D2L is an Internet-based course management system that features an electronic dropbox that allows students to submit assignments. The system also features a discussion board to facilitate online student to student and student to teacher communication. Teachers setup the course management system by using the Grade Setup Wizard. D2L clients include 11 education agencies, such as the Tennessee Board of Regents and Florida Distance Learning Consortium, and 20 research universities, including Ohio State University and University of Phoenix. As of May 2011, almost 170 two- and four-year colleges, including the ones mentioned here, use D2L.
Instructions
1. Select "Grades" on the Navigation bar on the D2L Home page. Select "Start" in the setup wizard. A window labeled "Choose Grading System" opens. In that window, you must choose the type of grading system you want to use. You can choose the "Weighted," "Points" or "Formula" system. The weight system calculates grades as a percentage of a final grade worth a 100 percent. The point system calculates the grade by adding all scores and dividing by the total maximum points. You must customize the formula system by entering a formula to calculate the grades.
2. Click "Next" to open the Final Grade Released pane; choose "Calculated Final Grade" or "Adjusted Final Grade." Calculated grades cannot be adjusted without adjusting individual grades. You can modify or adjust grades before releasing them to your students if you choose "Adjusted Final Grade." The "Adjusted Final Grade" option allows more flexibility.
3. Select "Next" and open your Grade Calculations window. Decide how ungraded assignments are handled. Choose "Drop ungraded items" or "Treat ungraded items as 0." If you drop the ungraded assignments, students can see how they are doing throughout the course. Grading with a zero means that every ungraded assignment will appear as a zero, which means the actual grade will appear lower. You may also choose whether to auto-update the student grades, but this may cause your gradebook to function at a slower speed if you have a large class.
4. Click "Next" and pick the default grade scheme. Select "Preview." Determine whether you will use a no-letter, letter or customized grade scheme. Choose a name for your grade scheme, choose your symbols, starting percentages, colors and assigned percentage value. Grade symbols are the letter grades A through F. The starting percentage is the lowest percentage for a grade; the assigned value percentage is the highest percentage for a grade. For example, the lowest percentage for an "A" might be 90 percent; the highest "A" percentage is 100.
5. Select "Next" and open the Managing View Display Options pane. Enter the number of digits you want to display after the decimal point. Select "Next" and choose the submission view you want displayed. Choose "Next" for the Grades Setup Summary and review your gradebook selections. If you want to make changes, select "Back." If you are satisfied with your selections, press "Finish."
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