[Gradebook Settings] Moving Gradebook-Related Items from Course Settings to the Gradebook

[SusanNiemeyer]

I'm a community college professor, and I taught myself how to use Canvas when the pandemic begin. More recently, I've been mentoring my colleagues. 

One major problem is that some of the most useful features are hidden in "Course Settings" For example, the check boxes for 1) Hide totals in student grades summary and 2) Hide grade distribution graphs from students are buried in the Course Settings section (under the tab "Course Details" and the "more options). While the grade distribution graphs don't matter too much, we all prefer to hide the totals in the student grades summary to avoid student confusion.

So, why not move those options to the Gradebook? Both of these options should show up when instructors click the gear icon. That's the logical place for these options to go. It doesn't make sense for them to be almost impossible to find in the Course Settings.

This strikes me as a very fixable issue, and it would be very helpful, especially to Canvas newbies. 

So, Infrastructure developers, can you do this? I hope that you take these kinds of practical suggestions seriously. 

[KDWFU]

Cosign. In addition to moving these settings to the Gradebook settings, turn off all aggregate student-facing grade statistics and calculators by default, globally. This includes student point totals, grade distributions, and What-if Grades. 

Doing so would help with:

• Addressing GDPR concerns without a complicated, cop-out API call
• Reducing unhealthy student obsession with grades
• Reducing emphasis ineffective extrinsic motivators 
• Eliminating minimax learning behaviors 
• Reducing student anxiety and comparison behaviors

On by default is a conscious design decision that supports bad pedagogy. Off by default, with easy-to-access options to turn these options back on, gives instructors an appropriate amount of control. 

[archama]

I second this recommendation to turn off all aggregate student-facing grade statistics and calculators by default, globally.  As the previous commenter stated:

On by default is a conscious design decision that supports bad pedagogy. Off by default, with easy-to-access options to turn these options back on, gives instructors an appropriate amount of control. 

If you move these options to the Gradebook, as @SusanNiemeyer requests, instructors will have easier access to turn on/off these settings, as well.