What Gradebook 2 format will you create?

Many faculty create gradebooks modeled on their syllabi.  Below are syllabi from a variety of facutly with Gradebook 2 format recommendations.

 note from nancy w - for my demo sites, I've added sakaiinst1 in the IOR role for all, should anyone want to log in to see.  please do NOT alter the structures! 

Gradebook 2 format recommendation for syllabus #1
Exams & Course Grading
You will be given two (2) exams, based upon lectures, reading, discussion, videos, guest speakers---in short, any material assigned as part of the class (regardless of whether it is specifically covered in lecture or sections).  In addition to the exams, you will also write two (2) 6-8 page papers, based upon topics provided by the instructor.  There will be no curve; your grade will be based solely on your percentage of total points possible.  Extra credit will not be given.  The breakdown for computing your final course grade will be as follows:
20%  Paper 1
30%  Midterm
20%  Paper 2
30%  Final

Recommendations:

1. Gradebook 2 can accommodate this syllabus with a percentage format.  Also include points to associate with percent attribute.
2. Other suggestions?  Please add them here.
3. "no categories" format, items' points assigned so points correspond to the %course grade as defined above. could grade in either points, letter grades or % (gb2 setup format), whichever is easier for the IOR.  see comments below.  nw

Comments:

1. what do you mean "percentage format"??  if the gb2 is set to percentage grading in setup, it is only a means of making grading easier (so IORs don't have to remember items' allocated points).  % grade format in setting up the gradebook defines how you'll enter the item grades and has nothing to do w/item weights.  in this instance, you'll still have to weight the 4 items somehow to correspond to numbers above.  it could be done with a SIMPLE gradebook with each item's points set to correspond to the above weights (200 points, 300 points, 200 points, 300 points or appropriate points ratios).  then the IOR could define the site as % grading and grade on a 0-100% scale.  or, more complicated I think, make the site categories and weighting and go from there, creating categories and items as desired, and setting the % grade as above.  nw

Gradebook 2 format recommendations for syllabus #2
Course Requirements:
25 points  Paper Topic
100 points  Critical Paper
100 points  Midterm Examination
100 points  Final Examination
50 points  Section Grade
50 points  Participation

425 points  Total Points

Recommendations:

1. Use a points-based gradebook.  You can use one category and as many item as needed.  Each item should have points as indicated above.
2. Other suggestions?  Please add them here.
3. doesn't have to be a points based gradebook.  you could use "no categories" setup, with the items above with the defined point values (to weight them appropriately) and then set the gradebook to % grading and grade all above on a 0-100% scale, or grade with letter grades.  nw

Gradebook 2 format recommendations for syllabus #3
Grading: Grading will be based upon: 10 "clicker" quizzes worth 20 % of the total grade, a Midterm examination worth 30 % of the total grade, and a comprehensive Final examination worth 50 % of the total grade. A Personal Response System ("clicker") is mandatory and needs to be purchased by the student (e.g., at UCD bookstore).

Recommendations:

1. Use a weighted catories gradebook format.  This could be a minimum of 3 categories (Clicker Quizzes, Midterm Examinations, and Comprehensive Final Examination.  Items for each category could include Quiz 1, Quiz 2, etc.  Midterm 1.  And Final Exam 1.
2. Other suggestions?  Please add them here.
3. weighted categories for sure.  for the Quiz category, you'd also have the option of having quizzes with different weights or equal weights, different/the same point values...which gives lots of flexibility.  grade as %, points or letters depending on IOR preference in setup.  nw

Gradebook 2 format recommendations for syllabus #4
Course Structure and Requirements:
Discussion Facilitator
  5%  Questions
  15%  Short Essay
  10%  In-Class Discussion
Final Paper/Project
  5%  Proposal
 15%  Presentation
  50%  Paper/Project

Recommendations:

1. Categories with no weighting.  Weight the items per what's in the syllabus.  Add points to the items so that they add up the same as the percentages.  That is, points and percentages will have the same number.
2. Other suggestions?  Please add them here.
3. you could also use weighted categories, which would give more flexibility is assigning items' points while still maintaining the desired % of course grade for all items, or breaking each item into "sub-items" if desired.  you could grade as points, % or letters.  nw

Gradebook 2 format recommendations for syllabus #5
The TAs and I will provide more information about the paper and the critical commentaries in lecture. Attendance in section is mandatory, and will constitute a portion of your grade. Below is our working template for calculating course grades (this is subject to minor revision; you'll be informed of any changes):

5%    Section Attendance
10%  Critical Commentaries
30%  Progressive Paper

• 5% stage one
• 10% stage two
• 15% stage three

20%  Midterm Exam (multiple-choice only)
35%  Final Exam

• multiple choice, 20%, and
• essay, 15%

Letter grades will follow the usual pattern:
90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D.

