Gradescope

What is Gradescope?

Gradescope is a tool designed to streamline and standardize paper-based, digital, and code assignments. It supports bubblesheets (replacing the old Scantron technology), problem sets and projects, as well as worksheets, quizzes, exams, and papers. With Gradescope students can upload pen-and-paper problem sets, to be graded by an instructor or teaching assistant in an easy online interface that also allows for on-the-fly rubric creation and feedback. With Gradescope, instructors can create more consistent grading across students and sections. Also, students receive more consistent feedback.

NOTE: The University of Arizona contracts with Gradescope for all support on using this tool. At this time, there is not a team within the University structure equipped to fully support Gradescope.

Why use Gradescope?

Gradescope helps instructors grade problem sets and other assignments more quickly and consistently while still allowing for detailed feedback.
It helps standardize grading across sections and graders, particularly in large classes.
If a grading rubric is changed, Gradescope will retroactively adjust assignments that have already been graded.
Detailed analytics show where students might be struggling with a particular concept.
It integrates with D2L and the D2L grade book, so grades can be easily transferred to D2L.

Note: The Gradescope mobile app for students requires an OS version 13 or later for iOS devices and version 11 or later for Android devices.

UA Recommended Workflow

When using Gradescope and D2L together, we recommend the following workflow.

Create your Gradescope course within the Gradescope app and give it the same name as your D2L course. You can use the same name as the Gradescope course number as well.
Create assignments/exams in the Gradescope app completely before linking to them from your D2L course. Make sure the Max points in your Gradescope course match what you want them to be in your D2L course.
Go to the module where students will find the link to the Gradescope assignment/exam and create the link directly to the Gradescope assignment/exam. The grade item for this will be created at the same time as the Content Topic.
Go to the D2L Gradebook - Manage Grades and find the newly created grade item at the bottom of the list. You can edit it and move it to a category, change the weight if you use a weighted gradebook, or change the order it appears in the list. The points in Gradescope must match the points in the D2L grade item.

Note: The Gradescope mobile app is not available for instructor workflows.

1. Log In to Gradescope

Go to the Gradescope home page and select Log In.
Select the option to log in with School Credentials.
Scroll down the list to find the option for University of Arizona NetID and select it. This will take you to the UA standard sign in page. Complete this sign in process.
Your Gradescope Dashboard page will open up and display any previous courses you may have created.

2. Create a Gradescope Course in Gradescope

Create a course in Gradescope and link it to an existing D2L course.

NOTE: For a more thorough understanding of Gradescope courses, refer to this help page on the Gradescope support site.

From your Gradescope Dashboard, select the Create a new course option.
Complete the following items: Course Number and Name (these can both be the same) and the term. We suggest keeping the course name the same as your D2L course for easy reference.
Choose the term for your course.
Ignore the Department, as these are not synced with the D2L settings and won't match up.
Select Create Course. Your course will be created and will open in the Course Dashboard.
Create Gradescope Assignments and Exams for your D2L course directly in Gradescope. It is important to make sure your assignments and exams in Gradescope match the grade item points in D2L. Don't try to link them until they match your expectations.

3. Duplicate a Gradescope Course

It is possible to duplicate a Gradescope course so you can use the Assignments/Exams from one term in another term.

Log in to Gradescope and open the course you wish to duplicate.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and locate the Modify Course section. Select the Duplicate Course button.
Enter the term for the new course as well as the Start Dates for the original (if not already there) and the duplicate course.
Select the Duplicate button.
You'll be taken to the newly created course where you can continue to change the settings as needed.

NOTE: Gradescope only shows two terms by default in the dashboard. To see courses from other semesters, both previoius and upcoming, select the See older courses option.

4. Create a Link to Gradescope Course & Assignment in D2L

Once you have created your Gradescope assignment/exam in a Gradescope course, you can link to it directly from your D2L course.

Open your D2L course and then the module in which you will place the link to the Gradescope Assignment.
Select the gray Existing Activities button and choose Gradescope 1.3 from the Actions menu.
If this is the first time you've linked to a Gradescope assignment in this course, you'll need to link to the Gradescope course with the Assignment/Exam you wish students to complete.
1. Under the Link With section, choose "An existing Gradescope course."
2. Type in a word or two of the title of the Gradescope course you wish to link to, or click in the box and find it in the list. We recommend typing in word or two of the title to save time perusing a long list.
  NOTE: At this point you can stop the process and your D2L and Gradescope course will be linked. You can work to this point if you want to create a link before you have Gradescope Assignments built. This allows you to also sync your Gradescope Roster to the D2L Classlist after you complete this step.
3. Linking to a course only needs to be done ONE TIME per course. After the first time, you'll go directly to the next step to link directly to an assignment and create the link in the D2L module.
With the courses linked, you can now link directly to a Gradescope assignment/exam inside your D2L course.
NOTE: The following instructions assume you have created your Gradescope assignment assessment. If that isn't the case, you should return to the linked Gradescope course and build the assignment/exam before continuing.
On the Link to D2L Assignment window, select the "An existing Gradescope Assignment" in the Link With section.
Select Link Assignment.
This action createsTWO (2) items in your D2L course. It creates a Content topic in the module you are working in. You can edit properties for this content item as you wish, including dates, and restrictions or to change the title of the Topic. When your students or you select this link, it will open the Gradescope assignment/exam in a new browser tab.
This action also creates a D2L Grade Item in the Grades tool. You'll see that it keeps the title of the linked Gradescope assignment/exam, sets the Max. Points to match the Gradescope exam and also alerts you that this grade item is going to come from a tool external to the native D2L environment.
NOTE: The points in the D2L grade item and the Gradescope assignment/exam MUST match. D2L will only accept the points from the Gradescope assignment when you push the grades to D2L, it won't do any math to make the two percentages match as it does within D2L

5. Sync Your D2L Classlist to Gradescope Roster

Snyc your D2L Classlist to the Gradescope Roster to make it easy for students to access your Gradescope course and to push grades from Gradescope to the associated D2L grade item.

Open the Gradescope course.
Select Roster from the left pane.
Select the Sync D2L Roster button.
This will open the sync options window explaining what is about to happen. You use the Email Notification to send an email your students that they've been added to the Gradescope course, but we recommend that you not do this. It is better if they use the links to your Gradescope assignments from right in the D2L course.
When you select the Sync Roster button, you'll see a progess bar appear letting you know Gradescope is working to bring your Classlist into the Gradescope roster.
When finished syncing, you'll see your full D2L Classlist in the Gradescope roster. If you have TA's or other instructors, their role will reflect that of their role in your D2L course.

6. Learn to Create Gradescope Assignments

Find links to help pages to assist you in creating each of the five Gradescope Assignment types.

Each of the links below will open a step by step hdelp page to guide you creating the Gradescope assignment type listed.

NOTE: The University of Arizona contracts with Gradescope for all support on using this tool. At this time there is not a team within the university structure equipped to support Gradescope.

7. Learn More About Gradescope

Where do I find resources to help me learn to use Gradescope in my course?

Gradescope offers instructors excellent support via online help pages and email support.

Gradescope has help available within every page of their site. Simply click on the "Help" icon at the bottom right corner of each page.
Complete online help for all Gradescope questions can be found at "help.gradescope.com."
Click the Account link in the lower left corner of every Gradescope page to find a Getting Started Guide. This guide is ideal for those who are encountering Gradescope for the first time.
Email the Gradescope support team directly at help@gradescope.com. They are highly knowledgeable, can help you solve sticky problems, and will return your emails quickly.