Participant quick reference
Gradebook by Design
A compact guide for thinking through Gradebook structure, calculation, visibility, status, workflow, and the learner-facing experience.
Structure
- Compare the grading method communicated to students with the current Canvas structure.
- When weighted groups are used, review group percentages and assignment placement together.
- In points-based courses, consider how point values influence the total.
Pause
If a student compared the grading information for your course with the Canvas Grades page, would both communicate the same grading structure?
Calculation
- Know whether the course total is based on raw points, weighted groups, or another approved structure.
- If a Canvas grading scheme is active, compare its ranges with the scale communicated to students.
- Check a percentage near a letter-grade boundary if there is uncertainty.
Pause
Would a percentage near a letter-grade boundary produce the same result everywhere a student might look?
Visibility
- Know whether grades are posting automatically or manually.
- Check the posting state before assuming students can see a score or comment.
- Use the learner-facing Grades view when totals or visibility are in question.
Pause
When you enter a score or comment, when does the student actually see it — and is that when you intended?
Status
- Blank: no score entered yet.
- Zero: an entered score that affects the calculation.
- Missing: a submission status that can interact with configured policies.
- Late: submitted after the due date; configured policies may affect the score.
- Excused: excluded from the grading calculation rather than scored as zero.
Pause
If an automated late or missing policy were applied today, what would change — and what would students see?
Workflow
Open → Review → Score → Feedback → Status → Verify → Next
Use the sequence as a workflow check, not a rule. The goal is to reduce avoidable second passes while keeping score, feedback, status, and visibility intentional.
Pause
Which part of your current grading process is most likely to create an avoidable second pass?
Learner view
- Check what students can actually see when totals, posting, or feedback are in question.
- Look for places where the Gradebook may require explanation even when the setup is technically correct.
Pause
If a student opened Grades right now, what would be immediately clear — and what might still require explanation?
A simple decision lens
Examine → Predict → Verify → Decide
Look at the situation, anticipate the likely effect, check what Canvas actually does, and then decide what fits the course.
About this guide: These are questions and practices to consider, not institutional policy. Published college, program, department, and course requirements remain the governing source when they apply.