Critical CommentariesThese small assignments ask you to provide critical commentary on the readings in response to structured questions. Ten questions are provided. During the course of the quarter you must respond to FIVE of the ten questions. Each response should be roughly 3-4 paragraphs long (1-1.5 double-spaced pages MAX).
Commentaries will be graded as follows:

0 = not turned in
1 = poor (makes an attempt, but not engaging reading very well)
2 = fair/good (engages reading, but primarily descriptive)
3 = very good/excellent (engages reading in an analytical/critical way)

Recommendations:

1. Weighted categories, weighted items.  There should be equal weighting within categories to allow drop the lowest.  For those assignments not turned in, the instructor will need to enter a zero since some students may turn in only 5.
2. Other suggestions?  Please add them here.
3. weighted categories but you only need ONE category with equally weighted items, as there's only 1 area above that uses the "drop lowest" feature.  see my example below for detailed setup.  I'd use the assignments tool (instead of gb2 items) for the drop lowest items.  it will allow the IOR to globally replace not turned in grades (nulls) with 0s, instead of having to enter 0s one-by-one in gradebook.  nw

Examples:

1. on smartsite-test server, site SOC 25 123 winter 2009.   nw

Gradebook 2 format recommendations for syllabus #6
Grading:
    25% Homework
    10% Online Quizzes
    5%   CHiPPs
    20% First Midterm
    20% Second Midterm
    20% Final
    Your lowest quiz grade and your lowest homework grade will be dropped when calculating your final grade. In addition, everyone will receive 10 free CHiPPs points. Any evidence of cheating on homeworks, exams, or in-class participation will be reported to Student Judicial Affairs. You should be very familiar with the Code of Academic Conduct.
    Homework:        There will be weekly homework assignments to help you digest the material. The midterms and final will be based on very similar problems to those covered in the homework assignments. Homework should be placed in the locked boxes at the back of RESSLR 66. It will be picked up 15 minutes after the start of class. No late homework will be accepted.
    Online Quizzes:        To encourage you to read ahead and give you credit for doing so, there will be a very short online quiz (only a few questions) due every TUESDAY which covers the coming week's reading. These quizzes must be completed by 10:00 AM. (Do not wait to the last minute as the on-line system can sometimes be flaky.)
    Classroom High-Tech Participation Points (CHiPPs):        During lectures, I will periodically ask questions which can be answered using your hand-held devices. Your answers will be recorded, tallied, and displayed by the computer. All in-class responses will be displayed anonymously, so click without fear! Right answers are not necessary! You will earn extra credit just for participating (and some more for getting the right answers). For more information on our new system, see Interwrite Learning.

Recommendations:

1. Weighted categories.  Equal weighting for the homework and quizz categories for dropping lowest grade.
2. Other suggestions?  Please add them here.
3. this one could be complicated.    see the example below.  there's description on the site Home page.  nw

Examples:

1. on smartsite-test server, site SANDRA 222 222 wq 2010.  nw

Comments:

Gradebook 2 format recommendations for syllabus #7
Grading: Your grade consists of 3 exam scores, and the completion of a series of activities that explore aspects of the scientific method and scientific reporting.

Exams: There will be 4 exams given during the quarter: 3 midterms and a final exam. Only the final contains "cumulative" questions. All exam scores are weighted equally. Your lowest exam score will be automatically dropped and your grade calculated from your 3 highest scores. [Total points possible: 300]
Online Tutorials: You will be completing a number of auto-tutorials across the course of the quarter. Simple completion of the tutorials by their due date will earn you the points (deadline is at the beginning of class time on the date the tutorial is due). [Total points possible: 25]

Activities: You will be completing a series of activities/ worksheets, each of which will explore a different aspect of the scientific method as it is commonly put into practice in psychological research. Due dates for activities are listed in the Course Schedule. Late RPAs will not be accepted for points, but we will review them and provide feedback. [Total points possible: 75]

Extra Credit: There will be opportunities to earn up to 16 points of extra credit (4% of course grade). Instructions will be posted in a folder marked Extra Credit" on the course webpage. [Total points possible extra credit: 16]
Points from your 3 highest exam scores, tutorials, activities, and extra credit will be added together and divided by 400 to determine your grade.

NOTE: No points are given for the required participation in Experimetrix.
Summary of grading - 400 possible points to earn:
3 exams (highest scores of 2 exams) @ 100 points = 300 points
Tutorials and Activities = 100 points
Extra credit = 16 points
A letter grade will be assigned according to the straight percentage of the possible 400 points you receive. There is no "curving" of your grade.

Summary of letter grading (by percent of 400 points):
96.51 or better: A+, 92.51 or better: A, 89.51 or better: A-
86.51 or better: B+, 82.51 or better: B, 79.51 or better: B-, etc.
Below 60 = F

Recommendations:

1. One category with weighted items, equal weighting.  Create an extra credit category for extra credit items.
2. Other suggestions?  Please add them here.
3. weighted categories, MULTIPLE categories with one (for the 4 exams, lowest to be dropped) defined as equal weight items and one for extra credit.  the default grade scale will need to be altered.  grading could be points, % or letter grades.  see example below.  nw

Examples:

1. on smartsite-test server, site SANDRA 111 111 winter 2010. nw