This tutorial will show you how to set up and use the WebCT evaluation book. This includes the following topics:

• adding columns to the Student Records Table for entering and calculating grades
• adding comments (for narrative evaluations, etc...)
• entering a formula to calculate the final grades
• entering grades
• setting column attributes to release information to students
• adding the My Grades tool, which allows students to view their own grades
• how to download the evaluation book
  
  

Adding columns to the Student Records Table | Top

Let's add some columns to the Student Records Table for grades. For example, let's assume your students' grades depend on two midterms, a final, and attendance. Let's add these columns to the student table:

1. Login to WebCT and select the course you want to edit.
2. Click the Control Panel button in the top left.
   
3. Click Manage Course, then Manage Students.
4. In the actions panel, choose Manage Columns from the Organize drop-box and click Go.
   
   
   
5. Now if you have added any quizzes to your course, a column for each quiz's grade shows up automatically. Click Add Column under the Organize header on the right.
   
   
   
6. For a label, type 'Attendance', and since this grade is a number, choose 'Numeric' from the Type drop-box. Click Add.
   
   
   
7. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for two more numeric columns labeled 'Midterm Grade' and 'Final Grade.'

Adding comments | Top

Important: If you want to add a 'comments' column (for narrative evaluations, etc...), you must change the Type to 'Alphanumeric.' If you choose 'Text,' you will not be able to download the comments column later.

1. In the actions panel, choose Manage Columns from the Organize drop-box and click Go.
2. Click Add Column under the Organize header on the right.
3. For a label, type 'Comments', and we want to be able to type any characters in here and be able to download it later, choose 'Alphanumeric' from the Type drop-box. Click Add.
4. You can repeat this process for individual assignments, etc...

Entering a formula to calculate the final grades | Top

Now we want to make a final column that will add up all the grades of the columns we just entered and weigh them according to this example formula:

1. Click Add Column under the Organize header on the right.
2. For a label, type 'Total Score', and since this grade is calculated from the other grades, choose 'Calculated' as the Type. Click Add.
3. Now select the 'Total Score' column by clicking the checkbox above it. Click Setup Column under the Organize header on the right.
   
   
   
4. Let’s enter a formula to calculate the total score based on your grading scale. For each graded component (Attendance, Midterm, and Final), the formula must calculate the percentage of total possible points earned. Then the formula must calculate the percentage of the total score that each graded component is worth.
5. a) Using the numeric keypad, enter: ((
   b) From the Column drop-down list, select 'Attendance' and then click Insert.
   c) Using the numeric keypad, enter: /28*.3)+(
   d) From the Function drop-down list, select maximum and then click Start List.
   e) From the Column drop-down list, select 'Midterm 1 Grade' and then click Insert.
   f) Click Next Item.
   g) From the Column drop-down list, select 'Midterm 2 Grade' and then click Insert.
   h) Click End List.
   i) Using the numeric keypad, enter: /20*.3)+(
   j) From the Column drop-down list, select 'Final Grade' and then click Insert.
   k) Using the numeric keypad enter: /100*.4))*100
   l) Now, review your formula. It should look like this:
   
   
   
6. Click Update.

Entering grades | Top

Next, let's give your students some sample grades.

1. Click on Manage Students at the top.
   
   
   
2. Then, under the 'Midterm 1 Grade' column, click Edit.
   
   
   
3. At the top of the 'Midterm 1 Grade' column, type 20 in the Out of box, since this midterm grade was out of 20 points.
4. Now enter the grades of each of your students. To move from row to row, press the Tab key.
   
   
   
5. When you are finished, click Update. Repeat these steps for each grade, except the 'Total Score' (This will update automatically and give the student's grade according to our formula in the last step.)

Setting column attributes to release information to students | Top

Now let's release some of the columns so the students can see their own grades online.

1. In the actions panel, choose Manage Columns from the Organize drop-box and click Go.
2. Select the following columns by clicking the checkbox above the corresponding column:
• First Name
• Last Name
• Attendance
• Midterm 1 Grade
• Midterm 2 Grade
• Final Grade
• Total Score
3. Under the Options header in the rightmost frame, change the Release Columns drop-box to 'Yes' and click Go. Notice the release status on each of the columns has changed.
   
   

Adding the My Grades tool | Top

Finally, you need to add the My Grades tool so students can see their grades in the columns we just released. Each student can only access his own grade; he will not see the grades of other students.

1. Begin by clicking the Control Panel button.
2. Click Add Page or Tool.
3. Under Student Tools, click My Grades.
4. Enter a title. For this example, I chose 'My Grades.'
5. Place a link to this tool on both the Navigation Bar and the course Homepage, and adjust the icons if you desire. You should end up with something like this:
   
   
   
6. Click Add, and you are done! Your students can now see their grades.

How to download the evaluation book | Top

Perhaps you want to download the evaluation book as a delimited text file to your computer. Doing this would allow you to import the data into a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel, or it could simply be used for backup.

1. Go back to the Control Panel by clicking the Control Panel button in the top left.
2. Click Manage Course, then Manage Students.
3. Under the Actions panel, under Options: Records, choose 'Download' and click Go.
   
   
   
4. Choose a record seperator. For a normal comma-delimited file to import into Excel, choose 'Comma' and click Download. You will download a text file and you can save it wherever you like. If you open it you will see each column seperated by commas and each row seperated by a new line. Simple yet effective.