Tech Tip: Spreadsheet for "What If" Grading

One of the features of the Canvas Gradebook is the "what if" feature. Because of the way this class works (lots of microassignments), that feature does not work really well for these classes, so I have come up with an alternative: a dynamic spreadsheet that you edit in order to record your work and plan out the semester.

THIS IS A BETA VERSION. I use a spreadsheet like this every semester when I am a student in the class because I cannot use Canvas, but this is the very first time that I have tried creating a public version of the spreadsheet for others to use. I will be really grateful for your feedback in order to make this useful for everybody.

I've assumed some basic spreadsheet skills, but I've done all the formulas behind the scenes, so all you need to do is enter your points as you complete the assignments, plus plan the assignments you want to do. You can check the points total here against your points total in Canvas to make sure you haven't missed anything.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You still have to fill out the Canvas Declarations. This is not a substitute for the Canvas Gradebook; instead, it is just a supplement so that you can do some planning and try out different scenarios for how you want to complete the course.

You will find all the information and links you need here:

SPREADSHEET INSTRUCTIONS

For this tip, you will make a copy of the spreadsheet, record the assignments you've completed (points go in BOTH the "done" column AND the "plan" column), and then fill in points in the rest of the plan column for the rest of the semester going forward. Let me know if you have any questions! I'm used to this system since I've been using this type of spreadsheet for several years as a student in these courses... but I designed it based on what makes sense to me, and I'm not sure what it will be like for others. I hope you will find it useful. :-)

Here's a screenshot of what the spreadsheet looks like:

Finishing Up: When you are done, write up a blog post with your thoughts, along with any questions you have or problems you ran into. Make sure to include the phrase "Tech Tip: Spreadsheet" in your blog post title and also use "Tech Tip" as the label on the post; then you can do the Declaration.