Organizing Columns

On the Column Organization page, you can view all the columns in the Grade Center on one page. You can reorder the columns and the changes you make appear in the Grade Center grid.

On this page, you can organize the Grade Center columns in these ways:

• Reorder columns quickly with the drag-and-drop function.
• Freeze or unfreeze columns in the first table. If you freeze a column, it remains stationary when you scroll through the Grade Center view.
• Hide or show multiple columns.
• Change a grade column’s category or grading period.

*Changes you make on this page don’t affect what students see in My Grades. For example, if you choose to hide a column on this page, the column is only hidden from your view in the Grade Center grid. You must edit an existing column’s settings to hide a column from students in My Grades or select Show/Hide to Users in a column’s menu. In the Grade Center grid, the Column Not Visible to Users icon appears in the column header for a column hidden from students.

Access the Column Organization page

In the Grade Center, access the Column Organization page from the Manage menu. 

On the Column Organization page, the rows are organized in tables. You can move most rows to any table, and you can reorder grading period tables.

1. First table: Shown in All Grade Center Views is always first, and you can’t move it. The columns in this table pertain to user information, and you can’t move them into another table. If shown, these columns always appear on the left side of the grid. You can also freeze columns in the first table so that they remain stationary as you scroll in the grid. Drag the bar that states: Everything above this bar is a frozen column or drag a column above the bar to freeze it. Use this feature to easily match up individual students with their data across the Grade Center.

If you move a column to the first table, it appears in all views of the Grade Center. For example, you can move the total column to the first table by the drag and drop method. Then, if you change your Grade Center view to only show a single grading period, the total column appears also. Carefully consider which rows you move to the first table. For example, you filter your view to show only the Assignment category. But, you moved a test column to the first table. Because the test column appears in all views, it will appear with the assignment columns in the grid.

2. Hide, show, or move columns: Select columns’ checkboxes and make a selection from a menu. Hidden columns don’t appear in the Grade Center grid, but all data is retained. 

3. Drag a column to a new location: Use the drag-and-drop function. Or, select columns’ checkboxes and make a selection from a menu.

4. Reorder grading period tables: Use the drag-and-drop function. Expand and collapse the contents with the plus and minus icons. 

5. Reorder the grading period tables or columns in a table: Use the Reorder box to make a selection and use the up and down arrows to adjust the order of the column. Select Apply.

a. Sort columns: Access the column’s menu and set an ascending or descending order.

b. Last table: The table is named Shown in Selected Views Only and columns not associated with an existing grading period appear. Or, if no grading periods exist, the table is named Not in a Grading Period and all grade and calculated columns appear. 

6. IMPORTANT! Select Submit to save changes. If you try to navigate away from this page without submitting, a pop-up window warns you to save the changes.

Overriding Grades

Sometimes a grade change results in an override grade. A true override grade is applied to attempt-based Grade Center items only-tests and assignments. An override grade takes precedence over all other grade entries, including attempts a student submits after an override grade is assigned. For example, a grade is based on the average of multiple assignment attempts. But, you want to add a grade for a certain student that is one other than the average. For that student, you can assign an override grade that takes precedence over all other grades and future attempts.

Grades for the interactive tools-journal and blog entries, wiki page saves, and discussion posts-aren’t attempt-based, but rather activity-based.

When you override a grade, the Override icon appears in the cell (small triangle in the top left of the cell).

When you assign a grade to a cell with no attempt for an assignment or a test, it’s an override grade. The Override icon appears in the grade cell. You can assign a grade for an interactive tool’s gradable activity when no activity exists, but no icon appears in the grade cell. You also won’t see an icon if you override a grade from a rubric.

Override a grade in a cell

You can type an override grade in a Grade Center cell for a test or assignment attempt where you’re allowed multiple attempts.

Example: Assignment with two attempts allowed

You can assign a grade for the first attempt on the Grade Assignment page. Then you type in the cell for the second attempt and that is an override grade. If you go on to grade the second attempt from the Grade Assignment page, the override grade still supersedes the second attempt grade you assign. Therefore, avoid assigning grades in Grade Center cells for assignments and tests without considering the ramifications first.

If you allowed only one attempt, you can type in the Grade Center cell and that is not an override grade.

If you typed a grade in the Grade Center cell and want to add feedback for the user or notes for yourself, see the next section.

Override a grade on the Grade Details page

We recommend that you assign an override grade from the Manual Override tab on the Grade Details page. To access the Grade Details page, click on the down arrow of the relevant cell and select View Grade Details. You can add feedback for the user and notes for yourself about the grade change. You will have a record of why you chose to override any future attempts.

The only way to assign on override grade for gradable journal and blog entries, wiki page saves, and discussion posts are on the Manual Override tab. However, you can edit an override grade from an interactive tool’s grading panel and disallow its precedence.

In the Grade Center, locate the cell with the student’s graded test or assignment grade to override and access its menu.

1. In the Grade Center, locate the cell with the student’s graded test or assignment grade to override and access its menu. 

2.Select View Grade Details.

3. On the Grade Details page, select the Manual Override tab and type a new grade in the Override Grade. 

4. Optionally, type Feedback to User and Grading Notes for yourself. Use the functions in the content editor to format the text and upload files, images, and multimedia.

5. Select Save.

6. Select Return to Grade Center to go back to the main Grade Center page.