Moodle Help Guide

Considering using the Moodle Gradebook? While you're not required to make use of this feature, it can be a useful tool for courses that use Moodle heavily, and convenient for your students. Read on to decide whether the Moodle Gradebook or another method (like a spreadsheet) is right for you.

In either case, you'll be required to upload your grades to my.mtholyoke using the Registrar's method. Moodle does not automatically submit final grades.

Use the Moodle Gradebook if:

• Your students submit work on Moodle that is automatically graded (Quizzes using multiple choice, True/False questions, or matching questions). This can be especially helpful for large classes with many students!
• You grade using mostly points and percentages. The gradebook is well-suited for handling those calculations.
• You will award participation credit based on certain activities in Moodle, like posting in Forums.
• You want to keep your students up-to-date on their current progress in the course.

Consider sticking with other methods if:

• You grade many brief assignments. Spreadsheets are easier to sort and scroll through than a Moodle gradebook.
• You use letter grades for all assignments. Moodle can handle letter grades, but they must correspond to points and will require more setup than a mostly or completely point-based gradebook.
• You adjust your overall scheme for awarding a final grade during the semester, or leave much about grading undefined until you've gotten the feel of the course
• You already like your current method, and the points above don't sound like they would be useful to you.

If your current method of grading is working well for you, consider sticking with it! If you'd like to start doing some of the things that the Gradebook is good at, but still do the final calculations in a spreadsheet, you can choose that too. It is also possible to grade items in the Moodle gradebook but keep those grades hidden from students, and then do final calculations in a spreadsheet. There are many ways to grade, email the Moodle Help Team for help making a plan that's right for you!