End-of-Semester Checklist for Canvas Teachers
This document is provided to assist Canvas teachers and TAs guidance with wrapping up their work in a course approaching, at, and following the end of a semester of instruction.
1. Communication to Students
As you approach the end of the semester, communicate key information to your students, so they can anticipate key events and the timeline on which they will occur. Information that's good to cover in your communication:
- Canvas work guidelines and deadlines, specific to your class: Be sure your students know the deadline(s) for work submissions, what exceptions will be granted (and how to request exceptions and extensions), and what class participation will look like during reading days and final exam days. Canvas lets you configure both due dates ("soft deadlines") and end dates ("hard deadlines" when students can no longer submit an assignment). These are visible to students. However, if you have exams or work you are accepting after the last day of classes (i.e. exam preparation days and final exam days), take care to alert your students in advance about soft and hard deadlines so surprises are avoided.
- Canvas participation/communication deadline: Default course settings permit students to participate and communicate in their courses until the end of the last day of final exams. After that time, students will have read-only access after the last day of finals, with no access to submit assignments, participate in course activities (like Discussions), or communicate through the course (using the Canvas messaging system) with teachers, TAs, or other students. Student communication with faculty after the end of a semester must be conducted outside of Canvas channels (i.e. email, phone, etc.)
- Correlate a plan with students who have incompletes after the semester's end. In most cases, extended study in Canvas is based on an incomplete work agreement with the Registrar's Office. Advise students with extenuating circumstances to make arrangements with the Registrar's Office as soon as possible, so you can then arrange continued and uninterrupted access in Canvas. (More information on this follows, below.)
- Notification of finalized grades in Canvas and posting of grade reports to AIM: Because work is coming into Canvas and being calculated through the last days of the semester, often right up to the end of the final exam period, students will not know when their Canvas grade can be considered 'final' unless this is communicated to them. We recommend that you notify students, in advance if possible, about when they can expect grades to be finalized in Canvas. Even though communication services in Canvas will end for students after the last day of finals, students will have read-only access to their courses long after class has concluded: You can post a notification on your Home page, or a class announcement displayed on your home page, to let students know when their grades are considered final. Be sure to set expectations for your students on how you would prefer they communicate with you after finals if they have concerns about their grades (direct email is the most common channel).
2. Reconcile and Finalize Grades
Grading Overview
In Canvas, you will keep and manage a record of students' submitted work with total scores (in most cases, points earned out of points possible) and letter grades (A-E) using the standard BYU grading scale (called a "grading scheme" in Canvas) or an alternate scale, as determined by your department.
At the semester's end, you can sync course totals for each student (points earned out of points possible, plus a letter grade) to AIM. AIM does not record student achievement for individual assignments. The process allows you to review synced data before releasing grades to student view in AIM.
How Canvas Calculates Point Totals and Grades
Canvas calculates two different point total and grade sets for each student in a course. These are:
- Unposted (tentative or working) point total and grade: This grade is
- Displayed for students, and in the Gradebook for teachers and TAs
- Calculates grades from resolved work only.
- Does not consider unresolved (unsubmitted, ungraded or unposted/hidden).
Think of unposted totals and grades as 'friendly' versions that analyze a student's completed work only, untainted by work that is still 'in-flux' as students progress through a semester.
- Posted (final) point total and grade:
- Stricter grade calculation than the friendlier "unposted" grade in Canvas
- Not displayed in Canvas interface (for students, teachers or TAs)
- Included in the grade export available on the Gradebook page
- Includes unposted/hidden assignments in its calculations
- Counts missing work (noted in the Gradebook with hyphens) as 'zero credit'
- The score and grade that are synced to AIM, to become the student's official grade unless it is overridden
Reconciling Points and Grades, and Preventing Discrepancies
Because the unposted grade is displayed in Canvas, and the posted grade is synced to AIM, a difference between these two grades will result in a grade discrepancy between Canvas and AIM, and the expected confused and frustrated response from students. The AIM grade is almost certainly lower, leading to even more frustration. Therefore, it is important to resolve any discrepancies before releasing AIM grades to students.
Near (before, on, or soon after) the last day of class:
- Review Gradebook for hidden grades, and clear them out: Identify assignments with hidden grades (look for the crossed-out eye icon) and post them.
- Set the course Grade Posting Policy to automatic. This will insure any late scores and grades will be posted immediately, and reduce the need for you to return to assignments to post hidden grades as new scores come in.
After finals / Before grade deadline:
- Confirm all assignments / scores are posted, all hyphens (missing scores) are removed
- Recommended- Discrepancy check: Export a csv grade report in the Gradebook, and compare the posted and unposted grade totals, to detect discrepancies. If totals differ, return to Gradebook to identify hidden or unresolved assignments for students with mismatched grade totals.
- Sync grades to AIM when grades are final.
3. Sync Grades to AIM
When you have verified that grades in Canvas are correct and all potential for discrepancies have been eliminated, it's time to send your grades over to AIM, using these instructions:
Submit Grades From All Course Types to AIM
As noted in the instructions, you will have a chance to review your synced grades in AIM before releasing them to students. This is one last opportunity to catch and resolve grade discrepancies between AIM and Canvas.
4. Export Content As Needed
If you expect that you may be leaving your position at BYU but will need to use your Canvas content elsewhere, we recommend that you export your course content so that you may use it in another instance of Canvas - in case you lose access to Canvas at BYU.
To export course content for use elsewhere, go to your Course Settings, and select the option for exporting course content. The course is exported in a Common Cartridge / Canvas Course file (.imscc). This file can be saved and uploaded to any instance of Canvas as a Canvas / Common Cartridge import.
5. Arrange for Extended Study (Incompletes)
You may have students with incomplete who have been authorized to continue their work after the end of the semester. Please contact BYU-OIT at 801-422-4000 or send an email to canvas_team@byu.edu to request extended study / incomplete work setup for your course. This is important to assure you and selected students can continue your work, and that course access will close as scheduled for the remainder of those enrolled, to avoid confusion.
When submitting an extended study request, you will need to provide:
- Your name and contact info.
- The Canvas course name, number and section
-or-
The Canvas course URL - The name of each student needing more time in your course, along with the date of their contracted work deadline as arranged with the Registrar's Office
Once we have this information from you, we will add one or more extended study sections to your course (more than one if multiple students with multiple deadlines are extending) and enroll you and your named students in them. Sections will be configured to remain open to you one week after the arranged work deadline, so you can complete grading.
6. Complete Work / Edits in Course by Teacher Access Deadline
Complete all content edits, grading, and communication to / with students and colleagues in the class by the end of the BYU grade submission deadline for the semester or term (unless extended study has been set-up for the course). At that time, your access will revert to read-only, and you will be unable to make changes to the content or grades in your course.