How to remove an exam or assignment not used this semester from gradebook?

[erica_wagner]

I teach the same course on subsequent semesters, so I will import the course files, exams etc. from the previous semester when I make the site for a new section at the beginning of the same semester. However, I do make some changes, typically. For instance, I may modify an old exam and save a new version for various reasons not important here.

The problem is, the old "Exam 2" or "Assignment 5" or whatever still appears in the gradebook. I can hide it and keep it unpublished to that particular section, so I assume the students don't see it in theirs and the potential point totals on those unused exams won't affect their final grade.

However, it still shows up in a column on the instructor view, along with the new version of that exam or assignment. I find it rather distracting to see unused and unpublished exams or assignments in these columns. Plus it makes it harder to scroll through them quickly.

Is there a way to remove an exam or assignment from the gradebook for a given semester without actually deleting it (I like to keep the older exams and assignments around to have access to the questions and as a template or if I want to use them in a subsequent semester)?

[SusanNiemeyer · Accepted solution]

Hi Erika,

There is a very simple way to avoid seeing unpublished assignments and quizzes in your Gradebook. Here are the steps:

1. Open your Gradebook.
2. Click on View.
3. Remove the checkmark next to Unpublished Assignments.

That's all you have to do. You'll still have these unpublished items in your course, but you won't see them in your Gradebook (and neither will your students).

Since your course has both older and newer assignments and quizzes, I might suggest the following:

1. Use a development (Sandbox) course to store items that you want to keep long term, but not necessarily use for your current course. Just request a development course from your school's IT folks.
2. Be careful with your naming conventions so that you can distinguish between the older and newer versions. I typically add (OLD) to the end of a name so that I don't get confused.