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Changing Grades

Any grade recorded in the Grade Center may be changed by the Instructor, TA, or Grader of the course due to the fluid nature of instruction and the different variables that can influence student performance on assessment. When grades are changed, the new data is automatically factored in to existing weighted, total points, or calculated grade columns, updating the information immediately. Grades that have been edited are denoted in the Grade Center by a triangular icon. Every time a grade is changed, an entry is made into the Grade History.

Override Grade Versus Edit Attempt

The Override Grade function is designed to ignore the results of all attempts and display the grade as entered. For automatically graded tests, this is useful in a worst-case scenario, such as if a Student is caught cheating. The grade is entered to reflect the incident regardless of student performance on any attempt. This is also why changing an automatically calculated grade on the page results in an override.

The edit attempt option is useful if a small error occurs. The Instructor mistakenly identified the correct answer and wants to give Students that took the test before she caught the mistake an extra 4 points. If multiple attempts are allowed and the Student takes the test again, they can do so and the change to the previous attempt does not apply.

Override Grade in the Grade Center

Changing grades in the Grade Center was designed with the following scenario in mind:

An attempt is logged each time a student takes a test. Since the item is automatically graded each time an attempt occurs, a manual change to an automatic grade is most likely an override. The Instructor wants the Grade to be X no matter what.

With a manual grade, the only time an attempt is logged is when the Instructor enters the grade. Take a paper and a rewrite, for example. The Instructor enters a grade in the page for the original submission. The Instructor thinks a rewrite is appropriate and gives the student a chance to resubmit the paper. When the Instructor enters that new grade, the modified grade is entered as an attempt. This creates a history and shows that the user resubmitted, not that the Instructor gave a different grade to the same attempt.

How to Override a Grade in the Grade Center

The latest or only Override grade takes precedence over all other grade entries, including grades entered for multiple attempts, and will display in the Grade Center. Any grade entered into the Grade Center for an automatically generated Grade Column such as an Assessment, Assignment, or Discussion Board grade, will be considered an Override grade.

1. From the contextual menu next to a graded item, click View Grade Details.
2. Click the Manually Override tab.
3. Type a new grade in the Override Grade box.
4. Add any Feedback to User or Grading Notes. The full features of the Text Editor can be turned on or off to allow Instructors to format text or include files as part of the comment.
5. Click Save.
6. Click Return to Grade Center to go back to the Grade Center page.

To add a comment to a grade that has already been overridden, see Including Comments With a Grade Entry.

Grade History

Every time a grade is changed, whether the score is overridden or new comments are added, an entry is made to the Grade History. The Grade History acts like a log file that keeps track of all the changes made to each grade entry. Grades that have been edited are denoted in the Grade Center by a green triangular icon.