By Jennifer Trend, Staff Writer
Every teacher is different when it comes to how they grade. And that’s the case for when they enter their grades. If I may be so bold, I’d like to give teachers one tip that will make their students’ lives a lot easier.
The tip? Enter assignments on Canvas as soon as you announce them. Don’t wait until you grade the assignment.
Why? Students frequently use a Canvas tool called “What-if” scoring. Students can enter a projected score into an assignment to see how it will impact their grade. The score does not become their actual grade, and disappears if the student exits the page or enters another hypothetical grade.
If teachers put in the assignment when it is announced, students can estimate how their grades might look whenever they want. It not only provides relief to those who have a borderline grade, but it allows them to plan ahead, and to consider which classes are in the most need of work and time. Students can see which score they need in order to get the grade they want, and they have a general idea as to what they need to do to earn that grade.
But, if teachers wait to enter in an assignment, students can’t use the “What-If” score and they have to take a gamble—a gamble to see if their grade will cut it. More often than not, students may guess incorrectly and their grade will suffer for it.
Teachers—if you tell us not to procrastinate on assignments, please don’t pull a one-eighty and then procrastinate on grades and put them in at the last possible minute. When students see an onslaught of grades put in, they have to completely overhaul their homework schedule.
To respect students’ time and sanity, please enter assignments when you announce them in class. It doesn’t even need any description or due date. Just a title to identify the assignment and a total grade. Even if the total grade ends up changing, it is still helpful to have.
Just this small change would be a tremendous help to students, especially at this time of the year, when we are overworked with finals, projects and last minute assignments. Imagine what our lives look like when five or so teachers upload past assignments just two weeks before the end of school and we’re scrambling, stressed out, trying to save our grade.
Just a few free minutes from the teacher can save their students hours of stress.
