Curved grade options/hacks

[toms]

I like to grade on a curve, where I set grade boundaries by hand after looking at the distribution of scores for a given assignment.  My reading of the 'curve grades' feature is that we cannot do this.  Instead, we are limited to simply inputing a score to use as the mean, and then the system calculates new scores based on a normal curve.  It is apparently also not possible to undo this curving.  Is there a way I can:

1) have raw scores posted in the gradebook, but not have them be included in the total grade column

2) have a matching column for each of these raw score columns that show my manual letter grades for the assignment, which IS included in the total grade column

If so, any suggestions about how this is set up in Canvas?  Also, how are letter grades for assignments 'averaged' for the total grade column (assuming this is possible)?

Thanks for any suggestions about how to implement curved grades using Canvas.

-Tom

[Chris_Hofer]

Hi there, @toms ...

Full disclosure, I do not teach courses in Canvas (I am a Canvas administrator at our College), so my knowledge of curving grades and grading assignments isn't as strong as other folks' experiences here in the Community.  With that being said, I wanted to share a link to a Guide with you.  You might have seen this already, but if not, I wanted to pass it along:

How do I curve grades in the Gradebook?

Maybe it will give you some guidance on how you can set up your Gradebook and curve grades?  Please keep us posted here in the Community, and I welcome any other feedback that Community members might suggest as well.

[TrishaMeyer1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @toms ,

I haven't used the curving feature, but to be "creative" with grading, you can use Assignment Groups with 0% weighting.

1) Create an Assignment Group that is weighted to 0% and place the original assignment in that category. The score will show up in the gradebook, but it will not be calculated into the Final grade because it has no weight.

2) Create an Assignment Group (or several) with the desired actual weight, and place a duplicate assignment there with a Submission Type set to "No Submission" and Display As set to "Letter Grade." Manually input your modified grades into that assignment column in the gradebook. The final grade will include this assignment based on its corresponding weight.

How do I use the Assignments Index Page?

How do I add an assignment group in a course?

How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?

How do I enter grades for an individual assignment as a specific grading type in the Gradebook?

I'm not sure if that last guide is exactly what you need, but you can look through the Grades section of the guides. I remember seeing information somewhere about how Canvas assigns points based on a letter grade entry (because Canvas ultimately calculates everything based on points), but I don't remember where I saw it. 

The above suggestion is to curve individual assignments, which may or may not have a consistent curve. (Today a 50% might be a C and next week a 50% might be a D, for example.) If you want to curve your ENTIRE COURSE so that the grading scale is just shifted/custom, you can set a new grading scheme for the course (if your institution allows you to do so). You can set your letter grades to align to whatever percentages work for your course.

How do I add a grading scheme in a course?