Using Oncourse Gradebook, how do I import grades from a spreadsheet?
View feature demonstrations relevant to this topic.
Note: To complete these procedures, you must be assigned a role having the necessary permissions. To determine your role, follow the directions in Participant roles. To view a list of permissions associated with a given role, see Permissions, roles, and tools. For a basic understanding of roles and permissions, see Permissions and roles: Overview.
On this page:
About your options
In Gradebook, you can import grades in two different ways:
-
Import an entire spreadsheet. This method
overwrites any existing grades in the Gradebook for columns with
the same name as existing gradebook items, while creating new gradebook
items for any columns that do not match existing gradebook items.
- Import individual gradebook items. This method creates new gradebook items for each spreadsheet column you import. You cannot import any columns with the same name as existing gradebook items.
You can also use the Post'Em tool to upload a
.csv spreadsheet of grades (and feedback, if desired)
that students can view; see Using the Post'Em tool.
Note: You cannot import grades for gradebook items added from the Tests & Surveys tool; see the section on grading settings in Tests & Surveys: Assessment settings.
Using a template vs. using your own file
When uploading either an entire spreadsheet of grades or a spreadsheet with one gradebook item to Gradebook, you can download a spreadsheet template that will ensure that your spreadsheet is formatted correctly; see the appropriate section below. Alternatively, you can upload a file you've already created. However, you should make sure your file matches the format of the template as closely as possible. Note the following:
- The spreadsheet must be saved in
.csvformat. - The first column should contain individuals' usernames, with the heading "Student ID".
- The first row should contain headings. If you're uploading an
entire spreadsheet, those headings should contain the title and point
value or item weight for each gradebook item as in this example:
Essay 1 [100.0]
Note: For non-calculating gradebooks, you still need to enter something in the brackets (e.g.,
[NC]for "non-calculating"), or you will get an error when you try to import the spreadsheet.
Importing an entire spreadsheet
- In your site's menubar, click
Gradebook.
- Near the top, click
Import Grades.
- If desired, download the spreadsheet template by clicking
Download Spreadsheet Template, choosingSave File, and clickingOK.If you have already created a correctly formatted
.csvfile (see requirements above), skip to step 5. - Edit the spreadsheet in a spreadsheet application,
such as Excel, and save it as a
.csvfile.
- Import the spreadsheet by clicking
Browse...and choosing the.csvfile.
- After selecting the file, click
Import Spreadsheet.
- The following page should show the imported grades. When you are
finished, click
OK.
Importing individual gradebook items
First upload a .csv file to the Loading Dock, and then
import that information into the Gradebook, as follows:
Uploading a file to the Loading Dock
- In your site's menubar, click
Gradebook.
- Near the top, click
Import gradebook item from spreadsheet.
- On the
Import Gradebook Itemscreen, clickUpload spreadsheet (csv format) to Loading Dock.
- If desired, download the spreadsheet template by clicking
Download Spreadsheet Template, choosingSave File, and clickingOK.If you have already created a correctly formatted
.csvfile (see requirements above), skip to step 6. - Edit the spreadsheet in a spreadsheet application, such as Excel, and
save it as a
.csvfile.
- In the field next to "Title", type a unique name to be displayed
in the Loading Dock.
- To select a file for upload, click
Browse. Find the file on your computer, click its name, and then clickOpen.
- Click
Save.
- On the
Verify Uploadscreen, review the number of items and students for your upload, and view a display of the file's contents. If the content is correct, clickOk. If you need to select another file, clickBack.
Once a file is uploaded to the Loading Dock, its contents become available to import as a new gradebook item. To import an uploaded file's contents as a new gradebook item:
Importing a column from a file in the Loading Dock
- On the
Import Gradebook Itemscreen, find your newly uploaded file in the Loading Dock, and next to it, clickImport.
- On the
Import Previewscreen, click the radio button to select the column that represents the gradebook item and corresponding scores you want to import. (You can select only one at a time.) Then clickImport Selected.
- On the
Import Gradebook Item and Scoresscreen, enter the following information:
-
Title: The title you provided in the steps above
is automatically filled in. If you didn't provide a title earlier, you
need to provide one here. The maximum length is 255 characters.
-
Gradebook Item Point Value/Relative Weight: For
points gradebooks, enter a total point value for the gradebook
item. This must be greater than zero. Decimal values are permitted to
two decimal places.
For percentage gradebooks, enter a relative weight for the item. This can be any value. For instance, an item with a relative weight of 2 will count twice as much as an item with a relative weight of 1.
This field is not available for non-calculating gradebooks.
-
Due Date: In
mm/dd/yyformat, indicate the item's due date, or click the calendar icon () to select a date using the pop-up calendar tool. This field is not required.
- Select a column to import comments: If a column in your file contains comments, use the drop-down list to select the appropriate column, and add the comments to the import. Comments will appear next to the grades in the Gradebook. This field is not required.
-
Title: The title you provided in the steps above
is automatically filled in. If you didn't provide a title earlier, you
need to provide one here. The maximum length is 255 characters.
- To make this item's scores available to students, select
Release this Item to Students. You can deselect this later, if necessary.
- To include this item when calculating the course grade, select
Include this item in course grade calculations, if applicable. You can deselect this later, if necessary.Note: Letter grades in Gradebook are referred to as non-calculating grades. Non-calculating grades may be any string of text up to eight characters. If you want your grades calculated automatically, you must enter them as either points or percentages. See Changing the grade entry, type, and scale in Gradebook.
- When you're finished, click
Submit. You'll return to theImport Previewscreen, where you'll see confirmation that your item was added. You can now select another item for import, or click the up arrow icon () to return to the main screen; see The up arrow icon. You should see your imported assignment(s) listed under "Gradebook Items Summary".
For more information about teaching in Oncourse, contact your campus teaching and learning center.
Feature demonstrations
All the following feature demonstrations include audio, and each link will open a new window.
Last modified on January 09, 2012.








