Working with Assignments
- Adding Assignments to a Gradebook
- Using Observable Sets in Assignments
- Sorting Assignments
- Editing Assignments
- Deleting Assignments
1. Adding Assignments
to a Gradebook
Once you have set up your gradebook, you can add assignments to it in a number
of ways:
- Click the ADD ASSIGNMENTS button on the last screen in the Gradebook Setup Utility.
- In the Gradebook tab, choose NEW ASSIGNMENT from GRADEBOOK in the menu bar
- Double-click the header of an empty assignment column
The following instructions are applicable for any of these methods:
- Click on the GRADEBOOK tab. If you have not set up a gradebook yet, you will be prompted to do so (see the section "Setting Up Your First Gradebook").
- Select the gradebook to which you want to add an assignment using the Gradebook drop-down menu.
- Choose ADD ASSIGNMENT from GRADEBOOK in the menu bar, or double-click the header of an empty assignment column (or, if you are setting up a Gradebook, click the ADD ASSIGNMENTS button on the last screen of the Gradebook Utility). The New Assignment dialog box will be displayed.
- In Learner Profile, there are two types of assignments you can create: a "traditional" assignment which is created and scored by the teacher, or an "observable" assignment which is scored by the program based on observational data collected by the teacher (see the section "Using Observable Sets as Assignments" below for more information). By default, the traditional "Create New Assignment" is selected.
- The Assignment Name field provides
space for you to name the assignment. This name will appear on the assignment
column of the gradebook, so you should
choose a name that will differentiate this assignment from others (e.g., "Huck Finn Pop Quiz - Chpt 10" is more informative than "Huck Finn Pop Quiz"). - Select the appropriate category for this assignment using the drop-down menu. If you select a category that is not weighted toward the final grade, the column for this assignment will appear gray in the gradebook and scores given to those assignments will not count toward the final grade.
- Enter a point value between 0 – 999 for this assignment. Note that an assignment with a point value of 100 carries ten times the weight as an assignment with a point value of 10 in the same category. If you want all of your assignments to carry the same weight, be sure that they are all given the same point value.
- If you wish, you may enter a date for this assignment. Doing so provides you with additional sorting options in the gradebook. You may add additional notes regarding this assignment in the Notes field.
- Click ADD MORE to add this assignment to the gradebook and create another assignment; click DONE to add this assignment and return to the gradebook; click CANCEL to proceed without saving this assignment.
2. Using Observable
Sets as Assignments
You may choose to take data collected from observable sets and use it to generate
scores as though the observational data were a "traditional assignment."
The following notes may be helpful:
- Be sure that the qualifiers used in the observable set you select have corresponding qualifier values—otherwise a numeric score cannot be calculated.
- You can create an assignment using an observable set without classifying the assignment in a category that affects the final grade. This way, the assignment will not impact the final grade calculation in your gradebook.
- If you plan on using the scores from observable sets to contribute toward the final grade, you may wish to experiment with the qualifier values you have established for the observables in your set. For example, create several mock observations and review the results in the gradebook. Are they what you would expect? If not, you can modify the qualifiers until the results in the gradebook match your requirements.
Scores resulting from observable sets can be calculated in two ways: Average and Progress Over Time. The Average score is calculated by adding the qualifier values for the observations made for a given student and dividing them by the number of observations. The Progress Over Time score is calculated this way:
Average *(1 + m/100) where m is the slope of the line which interpolates the points of qualifier values plotted over the time in which the observations were observed. Let’s look at an example using observational data from a music class:
Observable:
Sings in tune within a comfortable range
Qualifiers (Value):
- Beginning (75)
- Demonstrated (85)
- Proficient (95)
Student:
Angie McGaffin
|
Date
|
Qualifier
|
Value
|
| 1/16/01 | Beginning | 75 |
| 1/27/01 | Demonstrated | 85 |
| 2/14/01 | Demonstrated | 85 |
| 3/12/01 | Proficient | 95 |
| 4/2/01 | Proficient | 95 |
Average: 87.0
Progress Over Time: 91.0
As you can see, the Progress Over Time score rewards a trend of increasing proficiency.
Had Angie’s score decreased over time, her Progress Over Time score would
have been lower than her Average score. If Angie's scores demonstrated little
trending one way or the other, her Progress Over Time score would be very close
to her Average score.
3. Sorting Assignments
Assignments created in your gradebook can be sorted in a number of ways
to help you locate the assignments you want to grade or edit. Click on the SORT
ASSIGNMENTS BY drop-down menu to select from the following sort options:
- ALPHABETICALLY: Sorts assignments alphabetically by name
- CATEGORY: Sorts assignments alphabetically by category
- DATE CREATED: Sorts assignments chronologically according to the date the assignment was created
- DATE DUE: Sorts assignments chronologically according to the date entered in the "Due Date" field.
To perform a sort, simply select one of the sort options from the drop-down menu. The sort will be performed automatically.
4. Editing Assignments
After you have created an assignment, you can change the name of the assignment,
its category, point value, date due, and corresponding notes. There are two ways
to edit an assignment:
- Click on the assignment header and choose EDIT ASSIGNMENT from the Gradebook menu
- Double-click on the assignment header
The Edit Assignment window will appear, enabling you to modify the selected
assignment
5. Deleting Assignments
You can delete any assignment you've created in the gradebook. If this
assignment has been scored, the score is also removed from the gradebook and the
students' grades are automatically recalculated. To delete an assignment, select
the assignment in the gradebook and then choose "Delete Assignment..."
from the Gradebook menu.