Discussion Board: Customize Grade Settings

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Mar 06, 2024 by Gina Rue
3 min read

Step-by-Step Instructions

You can assign discussion grades based on student participation, the quality of their posts, or a combination of the two. You can create rubrics in advance and use them while grading forums and threads. When you create or edit a forum, you can enable grading options. A column is created automatically in the Grade Center when you enable grading.

The grade settings appear on the Create Forum page.

discussion board create forum button

Turn on discussion grading

1. Scroll down to Forum Settings. Select Grade Discussion Forum and type a point value to evaluate participants on performance throughout a forum.

select grade discussion forum

2. If you want to evaluate participants on performance in each thread, select Grade Threads.

3. Optionally, select the check box for Show participants in needs grading status and select the number of posts required to show participants in needs grading status.

This setting shows the Needs Grading icon in the Grade Center after each student makes the specified number of posts. The posts are also placed in the queue on the Needs Grading page. If you select a grading option and do NOT select the Show participants in needs grading status check box, the Needs Grading icon doesn't appear in the Grade Center and posts don't appear on the Needs Grading page. In the Grade Center, students' attempts will appear with the In Progress icon when they post. Example: If you choose three posts from the list and a student submits two, the In Progress icon appears in the Grade Center cell and the discussion board until the specified number of posts is met.

4. You also have the additional option to access the Add Rubric menu to choose a rubric.

Turn off discussion grading

Even if grades exist, you can disable grading for graded forums and threads.

1. On the Create Forum page under Forum Settings, change the grading option to No Grading in Forum.

2. Select Submit. If you already assigned grades for a forum or its threads, a warning message appears that states that all existing grades will be deleted. This action is final.

3. Select OK to continue or select Cancel to preserve the Grade Center items.

For additional assistance, contact the CITAL Help Desk.