[ARCHIVED] Set default grade to 0 for all unsubmitted assignments?

[venitk]

I have a class with 70-some assignments. I found this page that describes how to set the default grade to 0 for each assignment How do I set a default grade for an assignment?. Is there a way to do this for the entire class, so I don't have to go into each assignment and set it to 0? And can I do this before I've even graded the assignments?  As an ID, I don't want to try to remind my instructors each term to set the grades to 0 for ungraded assignments; I'd rather do it for them before the course opens.

[kona · Accepted solution]

 @venitk , the only thing I can think of is to download the gradebook and put in a bunch of zeros for everything (which could be done quickly) and then reupload it to Canvas. Granted this couldn’t be done until after the students are added, but otherwise it would technically work. 

[kona · Accepted solution]

 @venitk , the only thing I can think of is to download the gradebook and put in a bunch of zeros for everything (which could be done quickly) and then reupload it to Canvas. Granted this couldn’t be done until after the students are added, but otherwise it would technically work. 

[scho0410]

Katie, you may have thought about this already, but the reason we're not advocating all 0's as the term starts is because students would start out with an 'F'. Even if they do well on their first assignment, all the other assignments are seen as '0' and would lower their good first score.  It's disheartening for students to view their grades this way (though I suppose the 'what-if' feature could help students in this regard).  Just a food for thought. 

[kwiles]

If all assignments were muted at beginning of term, then the 0 score would not effect the grade in Canvas. Just be sure to unmute once the grading is completed.

[rlbrown21 · Accepted solution]

If you use the new gradebook you can set "late policies" and have zeros automatically entered after the due date of the assignment is passed.  This makes both the grade at the beginning of term not an F, and allows faculty to have to enter zeros manually.  

[kwiles]

I like this idea  a lot!

[venitk]

Robert, that sounds like exactly what I need. Thank you!

[rlbrown21]

You are welcome!  I used this method last term and it works great!

[steven_boulton]

You can also set up the assignment initially so the 'Display Grade as' option is set to 'Incomplete/Complete'. then, after saving and publishing the assignment, visit the Grade Book and set the column default grade to 'Incomplete'. Then return to the assignment and alter the 'Display Grade as' option to 'Percentage', saving the new assignment settings. When you go back to the Grade Book it will have turned all those 'Incomplete's into '0%'s.

It's a minor faff I know, but it's doable, and was used in a two-part video-creation-and-then-peer-review type assignment here (University of Stirling, Scotland) last year where the tutor wanted to show to students that they would get 0% unless they engaged with the peer review part as well.

[emily]

This is also the difference between looking at the grades "treating ungraded as zero" vs. the "current grade" column. It doesn't change the student view of their grade, but since we have to create and submit a spreadsheet to submit our final grades, it's very easy to just choose the "final score" column that is counting the ungraded items as zero.