[ARCHIVED] Multiple grading schemes for a course

[samuel_cheng1]

I know it have been asked before. But there was no actual solution and the question has already been closed. I have a course with both graduate and undergrad section. The graduate section has an extra task and so its total points are 120 instead of 100. I would like to have a different grading scheme for the grad section. Or maybe somehow automatically scale points for the grad section before computing grade. Any possible workaround?

[James]

 @samuel_cheng1  

I think I remember that question: https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/11508" modifiedtitle="true" title="Adjust assignment group wei... from May 2018. It is archived, so you would have to join the Cold Storage group to be able to read it. 

I wrote a lengthy post there, but nothing has changed on Canvas end regarding this. You cannot have multiple grading schemes at the course level.

You're case seems easier than the case presented there. There are several ways I can think to make it work.

First, points are automatically scaled to a percentage before applying the grading scheme. This means that you can use differentiated assignments and have different point values for different groups of students. The undergrads can have 100 points and the grad students get 120. They will both be scaled to 100%.

As far as different grading schemes, this may be a case where you either (1) don't have a grading scheme at all inside Canvas and tell each group what their grading scale is or (2) use the grading scheme for the undergraduates and then tell the graduate students that their grading scale is different.

Another possibility is to use a weighted gradebook. Make everything you have be in one group worth 100% of the grade and create another assignment group worth 0% of the grade. In that column, create a no submission assignment called "Undergrad Grade" and one called "Grad Grade". Set the Grading Type for the assignments to be Letter Grade. Make it worth 100 or 120 points. Set up two assignment grading schemes and apply them to the respective assignment. Use differentiated assignments so that they only see the one for them or you could leave that part out and trust that students can figure out which grade applies to them. Every time you update grades, copy the point totals for the students into that assignment and only populate the grades for the respective assignment (you could excuse the other if you like).

[samuel_cheng1]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, it is too late for the first possibility since it is the end of the semester and we have graded almost everything. I don't quite understand the second approach. And we already have assignments put into groups (and some assignment groups for the grad section and some for undergrad section). Will the approach still work in this case? I originally thought it should be some simple feature. Just don't understand why such simple thing becomes so complicated...

[adondanville]

I have this same question/problem with cross-listed grad/ugrad classes.  I would be happy having two Canvas shells (one for each level), but the college doesn't allow that...so,finding a way to differentiate between them (assignment/grade weighting) is imperative.  It would also be helpful if canvas didn't automatically scale everything to 100%--if it would calculate out true points, it would be possible to have the differentiation as described above (100 for ugrad and 120 for grad) to alter items' relative value to the overall grade.  Super disappointing.

[ltscal2]

@James I hope you are still kicking around as I have a question about this that just came up. 

Again we have a cross listed course with two different weighted systems. 

The basic weighted systems looks like this:

20% - Participation
15% - Writing 
30% - Writing 2
15% - discussion
20% capstone

For a select group of students their weighted scheme will look like this

40% - participation
30% - writing 1
Writing 2 == optional
Participation = optional
30% - Discussion 

Im thinking if we put a EX for the two optional pieces to start.

If I am following your logic from above, you are saying that we have 1 assignment group (ie assignments =100%) and treat it as an non-graded weighting system. 
Then we have 1 assignment group (ie Grades = 0%)
And for each and every assignment - to set up a no submission assignment, set differentiated so each group only sees theirs?

what I dont know how to do is recalculate the math, can someone help? I think if the instructor didnt care about the redist of grades it would be easier but they are very specific on it. 

Thoughts or the easy response is that its just not possible 😛

Thank you!

[James]

@ltscal2 

Ughh ... that's ugly. Why do people insist on putting courses together like that?

The best way may be what I think you're describing, but it involves a lot of work and there may be a better way.

Option 1

Have one assignment group that is worth 100% of the grade but contains no actual assignments that students can submit. There is one assignment per assignment group that merely holds the points that must be manually transferred from each of the other groups.

I would come up with a name for each scheme and include that in the assignment titles to help keep things clear. Let's call them A and B unless you're worried that the students will think that's an excellent vs above average group.

What the instructor hasn't said is what is going to happen if group B does the optional material. Why would anyone in the group do it if they're not getting points for it. Making them excused doesn't accomplish anything. If it was a real assignment, it would mean that they couldn't turn it in, but since it's a placeholder assignment, it means nothing whether there's no grade or it's excused. If you must include them (they're extra credit, perhaps?) then put the possible points at 0. I wouldn't put in EX for them as it's extra work -- just leave them blank for group B.

You create the no-submission assignments using the percentages you gave as the points.

• 20 Participation A
• 15 Writing 1A
• 30 Writing 2A
• 15 Discussion A
• 20 Capstone A

and

• 40 Participation B
• 30 Writing B
• 30 Discussion B

Put all of those into a single assignment group and then use differentiated assignments so they only see those for their group. Don't put in any EX, just leave them blank if they don't apply.

For all of the regular assignments, put them into assignment groups if there are more than one assignment. Make each of those assignment groups worth 0% of the grade. Then the instructor can go through and transfer grades.

Be sure to clearly communicate to the students what you're doing.

Option 2

Now that I've written all that, there is another way that I can think of that will be more automatic and can work if no assignment is ever given to both groups where they are to interact with each other. For example, if discussions are between the groups, this won't work as described, but there's a hack for that.

Create the assignment groups as listed with the weights given. You will have 200% for the total of the assignment groups. Use differentiated assignments for everything to only assign to the proper group. Never assign a group B student something from group A and vice versa.

Leave the other assignments groups blank. Because the off-group assignment groups have no grades, they won't factor into the grading calculations and each group will have 100% of the grade available to them.

If students are expected to participate in the discussions as a complete class and not two separate groups, then you make a discussions group worth 0% of the grade and put the actual discussions in there. Then you create a discussion A assignment group worth 15% and a discussion B assignment group worth 30% of the grade. These two assignment groups will borrow the idea from the first option where there's a placeholder no-submission assignment that holds the average of all of the assignments.

[ltscal2]

@James Thank you so much for your detailed and quick response. I think I understand both options and will see what the instructor says. Yes they always want to do things that make us cringe. Often wishing Ive done the Education Consulting before they went ahead with the assignment design themselves