Submitting Final Grades

In OWL Brightspace, instructors will use the Grades tool, which is located on the course navigation bar, to submit final grades.

The process to prepare and submit final grades is completed in both OWL Brightspace and Extranet. The steps to submit final grades are shown below:

Step 1: Finalize your grades in OWL Brightspace.

  1. Enter all assessment marks for your students into the OWL Brightspace Grades tool. 
    Screenshot-2024-05-27-141811.png

  2. Make sure to finalize these grades and double-check that the Final Calculated Grade is being calculated correctly.

  3. If any warnings appear at the top of the grades page concerning grade calculation, address these in OWL Brightspace before submitting your grades.

Step 2: Using Final Grade Override (if applicable)

A new column called Final Grade Override is now available by default within the Grades tool. To ensure that the grades in this column are submitted to your Grade Admin for approval, this column should not be edited or deleted.

After entering all individual marks, you can use the Final Grade Override column to change any of the calculated grades for students if necessary. This column allows you to choose from the approved Office of the Registrar grades, including letter grades, grade codes (such as PAS, FAI, INC), and rounded numeric grades.OWL-Brightspace-Final-Grades-scrnsht-2.png

Using the standard grade view

  1. Click the dropdown arrow beside "Final Grade Override" and select "Enter Grades".
  2. On the Grade Item page, use the dropdown menu next to each student to override their final calculated grade by selecting a grade from the dropdown.
    1. To enter grades for multiple students at once, check the box beside their names and click "Set Grades".
    2. Select the grade from the dropdown list to apply to all selected students and click "Save".
  3. Finally, click "Save and Close" at the bottom of the page.

Using the spreadsheet grade view

Screenshot-2024-07-02-105750.png

  1. In the "Final Grade Override" column, click the dropdown next to each student for whom you want to override the final calculated grade, and select the grade you want to apply.
  2. Repeat this process for each student for whom you want to override the final calculated grade.
  3. After making all the necessary changes, click "Save" at the bottom of the page.

Step 3: Submit your final grades from OWL Brightspace to Extranet.

  1. Click the "Export to SIS" button in Grades. This will direct you to Extranet where you will submit your final grades for approval.
    OWL-Brightspace-Final-Grades-scrnsht-1.png
  2. Log in to Extranet using your Western credentials. (If you are unable to log in, please contact Office of the Registrar)

  3. Click "OWL Grade Submission" from the sidebar.
    Extranet-Homepage.png

  4. From the list of courses you are an Instructor of, click the course for which you want to submit final grades.

    Screenshot-2024-10-10-111431.png

  5. To select a different section, click the section name at the top left. (Note: Grades have to be submitted separately for each section)
    Extranet-Grades.png

  6. Review the final grades and confirm they are accurate.

  7. Click the "Submit for Approval" button. Your Grade Admin will be notified that there are grades for this section pending approval.
    Extranet-GradeSubmitButton.png

  8. Repeat for each section of your course.


Step 4: Approving Grades (For Grade Administrators)

Grade approvals are managed in Extranet. Refer to OWL Grade Approval for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Final Grade Override Column for?

This column allows you to override Final Calculated Grades with a value from the Office of the Registrar’s approved grades.

Do I have to use the Final Grade Override column?

No. If you only want to submit the Final Calculated Grades, you can leave the Final Grade Override column empty.

Why don’t I see the Final Grade Override column in my course?

If you do not have the Final Grade Override column in your course, please contact the WTS Helpdesk.

Can I rename or remove the Final Grade Override column?

No. Renaming or removing the column will result in an error when submitting the grades in Extranet. 

Why aren’t my grades rounded up?

Extranet will round the Final Calculated Grade as a decimal number with two decimal places to the nearest whole number. To avoid Final Grade discrepancies, Instructors are recommended to configure their gradebook in OWL Brightspace to display two decimal places. This can be done in your course on OWL Brightspace through Grades > Settings > Org Unit Display Options > Student View Display Options > Number of decimal places to display.

What is the Final Grade Override grade scheme?

This grade scheme uses the Office of the Registrar’s approved grade values.

For more information on the different scheme elements, please check the University Secretariat’s policy on grades.

Can I use the Final Grade Override grade scheme for other grade items?

No, we do not recommend using this scheme for any grade item except for Final Grade Override. Using the grade codes from this scheme for other items will not calculate your students' final grade correctly.

Will I receive a notification when my submitted grades are approved?

After submitting your final grades, you will see the status of grades has changed in Extranet. Once your Grade Admin approves the grades, the status will change to approved and you will receive an email notification.

Which grade will be submitted to my grade admin, the Final Grade Override or the Final Calculated Grade?

If you select a grade in the Final Grade Override column, it will be submitted instead of the calculated grade. If there is no grade selected in that column for a student, the calculated grade will be submitted.

I changed the grades in OWL Brightspace after I already submitted grades. Can I resubmit grades for approval?

Yes. You can resubmit grades for all or some students. Your grade admin will be notified each time grades are submitted.

Why are the grade statistics for my course different in OWL Brightspace and Extranet?

In OWL Brightspace, your grade statistics are calculated per grade item. In Extranet, the statistics are combined - they represent the scores from both the Final Calculated Grade and the Final Grade Override (where applicable).

Why am I unable to submit a final grade for one of my students?

  • Grades can only be submitted through OWL Brightspace for Learners officially enrolled in the course. If you have a student enrolled as a Participant in your course to complete a special or make-up exam, the final grade should be managed according to Faculty procedures (eg: Request for Special Examination form)

  • For more information on OWL Brightspace roles, visit

Why am I seeing a “NOT PROVIDED” or “THE FINAL GRADE OVERRIDE COLUMN IS MISSING" Error in Extranet?

This issue may arise from the Grades tool where Extranet is unable to retrieve grades data from OWL Brightspace. The settings in the Grades tool must be configured precisely for Extranet to access the grades. Please ensure that the following settings are verified:

  1. Check the Org Unit Display Options
    1. Go to the Settings cog at the top right side in the Grades tool
    2. Click the second tab, Org Unit Display Options
    3. Under Student View Display Options, “Points grade” and “Grade scheme symbol” should be enabled.

  2. Re-save the Calculation Options
    1. Go to the Settings cog at the top right side in the Grades tool
    2. Click the third tab, Calculation Options
    3. Click Save at the bottom.

How can I import adjusted grades into the Final Grade Override column using Excel or CSV?

If you need to calculate or input adjusted grades outside of OWL Brightspace, please follow the recommendations and steps outlined below.


Recommendations

- Do not make any changes to the Final Grade Override column, as it will be used for all adjusted grades.

- Whenever possible, use an exported version of your gradebook to input adjusted grades.

Steps:

  1. In the exported CSV/Excel sheet, enter your final grades in the Final Grade Override column.
  2. The Final Grade Override column only accepts three characters in text format. Therefore, numeric grades must be converted to three characters using an Excel formula.
  3. In an empty column, use the formula `=TEXT(cell number, "000")`, referencing the grades in the cell containing the adjusted grades. For example, if you create a list in column D, the formula could be `=TEXT(D2, "000")`. If the grade in cell D2 is 75, this formula will change it to 075.
  4. Replicate the formula by selecting the cell where you applied it and dragging it down to apply it to subsequent cells.
  5. Ensure the CSV file includes the “End-of-Line Indicator” as the last column. (For more information about the End-of-Line Indicator, please refer to the import page for grades on Brightspace.)
  6. Save the file as a CSV and then import it to the Grades tool. For more information on importing and exporting, refer to the relevant page.

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