How to calculate & release (unofficial) final grades in D2L

By default, final grades are not visible to students.  One of two icons will appear in the Final Grade column to indicate whether final grades are visible to students.

IMPORTANT: Although there are benefits to setting up the gradebook to manage your course assessment items in D2L, it is optional. Please be reminded that final Letter grades for undergraduate & graduate courses must be submitted to PeopleSoft’s Faculty Centre. Once they have been approved by the department, students will be able to view their own official final grades for the course in the MyUCalgary Portal/ Student Centre.

Before you Start: Review Gradebook Calculation Settings

1. To verify that gradebook calculation settings are configured correctly for your purposes, click Assessment and choose Grades from the dropdown menu.  Click Settings.

2. Click the Calculation Options tab, and check your settings in the following sections:

• Final Grade Release Selection:  Calculated, or Adjusted
• Ungraded Items option
• Automatically keep final grades updated option (recommended)

Note: When “Drop ungraded items” is selected, all ungraded assessment items will be excluded from the calculated final grade.  Before releasing final grades, ensure that an appropriate grade (e.g. 0) is manually entered for any unexcused / missing assessment items.

3. To review and update assessment item grades: in the navigation bar, click Assessment, and choose Grades from the dropdown menu.  Select the Enter Grades tab.  Switch to Spreadsheet View.  This view allows you to simultaneously review all grade columns for omitted grades.

Release Final Calculated Grades

1. In the navigation bar, click Assessment, and choose Grades from the dropdown menu.  Select the Enter Grades tab.  In the Final Calculated Grade column dropdown menu, select ‘Enter Grades’.

2. If the “Automatically keep final grades updates” option was not selected earlier, or if you are unsure, then, in the Final Grades page, from the Final Grades dropdown menu, select Recalculate All.  This ensures that all final grades are updated.  Follow instructions in the pop-up window.  Next, in the Final Grades page, from the Final Grades dropdown menu, select Release All.  Click Yes to confirm. This action results in final grades being released, and visible, to students.

3. After releasing the Final Calculated Grade to all students, a check mark will appear in the Released Final Calculated Grade column.  Remember to Save and Close.

Notes:

• You can also release the grades by selecting all students (1) and clicking on Release/Unrelease link (2) at the top of the spreadsheet view. Click Save.

• To modify the visibility of grades for students (e.g.: remove a student from the release grades list), uncheck the box in the Released column on the far right or place a check mark on the far left column next to the student’s name (1) and click on Release/Unrelease link (2). Click Save.

To confirm that grades have been released, return to the Enter Grades page (Assessments > Grades). The grades released icon will appear next to the grades in the Final Calculated Grade column.

Release Final Adjusted Grades

1. In the navigation bar, click Assessment, and choose Grades from the dropdown menu.  Select the Enter Grades tab.  In the Final Adjusted Grade column dropdown menu, select ‘Enter Grades’.

2. If the “Automatically keep final grades updates” option was not selected earlier, or if you are unsure, then, in the Final Grades dropdown menu, select Recalculate All.  This ensures that all final grades are updated.  Follow instructions in the pop-up window.  Next, in the Final Grades dropdown menu, select Transfer All to move all grades into the Final Adjusted Grade column.  Make adjustments to grades as deemed necessary.  Finally, under the Final Grades dropdown menu, select Release All.  Click Yes to confirm.  This action results in final grades being released, and visible, to students.

3. After releasing the Final Adjusted Grade to all students, a check mark will appear in the Released Final Adjusted Grade column.  Remember to Save and Close.

Notes:

• To modify the visibility of grades for students (e.g.:  remove a student from the release grades list), place a check mark on the far left column next to the student’s name (1), and click on the Release/Unrelease link (2) or uncheck the far right box in the Released column. Click Save.

To confirm that grades have been released, return to the Enter Grades page (Assessments, then Grades).  The released, or unreleased icon will appear next to the grades in the Final Adjusted Grade column.

Watch how to release final grades