General Course Management

• Have you created all the assignment groups to reflect your course grading policy in your syllabus? 
• If you use a weighted total with percentages, have you enabled the option to weigh the final grade using weights? 
• Are the weights accurate? 
• Are you using extra credit? If so, refer to the guide for giving extra credit in Canvas or watch our Assigning Extra Credit in Canvas (27:37) on-demand recording for additional guidance. 

• If you drop the lowest grade(s) in any of the assignments, have you added and reviewed the rules? Any dropped grades will be identified with an orange cell color by default and say DROPPED in SpeedGrader for the individual submission. 

• Have you entered all grades? This is crucial as the integration for Howdy requires all grades to be entered to limit any discrepancies. 
• If you have a late policy, did all the assignments that are late receive the appropriate grade? If not, you will need to enter all grades to limit any discrepancies between Howdy and Canvas. 
• Have you entered zeros where appropriate for missing work? If not, you will need to enter all grades to limit any discrepancies between Howdy and Canvas. Review Step 3 to ensure zeros are entered correctly.
• Have you marked students grades as excused where necessary? If not, you will need to enter all grades to limit any discrepancies between Howdy and Canvas.

1. From the course navigation, click on Settings.
2. From the Course Details tab, select the Enable course grading scheme checkbox.
3. Click View grading scheme to view the current schemes available.
4. In the pop-up window, click Select Another Schemeto change the grading scheme. The Course Letter Grade should have the letter options without the plus or minus ranging between 100-0.

   • If the course requires the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory scheme, select the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading scheme added by default in Canvas.

   • This section also allows to create a custom grading scheme and adjust the percentage range for each letter grade to set to by selecting manage grading schemes and Adding grading scheme.

5. After the correct scheme is selected, select Done.

6. When changes have been completed click Update Course Details at the bottom of the page.

Use the integration in Howdy to import midterm and final grades from Canvas. Instructors of Record should first review their Canvas course and gradebook setup prior to performing the grade submission in Howdy. This process will only be available during the defined grading period window.

Before submitting final grades, ALL grades must be entered in Canvas (including zeros where necessary) to ensure accuracy. The import process for submitting final grades will assume missing grades are zeros and may lower the grade imported in Howdy, potentially causing students to view a lower grade in Howdy than what is displayed in Canvas. 

Set Default Grade

This feature is useful to apply grades on an individual assignment basis. If you have larger classes or a large number of assignments, we recommend using the Apply Grade to all Ungraded feature. To use Set Default Grade:

1. Navigate to Grades in your course navigation pane.
2. Locate the assignment you would like to apply the grade to and click the three dots menu icon in the column title.
3. Select Set Default Grade.
4. Enter the grade you would like to apply.
5. Click Set Default Grade.

Each assignment in that column should now have a grade.

Apply Score to All Ungraded Assignments

This feature can be applied by assignment group or to the entire gradebook. To use this feature:

1. Navigate to Grades in your course navigation pane.
2. Click on the three dots menu icon next to the Total Column.
3. Select Apply Score to Ungraded.
4. In the pop-up window, select a percentage you would like to apply – 0% is the most common. Canvas will convert this percentage for point-based systems.
5. Select All ungraded artifacts.
6. Select Apply Score in the bottom right corner.
7. A message should appear when the score is applied. Refresh the page to see the applied score.

Notes about the Apply Score to Ungraded Assignments:

• If a mistake is made, there is the ability to manually change the score. However, this can only be done on an assignment-by-assignment basis or by exporting the gradebook to fix the issue and then importing the gradebook back into Canvas.
• If the option to apply a missing status is applied with the feature, the status for each individual assignment will need to be manually changed in order to adjust grades afterward. Otherwise, any attempt to change the grade will revert the grade back to what the feature applied.

For a video tutorial, please watch Apply Score to Ungraded Assignments (2:01) or read through a printable walkthrough. 

