[Gradebook] Add, Create, or Modify a Calculated or Total Column in the Gradebook

[thomas-rietz]

This was up, but archived.  See Add, Create, or Modify a Calculated or the Total Column in the Gradebook.

Being able to calculate things in the grade book beyond adding things up or weighting and adding seems like an absolutely necessary feature.  It seems like one of those that comes up repeatedly under various guises, but keeps getting archived.  But, I keep reading that there are lots of people who do more than just add things up to calculated grades.

[insall]

Please elaborate.  

[insall]

After reading the first sentence, I upvoted, and now I will read the rest of your comment....

I doubt that anything I read now, good or horrible, could sway me to change my vote...

[insall]

Your second sentence is most important, and because of it, I upvoted.  It's unlikely that anything else you wrote here that I have not yet read can now cause me to change my vote...

[matthew-stuckwi]

Stephanie, that is not helpful.  In other LMSs, it is possible to have the same assignment included in more than one calculated column, and then have calculated columns based on other calculated columns (or groups of calculated columns).  That is literally impossible in Canvas (try putting an assignment in two groups — there is no way).

[Stef_retired]

Hi,  @matthew-stuckwi  , my response was meant to align current gradebook functionality with this comment: "Different columns may come from different activities that weight different towards the final score." This is possible using weighted assignment groups. As you've noted, putting the same assignment in multiple calculated columns—a different use case—is not currently supported by the Canvas Gradebook, hence the need for this feature idea.

[sarah-canatsey]

I have a faculty who has weighted grades. When he looks at the student view for an individual student, the assignment groups (at the bottom) show the percentage correct from the group, but not the percentage for the group weighted for the total grade. This means you still have confused students who can’t/won’t figure out the math and then write unnecessary emails to faculty complaining about their grade. 

For example:

                   Raw.       % weight

Group 1..... 85%.    (50% of grade)

Group 2..... 40%.    (10% of grade)

Group 3..... 90%.    (40% of grade)

But, Group 2 is only worth 10% of the grade, so the student has to do the math for how that contributes to their actual score. That would look like:

Group 1: 42.5%

Group 2: 4%

Group 3: 36%

It would be nice if the weighted categories gave better information to the students about how each is contributing to their total grade. 

[michael_barbour]

Another piece of basic functionality that all other LMSes have, but Instructure doesn't seem to want to incorporate.  During our transition from Blackboard, this was the single most requested feature from faculty based on something that they've been able to do for 8 years in the former LMS.  And it seems that they still won't be able to do it. 

Here's a novel idea, instead of this ideas forum and up voting and stuff, just create a quick matrix of things that other LMSes have done for at least 5 years - of even 10 years - that Canvas doesn't.  Any feature that all of your major competitors do that you currently don't, stick that in the queue for development ASAP.

[monsonmj]

I can't believe this drags on.  While I don't seem to be able to influence the LMS selected ( I assume we changed from Blackboard to Canvas as the perks were better for the decision-makers), I added this statement to my syllabus " Disregard any grade information provided by Canvas.  The instructor reserves the right to lower all final grades by one letter until Canvas allows weighted or calculated columns in the gradebook."  I also urged them to contact the Provost if they felt this was not fair.  

[slbergh]

I also don't understand why this isn't a standard feature. I was able to use it in Blackboard for years. I have found our move to Canvas to be incredibly frustrating as functionality I had come to rely on was removed, essentially forcing me to have to recreate all of my courses.

Sometimes I want to add bonus points to existing "assignments". Is it really that hard to allow us to add columns together? I build and work with databases. I understand how they operate. In fact, one of the reasons to use a database is that it allows for mathematical calculations! If Canvas is calculating grades on the backend, why can't I say that I want Column 1 + Column 2 = Column 3? Instead, I have to download the grade book, add the columns in Excel, then import the new file. Not exactly an efficiency gain there!

[matthew-stuckwi]

I think I'm going to take this route as well.  It's pretty ridiculous. I'm at the point where I'll offer to develop it for free for them if they'd give me access to the source.  It would probably take me all of about an hour or two once I understood their DB structure.  This is literally coding 101 stuff.