading scheme.

Student View

Students can view the results of the grading scheme on their Grades page.

Assignment Grading Schemes

Grading schemes can be applied specifically to individual assignments. Each assignment includes a field that allows you to choose how the grade is displayed in the Gradebook and in the student Grades page. Learn how to enable an assignment grading scheme.

For Letter Grade Schemes, you can input scores in the Gradebook depending on the assignment display type:

For any assignment type, you can enter grades as points or a percentage. For instance, if an assignment is worth 10 points and the student earns 9, you can input 9 or 90% (which displays the grade defined in the percentage range).
When an assignment grade display is specifically set to Letter Grade, you can also input a letter grade directly, such as an A-.

For Performance schemes, you can input scores in the Gradebook by points, percentage, or performance value. For instance, if an assignment is worth 10 points and the student earns 9, you can input 9 or 90% (which displays the performance defined in the percentage range). You can also input a performance value directly.

Note: Grading schemes do not apply to Assignment Group columns in the Gradebook.

Student View

In the Grades page, students can see their grades displayed with both the points earned and the grading scheme equivalent.

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