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Managing Your Course - Stage 3

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Using Reports Viewing Details about Course Participants Setting Up and Using Completion Tracking Managing Badges and Awarding Badges Manually Setting up and Using the Restrict Access Settings

Using a Scale for the Grade

Margarita Berezyanskaya

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A Scale provides a way of evaluating or grading performance in an activity. It is defined by an ordered list of values, from most negative to most positive. Several activity types allow the option of using a Scale for the grade, rather than giving points or using a rubric. Predefined Scales include PBLA Achievement Scale, and Separate and Connected Ways of Knowing.


The PBLA Achievement Scale allows grades of Successful and Not Yet Successful.



Separate and Connected Ways of Knowing allows grades of Mostly separate knowing, Separate and connected, and Mostly connected knowing. This scale may not be appropriate for LINC learners.

Note: The scale based on the theory of separate and connected knowing. This theory describes two different ways that we can evaluate and learn about the things we see and hear.


Separate knowers remain as objective as possible without including feelings and emotions. In a
discussion with other people, they like to defend their own ideas, using logic to find holes in opponent's ideas.

Connected knowers are more sensitive to other people. They are skilled at empathy and tend to listen and ask questions until they feel they can connect and "understand things from their point of view". They learn by trying to share the experiences that led to the knowledge they find in other people.

Teachers can choose to define other Scales as well.


A number of activity types allow grading with Scales. Scales work best with Assignment, Forum, and Database. It is not recommended to use Scales with other activity types. Note that the Gradebook will show the Scale grade given by the teacher, as well as a percentage corresponding to that. There is no control over the percentage. 

To Set a Scale

Follow all steps as normal for creating your activity, adding in the following steps:

Assignment

1. While creating the activity, in the Grade section, set Type to Scale.



2. Choose the desired Scale to be used.


3. Leave the Grading Method as Simple direct grading.


4. If desired, set the Grade to Pass. Note that scale items are numbered 1, 2, etc. The Grade to Pass cannot be more than the maximum scale setting. For the PBLA Achievement Rating, which has only two options, a Grade to Pass of 2 would be appropriate.
Note: Currently, the ePortfolio does not show the Scale
text, but rather shows its number: 1 for the lowest item in the scale, 2 for the next, etc.

Forum

Forum allows two methods of grading; it is possible to grade all of a learner's posts at once, and it is possible to rate each post. Each of these marking methods allows grading with Point or Scale.


1. To use a Scale for the whole forum, in the Whole forum grading section, set the Grade Type to Scale.

2. Choose the desired Scale to be used.


3. Leave the Grading method as Simple direct grading.



4. If desired, set the Grade to pass. Note that scale items are numbered 1, 2, etc. The Grade to pass cannot be more than the maximum scale setting. For the PBLA Achievement Rating, which has only two options, a Grade to pass of 2 would be appropriate.


5. To use a Scale for rating each post, in the Ratings section, select Maximum Rating for the Aggregate type. The Aggregate type defines how ratings are combined to form the final grade in the gradebook. With a Scale, Maximum rating works best. If a teacher rates multiple forum posts for the same student, the gradebook will reflect the maximum Rating.


6. In the Scale settings, set Type to Scale and choose the desired Scale.



7. If desired, set the Grade to pass. Note that scale items are numbered 1, 2, etc. The Grade to Pass cannot be more than the maximum scale setting. For the PBLA Achievement Rating, which has only two options, a Grade to Pass of 2 would be appropriate.

Database

Database allows rating of each entry in the database, with a Point or a Scale.


1. To use a Scale, while creating the activity, in the Ratings section, select Maximum rating for the Aggregate type. The Aggregate type defines how ratings are combined to form the final grade in the gradebook. With a Scale, Maximum rating works best. If a teacher rates multiple forum entries for the same student, the gradebook will reflect the Maximum rating.


2. In
the Scale settings, set Type to Scale and choose the desired Scale.



If desired, set the Grade to pass. Note that scale items are numbered 1, 2, etc. The Grade to pass cannot be more than the maximum scale setting. For the PBLA Achievement Rating, which has only two options, a Grade to pass of 2 would be appropriate.

To Grade with a Scale

1. When grading or rating any of these activity types, choose the appropriate scale entry.


 


2. If appropriate, add feedback, etc.

To Define a New Scale

1. Choose the Scale tab in the Gradebook.



2. At the bottom, choose Add a New Scale.



3. Enter a name for your scale, and the elements of the scale. These elements must be in ascending order, from negative to positive, separated by commas. If desired, add a Description, to remind yourself of how the scale is to be used. Click on the Save changes button.


4. The newly defined Scale is now available for you to use.