This checklist has been designed to help your end-of-term grading run smoothly. This advice works best if you have followed the guidelines for Setting Up the Gradebook.
Before you make changes in Canvas, you may want to download a “just in case” version of your gradebook. This can restore your gradebook to its current state if something goes wrong. To download your current gradebook from your Canvas site, click Grades > Export > Export entire gradebook.
Grade Outstanding Assignments
Review students’ submissions and enter scores for assignments you have not already graded. If any exams contain a mix of question types, review and score any items that require human grading, such as essays or open-ended questions. For assistance with entering grades, see the Grades and SpeedGrader sections of the Canvas Instructor Guide.
On the gradebook screen, scroll to the right and left to ensure that grades have been entered for all assignment columns, including any students whose work is missing. All fields in the gradebook should contain a score or a status such as missing or excused.
Release All Grades
You may have selected either an automatic or manual grade posting policy. If your gradebook contains any assignments set to manual, you must release these scores to make them visible to students as part of their total grade calculation.
To check if your gradebook contains any hidden grades, scroll right to reach the Total column. If there is a crossed-out eyeball in this column (marked with an arrow below), one or more grades have not yet been posted. To locate any assignments with hidden grades, scroll left to locate columns with the crossed-out eyeball (circled below).
To release any hidden grades, hover over the assignment column header and click the three dots that appear (pictured below). From the drop-down list, click Post grades.
Repeat this step until all grades have been posted (your gradebook will be eyeball-free).
Enable Your Course Grading Scheme
The course grading scheme translates students’ total grades from points/percentages into letter grades. If you already enabled a course grading scheme when you set up your gradebook, simply review it to confirm that the letter-number equivalents match what is stated on your syllabus. If your Canvas site does not already have a grading scheme, you should enable it now.
Click Settings from the left side menu, then scroll down and check the box to Enable course grading scheme. Click View. The default Canvas grading scheme appears. If this matches the grading scheme outlined on your syllabus, click Close or Cancel and continue to the next step. If this does not match your syllabus, follow these directions to enable a grading scheme.
Once your grading scheme is enabled, the Total column in your gradebook should display both numerical and letter grades for each student.
Download & Save
Now that your Canvas gradebook is complete, you should download and save a final copy for your records. This copy can also be used to transfer your final grades to Pennant.
To download your gradebook, click Grades > Export > Export entire gradebook. The resulting CSV file can be saved on your device or secure cloud storage.
Submit Official Grades to Pennant
The Canvas gradebook is an effective way to communicate final grades to students, but it does not generate official grades for students’ transcripts.
All final grades must be submitted to Courses@Penn/Pennant (or Instruction Center, for Wharton courses only) to become part of students’ official academic records.
Continue to the Submitting Grades to Pennant page for instructions on entering or uploading final grades. Students’ course grades are not official until you complete this step.
OPTIONAL: Hide Assessment Content
After the term ends, Canvas course sites become read-only for both instructors and students. If you have sensitive assessment content that you plan to re-use in a future semester, such as exam questions or answer keys, you may want to remove student access to these items. You will not be able to complete these actions after the end of the term.
To hide individual items, unpublish the item by clicking the green check mark so it becomes grayed out. If the item is an assignment or quiz to which students have already submitted work, you cannot unpublish it. However, you may:
- Hide the course navigation item needed to access the content; for example, hiding Quizzes or Assignments, or;
- If the item is in a Module, unpublish the Module. If you want other Module content to remain visible, move the item to a new unpublished Module.
You may instead elect to revoke all student access to the Canvas course after the term ends. Go to Settings in the course navigation menu. On the Course Details tab, scroll down to Participation. Check the box to Restrict students from viewing course after term end date and click the button to Update course details. If the term has already ended, you will be unable to complete this action. Contact canvas@pobox.upenn.edu for assistance.
Students often need access to previous course syllabi for legitimate reasons, such as graduate admissions applications, obtaining transfer credits, or verifying prerequisites. If you intend to revoke student access to your Canvas course, consider providing a way for students to obtain a copy of the syllabus.
Getting Help
Please contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.