Enter Zeroes Using Excel

If for some reason using the options above is not ideal for your course, you do have the option to use Excel. You can export scores from the Gradebook and download them to your computer as a CSV file. The Gradebook CSV assignment columns display in the same order as shown in the Gradebook for an individual user.

Below are the steps on how to export the CSV version of the Gradebook from Canvas:

1. From the course navigation, click on Grades.
2. Click the Actions menu, then click on the Export link.
3. *Note: When the export is completed, Canvas will download the CSV file automatically to your computer.

For more information, view How do I export grades in the Gradebook? 

From the exported version of the gradebook, verify you have entered zeros anywhere there is a blank cell. After you have entered all the zeros needed within the exported version of your gradebook, import the gradebook back into your Canvas course.

Below are the steps on how to import the CSV version of the Gradebook to Canvas:

1. From the course navigation, click on Grades. 
2. Click the Actions menu, then click the Import button. 
3. Click the Choose File or Browse button (depending on your browser).
4. Locate the CSV file that you edited then click the Open button.
5. Click the Upload Data button.
6. Review the changes made to your Gradebook.

   • *Note: Any changes detected by Canvas will be highlighted. If you upload assignments with no grade changes, they will be hidden from confirmation screen. 

7. Click the Save Changes button.

For more information, watch Entering Zeroes in Excel for Canvas Gradebook (4:14) or view How do I import grades in the Gradebook?
Each assignment in that column should now have a grade.

Considerations for Entering Grades if You Use Third-Party Tools

Third-party tools will vary on how they pass back grades to the gradebook for missing assignments. Depending on the tool, they automatically send back a zero while others send back a dash to indicate it’s missing. Any grades that are entered as a dash (-) require manually entering a zero for the missing grade. Below is a breakdown of which Enterprise tools send back which result:

Enterprise Tools that Passback a Zero

• Perusall (only if the option is selected to enter a zero, otherwise manual entry will be required)

Enterprise Tools that Require Manual Grade Entry

• Google Assignments
• Office 365 Assignments
• Gradescope
• Peerceptiv
• Mediasite

Post Grades

After entering all grades, ensure that all grades are posted. This is crucial as the integration for Howdy requires all grades to be posted and visible to students to limit any discrepancies. For more information, watch Posting Grades in the Canvas Gradebook (4:16).

After you have reviewed, posted, and entered grades, you will need to review the Total Column in the Canvas Gradebook. If the Total Column doesn’t look correct, repeat the previous steps. If you know you need to make manual adjustments, refer to the Manual Grade Override Options using Excel section.

Even if it looks correct, we strongly recommend you also follow the directions below to help minimize discrepancies. Review the Unposted Current Grade column used for Midterm Grade Submission and Unposted Final Grade column used for Final Grade Submission.   In addition, you will want to compare these columns with the Current Grade column to limit discrepancies. The Current Grade column reflects the grade currently visible to the student.
To compare the gradebook columns:

1. Click on Grades from the course navigation.
2. On the top left of the Gradebook, click on Actions, then select Export. 
3. When the export is completed, Canvas will download the CSV file automatically to your computer. 
4. Compare the Unposted Current Grade column for Midterms or Unposted Final Grade column for Final Grades to ensure these are the grades you want sent to Howdy. The Unposted Current Grade column is what is visible in Canvas and will be imported for midterm grade submission, and the Unposted Final Grade column is what will be imported for final grade submission. 
5. We also recommend comparing the column with the Current Grade column. The Current Grade column is what is visible in Canvas to students. Comparing these two columns will help eliminate confusion and discrepancies between what you see and what the student sees.
6. If anything does not look correct, repeat the previous steps to help finalize your grades.

Follow the steps below to view your class rosters:

1. Log in to Howdy
2. Navigate to “My Courses”: on the left navigation panel, click the dropdown for Instructor/Associate, then select My Courses and a new window will open.
3. Select the Correct Term: on My Courses, start typing in the term box or click and select the desired course term from the dropdown menu at the top right corner.
4. View Rosters: click “View Roster” on the body of the My Courses dashboard for each course and/or section you want to review. 

