[Gradebook] Add, Create, or Modify a Calculated or Total Column in the Gradebook

[thomas-rietz]

This was up, but archived.  See Add, Create, or Modify a Calculated or the Total Column in the Gradebook.

Being able to calculate things in the grade book beyond adding things up or weighting and adding seems like an absolutely necessary feature.  It seems like one of those that comes up repeatedly under various guises, but keeps getting archived.  But, I keep reading that there are lots of people who do more than just add things up to calculated grades.

[monsonmj]

I give an exam worth 100 points.  The high score is 90.  I want to create a "curved" exam score based on top performance on the exam, i.e. treat the 90 as 100.  So someone who got 81 raw becomes 90 curved, 72 becomes 80, etc.  "Curved" exam score is calculated as exam score/.9 . Isn't anyone else as frustrated by inability to do this in Canvas?

[Jeff_F]

Hello  @monsonmj  -  just a note to make sure you area aware of the current feature:

https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12832-415255003 

[monsonmj]

I read that when I searched.  Clearly doesn't accomplish what I have in mind, why I used "curved" in my comment.  Whenever students ask for a curve, I tell them that means "same number of F's as A's, B's as D's, and most of you will get C's."   which appears to be the way Canvas works. The Canvas feature even includes these caveats.  

• Grade curving cannot be undone. Pre-curved grade histories will be available, but the curving action is irreversible.
• Student grades will be impacted differently based on where they are in the distribution of scores. Perfect scores will not be affected by curving grades

As it is described, I am thinking about entering scores of  1 100, 1 99, 2 98, 3 97, 2 96, 1 95.  If it does what is says, then the 95 should be an F.  I simply ask that it let me create a calculated grade column. 

[Jeff_F]

 @monsonmj ‌ -  Good details, thanks for the follow up.  I've not used curving myself so I appreciate the explanation. 

Do you suppose your suggestion is sufficiently unique where it deserves to be posted as a separate 'Idea'? I am thinking it would be a new feature or possible an added option to the current grade curve feature vs. being part of the above idea which is to provide a separate calculated column.  

[thomas-rietz]

All of this gets solved if you just give instructors actual control of the gradebook like any functional course management system would. Tom

[Jeff_F]

Hi!  @thomas-rietz ‌ -   with me not being a Canvas employee I can only begin to imagine the balancing act that must be performed between serving both K12 and HiEd sectors as well as the need to optimize the LMS to ensure for interoperability, responsive design, usability and more.

And I think you have the right inclination to let your feelings be known - that is what these boards are for.  Currently I am just spending a few minutes at the end of my day getting caught up.  But if you get a chance it would be super terrific if you would elaborate on what features you are seeking that aren't currently provided.  Well, off to take the kids to soccer.  Have a good one!

[thomas-rietz]

Just use the math functions you have in the quizzing engine (+-*/, sum, average, min max, etc) to allow people to create calculated columns in the gradesheet and use one of them to be the final grade. Not everyone adds things together or adds weights of things together to come up with a grade. For example, maybe you require a minimum competency in each of 5 areas, so your grade is the minimum of 5 columns.

[cms_hickss]

 @pdegra ‌, we didn't remove it. It was function with our previous LMS that is not currently available with Canvas. We normally tried to troubleshoot the error in the "gradebook equation" but it either meant removing what was there and starting over with the "gradebook equation" after the instructor told us how and what s/he wanted in the equation -or- informing the instructor that s/he needed to start over.

[WebCT's "gradebook equation editor" did not allow for easily removing or changing of segments within the equation... you actually had to delete backwards from the end. IF you tried to copy and paste back in you could accidentally have an assignment in the equation twice.]

[monsonmj]

Is this a symptom of "canned" courseware?  My experience with other software purchased by universities is that it is sold with the promise that it can be customized to the university's needs when in fact the university ends up modifying its processes to accomodate the software.

[RobDitto]

Well said,  @monsonmj . In my heart of hearts, I believe Deactivated user‌ and the Canvas Product team intend to allow for as much institutional configurability as possible, and that a combination of technical debt and some confounding (misleading?) past research findings currently show up to Canvas customers as limiting such possibilities.