Grades can be entered in multiple locations in Moodle, and the Moodle gradebook can handle a variety of processes and workflows. Reading through this guide will save you the trouble of trying to figure out what goes where. For any assistance with setting up the gradebook, please contact the IT Helpdesk. If you have a copy of your syllabus, we can assistant with setting up the gradebook to match.
To see additional information on gradebook topics, check out the Moodle website or the following articles:
How do I view my gradebook?
On the left side of your course page, click on Grades.
You will arrive at the Grader report by default. This page has a quick overview of all participants, their scores, and the course average. From here, you can access other report views, gradebook setup, letter grade options, and import/export options.
How do I navigate the gradebook?
Any of the following options work to navigate within your gradebook. They all lead to the same places, so use whichever is easiest for you.
Grader Report dropdown options
The drop down menu lists all gradebook pages by category. This menu appears in the same location on every gradebook page for quick navigation.
Tabs
Gradebook pages are divided into the six categories boxed below. Select the category to view pages in that category.
The most commonly used locations in the gradebook are:
- Setup: Configure the categories of your gradebook, assign points and percentages to specific activities in Moodle, and add items to accommodate for manually graded homework.
- Import & Export: Export grades from the gradebook in table form, or import information into the gradebook. Contact the IT Helpdesk if assistance is needed with these functions.
- Single view: View and edit one student or one assignment at a time.
- User report: View detailed report of one student.
- Grade history: Filter the gradebook to view specific activities, students, or by date.
How do I set up my gradebook?
For general gradebook use, begin by setting up categories. Categories help with organizing both Moodle activities and manually graded items. It will also streamline the process of adding scales and values.
Adding Categories
Click on the Setup tab in the Gradebook. To start adding categories, click on the Add category button.
In the Category name field, add a name or title for the activities, such as: homework, quizzes, participation, final exams, papers, etc. These categories can also be used to match a syllabus for the course.
Use Aggregation to set the weighting for the category.
If Exclude empty grades is checked, this will not include items that are missing or haven’t been graded. This can be useful if the overall total score of the course is skewed because many of the assignments have not been graded yet.
Drop the lowest
For Categories that have multiple items - for example, the homework category may have 3 assignments that students can submit - use this field to drop the lowest grades. If you would like to drop the lowest 2 grades for a category, enter 2 in this field. This number can not exceed the amount of items/activities in the category.
Add manually graded items
On the Setup tab of the Gradebook, click on Add grade item.
Add the desired points and settings to the item. In Item name, name the activity that will be turned in.
Maximum grade is the amount of points for the assignment.
In this example, a manually graded activity called “Written Assignment” is being created. It is a 20 point assignment that requires at least 15 points to pass.
Scroll down the window.
In the Grade category, select the category for this item.
If this is an extra credit assignment, check the Extra credit box. This will indicate that the student will not be penalized if the assignment is not submitted.
Click on Save changes to add the item and it will be automatically added to the category.
Add Moodle Activities to the Gradebook
Moodle Activities include assignments, quizzes, forums, or any activities that are added through the Add Activity or Resource window.
To add a Moodle Assignment to the gradebook, turn on editing for the course, and click on Add an activity or resource. Select Assignment to add a Moodle Assignment. For more information on managing Moodle Assignments, see the Moodle Assignment article.
In the settings for the assignment, scroll down to the Grade section of the window. In Grade category, select the category in the gradebook. This is very important to assign as it can determine the weight of the item in the gradebook.
Reading the Gradebook After Setup
In this example, the Homework has been assigned as 100% of the total grade. In a syllabus, we may have the scenario:
- Homework is 100% of the overall grade
- Written Assignment (20 points) is 30% of the homework grade
- Moodle Assignment (70 points) is 70% of the homework grade
In the example screenshot, the gradebook has been set up to match this scenario. There are 2 assignments, one at 50 and one at 20. The Written Assignment has been indicated as 30% of the homework grade, and the Moodle Assignment is 70% of the homework grade.