Tips & Troubleshooting

1. Can’t see all your courses? Click “Clear Grid Filter” in the top menu.
2. To refresh the course list display for items like Attendance Certification and LDA Required status, click Refresh Grid Data.
3. Still having issues? Click “Submit Issues/Comments” under the Additional Columns to Display menu.

1. Click to expand the Canvas Grade Import box. This box only appears when a grade submission window is open for the course.
2. Click on Import Midterm or Final Grades from Canvas. Importing grades from Canvas imports all available grades, regardless of any filters applied in the Class Roster or any grades that have previously been entered.

After the final grades are imported, The Canvas Grade Import Log shows the status of the grade import and any warnings or alerts. Since the grade columns imported from Canvas for Midterm Grading and Final Grading are different, the import logs are also different with more information on the Canvas Grade Import Log for Final Grading.

Download and Print Final Grade Submission Tips

1. From the course navigation, click on Grades. 
2. On the top right, click on the Settings (gear) Icon.
3. On the menu that pops up, click on the Advanced tab.
4. Check the box for Allow final grade override.
5. Click Done.
6. Locate the Override column in your Gradebook and type the desired letter grade in the column. 

1. From the course navigation, click on Grades.
2. On the top left of the Gradebook, click on Actions, then select Export.
3. When the export is completed, Canvas will download the CSV file automatically to your computer.
4. Locate the column titled Override Score and enter the new grade in numerical form that reflects the course grading scheme. Canvas will convert this number to the grade scheme you have set. When done, save the CSV file.
5. Navigate back to the Gradebook by clicking on Grades from the course navigation.
6. On the top left of the Gradebook, click on Actions, then select Import.
7. Click Choose File to select the saved CSV file, and then click Upload Data.
8. Review the scores that were changed and click Save Changes when complete.
9. On the pop-up window that appears, click Ok.
10. Review the Override column with the converted override letter grade.  

The grade report feature in ORCA generates a snapshot of your Canvas gradebook at the time of import into Howdy using the Import Grades to Canvas button. It includes the course name, section, student name, and grade snapshot. The report is available in ORCA the day following semester grade submission deadlines and continues throughout the late grading period.

Note: If any changes were made to your Canvas gradebook after the import into Howdy, it will not be captured in this report, potentially resulting in a false grade discrepancy flagging. Additionally, the report does not assume that the grades are incorrectly reported to Howdy; rather, it indicates that there may be discrepancies.

• Current Grade: letter grade from Canvas displayed in the Total column from the student perspective.
  • Note: the column reflects course grade based on graded, posted (not hidden) assignments
• Unposted Current Grade: letter grade from Canvas displayed in the Total column from the instructor perspective.
  • Note: the column matches the Total column located in the Canvas gradebook. This column will only include any entered grades or unposted columns and will not include missing grades. This column is referenced during the midterm grade submission window.
• Unposted Final Grade: letter grade from Canvas referenced when submitting final grades to Howdy
  • Note: the column is used when submitting final grades to Howdy. When importing, any missing grades will count as zeros and any columns that are not posted for students will be included (eyeball with slash).
• Banner Current Grade: letter grade in Howdy submitted for Final grades
  • Note: this column includes any manual changes completed in Howdy
• Last Grade Import Date: this is the date of the last import into Howdy
  • Note: it is possible to import grades into Howdy until the grade submission deadline.

• Current Grade/Unposted Current Grade: this means that at the time of import, the grade displayed to students was different than the grade displayed to the Instructor in the Total column.
• Unposted Current Grade/Unposted Final Grade: This means that at the time of import, the grade displayed to the Instructor in the Total column was different than the grade imported into Howdy.

1. Enter and Post Grades: verify that there are no blank cells in the Gradebook, ensuring that all grades are entered and posted to be displayed to students and included in their final grade calculation.
2. Final Check: Verify the grade submitted from Canvas to Howdy by exporting the gradebook and comparing the letter grades.
3. Submit Grade Change: submit through Howdy! More information is available through the Office of the Registrar.