ALEKS - Assessment and Learning
   

6.5.5 Gradebook Setup

 

Gradebook Setup

Figure 6.37: Gradebook Setup
For each of the six grading categories (Quizzes, Tests, Homework, Assessments, Objectives, and External Assignments), a total percentage can be assigned (Fig. 6.37). If a value of 0 is assigned, that category is not included in the Gradebook. For categories whose weight is greater than 0, the percentage determines the total weight of that category. The total percentage weight of all categories combined must equal 100%. When the combined total percentage weight is different than 100% an error message will display when attempting to save the Gradebook Setup page.
Assignment Weights. The assignments within each Gradebook category can also have different weights. The weight of each individual assignment can be assigned by clicking on the link "Edit Weight for Each type of assignment." When entering the weight for each assignment, you have the option to click on the link "Show Details" of the weight of each assignment. These details include the percent value of each assignment within the category and the percent value of the assignment relative to all assignments within the overall Gradebook.
Dropping Low Scores. Suppose you have defined ten ALEKS Quizzes for the term and have specified that the two lowest scores be dropped. ALEKS will do nothing with that specification until the 9th Quiz has been completed by the students. At that time, the lowest of the nine scores is determined and it is dropped when ALEKS computes the overall score for the Quiz category in the Gradebook. When the 10th Quiz has been completed by the students, the two lowest of the 10 scores are determined, and they are dropped when ALEKS computes the overall score for the Quiz category in the Gradebook. ALEKS recommends that you wait until the end of the class to drop the lowest score(s).
Extra Credit. Instructors can designate assignments to be for extra credit. Students who do not complete the extra credit assignment will not be penalized. (Students who do complete the assignment can only improve, never hurt, their grades.) Extra credit assignments are differentiated from regular assignments by a "+" next to the score.
NOTE. In ALEKS, assignments not assigned to the entire class are by default flagged as Extra Credit. This ensures that the assignment will not hurt the grades of other students.
Assessments. In the Gradebook, assessments refer only to Scheduled Assessments; results from other assessments cannot be used in the Gradebook (Sec. 4.3).
Each scheduled assessment in the class can be assigned a goal percentage. The "Goal" is the percentage of the class that grades on the assessment are based on. For example, midway through the class, the goal for an assessment might be set at 50%. Then, a student who assessed as knowing 40% of the entire class would get a score of 80% on the assessment. (Meeting or exceeding the goal percentage gives a score of 100% for the assessment.)
Disable Gradebook. You can choose to disable the class Gradebook. You will find this feature by clicking on the "Gradebook Setup" button under the Gradebook tab. Clicking on the "Hide the Gradebook for this class" link will do the following:
  • Hide the contents below the Gradebook Setup.
  • Hide the class Gradebook from you and the students in the class; the "Gradebook" tab will still be visible, however.
  • The "Hide the Gradebook for this class" link will turn into a "Show the Gradebook for this class" link.
You have the option to reactivate the Gradebook at any time.
Total Grade Display Settings. By default, the option "Show total grades to students" will be selected in this section of the Gradebook setup. If desired, you can elect to hide the total grades from students by selecting "Hide total grades from students."