The Ten Gradebook Commandments

1. Thou Shalt Publish All Assignments
   • Unpublished assignments do NOT count toward grades. Always publish assignments and assignment in groups to ensure they factor into grade calculations. If you are not using an assignment, remove it from the course or move it to your Sandbox Course. If you are using the assignments but do not want students to access them until a certain date, adjust the assignment availability date. 
2. Thou Shalt Set Up Weighted Assignment Groups Correctly
   • If using weighted grading, verify that each group has the correct percentage and contains published assignments to prevent grade shifts. 
3. Thou Shalt Assign Due Dates & Point Values Consistently
   • Missing due dates can confuse students and unassigned point values may not calculate properly in the gradebook. Always double-check point totals before publishing. 
4. Thou Shalt Enable “Treat Ungraded as 0” If Needed
   • By default, the Canvas gradebook view ignores ungraded work, making grades appear artificially higher. However, when the gradebook integration occurs it is pulling data from the Final Score which evaluates all published ungraded assignments in the course as a ZERO. If you want missing work to count as zero, enable “Treat Ungraded as 0” in Gradebook settings. 
5. Thou Shalt Ensure Grade Posting Policies Are Set up for Automatic Posting
   • All grades in your gradebook should be set to Automatically Post your grades to ensure students see there grades as they are assigned. If you use a manual posting policy, students won’t see grades until you release them. Before finalizing grades, post all hidden grades to prevent discrepancies in the Total Grade column. 
6. Thou Shalt Use Assignments Strictly for Assessing Learning
   • Do not use assignments for announcements, readings, or external media. Assignments should be used only for graded work that assesses student learning. For distributing materials, use Modules, Pages, or Announcements instead. 
7. Thou Shalt Use Extra Credit Correctly
   • If adding extra credit, ensure it has a point value or is placed in an assignment group that allows for grade increases. Avoid setting it as “0 points” unless it’s a bonus category. 
8. Thou Shalt Review Assignment Submission Types
   • Select the correct submission type (Online, External Tool, Paper) to ensure that Canvas records grades properly and prevent issues with missing submissions. 
9. Thou Shalt Verify Rubrics & Grading Schemes
   • If using rubrics or grading schemes, confirm that they are linked to the assignment and aligned with point values. Misconfigured rubrics may lead to incorrect grading calculations. 
10. Thou Shalt Grade All Published Assignments
    • Published assignments that are left ungraded can cause inaccuracies in student grades. Ensure all submissions are graded before finalizing the gradebook to prevent misleading averages. 

Following these 10 Commandments will keep your Canvas Gradebook accurate, transparent, and error-free!