WebCT news at SFU

Tutorial numbers are automatically added to the course grade book as of Spring 2008.  

In a large class, it becomes important to be able to sort and search for specific students or groups of students. This thread explains how to search and sort students according to a text column (ie, a column that indicates which tutorial a student is in).

There seem to be two main approaches.

1. Using a text column:
Create a text column that contains the student tutorial information. You could input this manually, or import it from SIMS. Once you have identified all the students’ tutorials you can sort the students according to that column. (ie, by clicking on the column title). This will not sort the students alphabetically within each tutorial, however.

You can also search for students under the Grade Book Options. Choose Find members from the drop-down menu, and then you can search by column.

2 Using Groups:
Create one group for each tutorial using the sign-up sheets in group manager. Have the students select the tutorial/group that they are currently registered in (you can move them to a different tutorial later on if they make a mistake). You then have individual groups that correspond with your tutorials. You can create tutorial based discussion topics, for example, or use selective release to share content with different tutorials.

To search for the students in each tutorial/group, open the grade book, and under the drop down menu in Grade Book Option, choose Find Members. From there you can search by group members.

There is a good explanation on how to use the Excel spreadsheet and grade book to track attendance.

In the gradebook, when you edit a column to add grades, you are only given the student WebCT ID, and not their student number. Some students write a different name on their exams than appears in WebCT, making it challenging to add the correct grade for the correct individual.

One solution is to export the gradebook (which does have the student numbers) to Excel. You can then enter all grades using the student number as a primary ID, and upload the completed file back into WebCT. This method is generally faster for entering grades, yet still provides students with secure access to their grades.

The difference between Hidden and Released is something I’ve struggled with a bit. My understanding is that if a column is:

Hidden and Not released: An instructor/TA can see the column in the gradebook (right????) but the student will not see that column in their My Grades. Useful for pop-quizzes, no doubt.

Not Hidden and Not released: The student will see the empty column in their grade book, but the instructor/TA can add the grades over the period of a couple of days. No students will see the grades until the column is released.

Not Hidden, Released: Students see their grades in the My Grades area.

I always give my Demo Student grades for everything, so that I can check visibility in the student tab. Gives me peace of mind.