The following article (from Instructure) concerns a few new features and tools modified and added to the new Gradebook in Canvas. Instructors can feel free to experience the functionality of this tool even though it is still in beta stages. Always remember that you can fill out a ticket for any of your Canvas needs at helpdesk.fau.edu.

The New Gradebook is a beta feature that allows instructors to view an improved version of the Gradebook. This feature makes grading more flexible and intuitive and elevates the Gradebook user experience.

Feature Setup

Feature Option

At the account level, admins can allow the New Gradebook feature option on a course-by-course basis. The Feature Options tab is located in Account Settings.

 

At the course level, instructors can use the New Gradebook if enabled by their Canvas admin in Course Settings. The New Gradebook replaces functionality of the current Gradebook. However, New Gradebook can be disabled by the admin at any time without affecting Gradebook data.

 

Permissions

No additional permissions are required for this feature. The New Gradebook can be used by any user added to a course with an instructor or TA role, or a custom role based on the instructor role.

 

Main Features

Global Gradebook Options

The New Gradebook mimics the view of the current Gradebook while including several additional features:

• The Gradebook menu displays the various Gradebooks that may be available in a course: Learning Mastery (if enabled), Individual View, and Gradebook History. These Gradebook types have been consolidated in one location.
• The View menu includes multiple options to sort and filter assignments.
• The Actions menu displays options to Sync to SIS (if enabled), import a Gradebook CSV, or export the Gradebook CSV.

 

 

The New Gradebook offers crosshairs and highlighting for improved orientation. Additionally, each row includes alternating colors to help with navigation.

 

The Search field supports searching for users by user name.

 

All options available in the Settings menu in the current Gradebook have been repurposed in the New Gradebook View menu. Future releases will include additional features in the Settings menu.

 

Accessibility

The New Gradebook includes the following keyboard shortcuts:

• s : Sort the grid on the current active column; applied sorting is by grade (low to high)
• m : Open menu for the active column
• esc : Close the currently active menu
• g : Go to the current assignment’s detail page
• c : Open the grade detail tray

 

When navigating the Gradebook grid, press the escape key before using keyboard shortcuts.

 

View Menu Options

The New Gradebook includes a View menu with multiple options to sort and filter assignments.

 

 

Arrange By

The Arrange By menu allows the Gradebook columns to be arranged by default order (as displayed in the Assignments page), assignment name (A–Z, Z–A), due date (oldest to newest, newest to oldest), points (lowest to highest, highest to lowest), or module (first to last, last to first).

 

Filter

The Filter menu allows the Gradebook to be filtered by assignment group, section, modules, and grading period (displays only when the course is associated with a grading period term at the account level).

 

When filter options are selected, filter menus display at the top of the Gradebook. Multiple filters can be used at the same time.

 

Currently when selecting a filter, the filter retains the last viewed selection. For instance, if the sections filter is set to a specific section and then completely removed as a filter option, the Gradebook continues to display all results from the last selected section.

 

Note: Column structure in the New Gradebook are only persistent within the New Gradebook. Users who switch back to the current Gradebook will view the persistent column structure from the last time the current Gradebook was accessed.

 

Status

The Status option allows the default colors in the Gradebook to be customized for the instructor viewing the Gradebook. Each color is a default associated with a Gradebook status: late, missing, resubmitted, dropped, or excused. Colors can be adjusted by selecting a default color or using a supported HEX code.

 

Colors are a per-user setting, so the colors set by one instructor do not apply if another instructor views the Gradebook. Additionally, status names cannot be changed. This behavior helps ensure consistency with labels throughout the course regardless of the user viewing the Gradebook.

 

Note: Some colors may seem darker if they are in a row that has an alternating gray background.

 

 

View Columns

The remaining menu options allows the Gradebook to display the notes column as well as any unpublished assignments. Unpublished assignments can only be differentiated from published assignments by enabling or disabling this view option and do not include an unpublished label.

 

Gradebook Column Options

The Student Name column and individual Assignment column include improved sorting and display options.

 

Student Name

The Student Name column options include the existing name default sorting and display options (A–Z and first/last name), in addition to showing concluded and inactive enrollments.

 

Additionally, the Secondary Info menu allows secondary information to display below the student’s name. Options include the student’s section, SIS, ID, Login ID, or no display. Only one secondary information option can be displayed at one time.

 

 

Assignments

Each individual assignment column options include sorting by grade (low to high, high to low), missing status, and late status. Other features include Message Students Who, Curve Grades, Set Default Grade, Mute Assignment, and Download Submissions (if applicable). Clicking the name of the assignment will open the assignment details page.

 

Each assignment defaults to the grade display set in the assignment. However, the Enter Grades as menu allows the assignment grade to be viewed by points or percentage. For Letter Grade or GPA assignments, the grade can also be displayed by grading scheme. Changing the Enter Grades display option is for grading convenience only and does not affect the actual grade.

 

Currently, SpeedGrader can only be accessed through an individual student’s grade detail tray.

 

Note: For complete/incomplete assignments, the Curving Grades and Enter Grades options are not available.

 

 

Grades Management

Grades and comments can be easily added to any assignment for any student using the grade detail tray, which can be accessed by clicking any cell in the Gradebook.

 

 

Grade Detail Tray

The grade detail tray displays a grading summary by assignment and student. Like in SpeedGrader, an instructor can click the next and previous links at the top of the tray to advance to another student. However, the Gradebook also allows advancing directly to another assignment as well.

 

Currently SpeedGrader can only be accessed for an assignment from the Gradebook through the grade detail tray.

 

Grade and Status

The grade and status for the assignment grade can be managed individually by the instructor and manually changed to late, missing, excused, or none.

 

The late status includes the option to set the number of days that have passed since the assignment was due. This option currently will eventually apply to the Late Policies feature, which is currently in development and will be available in a future release. Late Policies will allow an instructor to create a grade deduction automatically applied based on the number of days the assignment is late.

 

 

Comments

Located at the bottom of the grade detail tray, the Comments field supports comment editing. Edited comments display the date and time the comment was edited. Comments can only be edited by the same user who created the comment.

 

 

Student Grades

When New Gradebook is enabled, the student Grades page includes the status column. The status displayed in the Gradebook displays in the Grades page, which can include late and missing labels. Excused assignments also display in the Score column. However, any online assignment that is automatically marked by Canvas as late or missing can be manually changed by the instructor in the Gradebook.

 

 

Community Resources

Future Enhancements

This document outlines existing functionality included in the initial release of this feature. The New Gradebook will continue to receive additional feature enhancements over future releases as indicated in Release Notes. Please follow the release notes for future functionality updates.

 

Customer Feedback

Community feedback for the New Gradebook is welcome per Canvas Community Feedback Guidelines, which outlines general feedback, broken functionality, and feature enhancements.

 

Currently, all feedback for New Gradebook should be directed to New Gradebook Users Group. This group contains existing information about the New Gradebook including frequently asked questions, product feedback commentary, community discussions, bug reports, and known issues.

 

Feature enhancements should include the gradebook_new tag. Before submitting a new idea, please review all existing New Gradebook feature ideas as noted from the Priority: Gradebook Enhancements page.

 

 Canvas Community contributions: New Gradebook feature ideas list

 

Feature Documentation

All feature functionality will be documented in the New Gradebook Users Group with this feature’s release on November 19. Comments are also welcome for functionality clarification. Guides will also be updated with all future enhancements as indicated in release notes.

 

Documentation will be moved to the Canvas Guides when the New Gradebook supports additional functionality and enables the New Gradebook feature option for all accounts.