Exporting end-of-semester grades to SIS

The egrade process allows UW-Green Bay instructors to transfer final letter grades from their D2L gradebook to their SIS grade roster with just a few mouse clicks. This greatly streamlines the grade submission process at the end of the semester for instructors who use the D2L gradebook.

Questions should be addressed to Andy Speth (x5019, spetha@uwgb.edu), Leif Nelson (x2933, nelsonl@uwgb.edu), or the Learning Technology Center (x2286, learntech@uwgb.edu).

Instructors unfamiliar with the egrade process are welcome to meet with either Andy Speth or Leif Nelson well before the grade submission window. We can describe the process and ensure that your gradebook is set up correctly so the process goes smoothly at the end of the semester.

What is required: An instructor must have a D2L course and use the D2L gradebook. The D2L gradebook must include a Final Grade column using the Adjusted Grade (rather than the Calculated Grade) and must have a grading scheme assigned to that column. The grading scheme will probably be a new grading scheme defined by the instructor but it can be one of the Organization Schemes available to all instructors. The grading scheme must produce valid letter grades, e.g., A, AB, B., and cannot include A+, A/B, Ok, Pass, etc.

How it works: At the end of the semester the instructor looks over the D2L Gradebook and confirms that it is complete. With two clicks of the mouse the final grades are transferred to SIS. The instructor logs into SIS and navigates to their grade roster. The instructor clicks one button and the grades that were exported from D2L are brought into the Grade Input column of SIS. The instructor confirms, saves, and approves their grades in SIS. Step-by-step instructions follow in this document.

Who benefits most: Instructors using the D2L gradebook with large classes will benefit most from this process. Instructors with very small classes might choose to enter grades in SIS as they have in the past.

What if I make a mistake on a grade: An instructor can still change one or more grades in the SIS after the import and before the grades are approved.

What if I don't want to use it: This process is completely optional. Any instructor is welcome to ignore this process and enter their grades in SIS as they have in the past.

The process of transporting final grades from D2L to SIS follows.

1. Logon to D2L and go to the gradebook of the completed course.
2. Check over the final grade. Note that letter grades are determined by the Adjusted Grade, not the Calculated Grade (read more). The final grade must use a grade scheme that produces only those characters recognized by the SIS, e.g., A, AB, B, etc. It cannot include characters such as A/B, B+, 90%, etc. Most instructors create their own grade schemes so they can define the exact grade cutoffs but the built-in schemes are also available for use. Instructors can create a separate grade scheme to apply only to the final grade. Note that it is acceptable to leave some student final grades empty in D2L as long as those grades are later entered in SIS.
3. Click on the Import/Export button in the gradebook. Then click on the third import/export option: "Send final course grades to the SIS..." (Note that the "Send final course grades..." option will not display if the gradebook was never set up.) You will see a "Grades Export was successful! " message when the grades are sent. If you see an html 500 error, wait a few minutes and try again.
4. Currently, grade files are uploaded to our SIS every five minutes, but that time might be adjusted. There is also a three minute delay after the grades arrive until they make it into the SIS course gradebook. So, after grades are exported from D2L the instructor will have to wait anywhere from three to eight minutes. An email is automatically sent to the instructor when the grades arrive in the SIS. Please wait for this email.
5. Logon to the SIS and navigate to the Record Grades section for the desired course. If the grade file is there, you will see a yellow "Import D2L Grades" button. Click it and the grades appear in the SIS grade table. Note that this process overwrites existing grades in the SIS gradetable so any grades already entered in the gradetable will be replaced with whatever grade is being imported from D2L. This also means that instructors can import grades, return to D2L to make large-scale changes, and re-import the grades. It also means that an instructor can try it with just a few final grades and then come back and finish with all grades.
6. Check over the grades and make changes as you see fit. Look for any missing grades and any grades that came in with unusual characters. Make corrections as needed.
7. Approve your grades in the SIS as you normally do.

Notes on the Calculated and Adjusted Grades and grade schemes:

The structure of the D2L gradebook suggests that instructors can use either the Calculated grade or the Adjusted grade. For purposes of the egrade process, that is not correct. We did some testing and the only grades that transfer are the letter grades associated with the Adjusted grades - letter grades associated with Calculated grades are not transferred.

Notes and FAQ:

Who do I contact for help? Contact Andy Speth (x5019) or Leif Nelson (x2399) in the LTC if you have any questions on grade schemes or any other D2L issue or any other issue pertaining to this egrade process.

When can I transfer my D2L grades to SIS? You can transfer grades from your D2L course to SIS any time during the open grading window at the end of the semester until the grades are posted in SIS.

Can I transfer my grades more than once? Yes, you can transfer grade files from D2L to SIS as often as you like until the course grades are posted in SIS. Each time you import grades into a SIS grade table they replace previously existing grades. Remember, it might take as long as eight minutes before the new grades are ready in SIS; wait for the email.

What if I have multiple sections in my D2L course? When you export grades from a D2L course all grades for all sections go. Each section in SIS picks up the appropriate students and grades.

What if my D2L course has more than one instructor? Any instructor in a D2L course can initiate the grade export process. Also, all instructors in a D2L course get an email when the grades get to SIS (At least I think so. I haven't been able to confirm.) In any case, only the instructor of record can logon to SIS, import the grades, and finalize the grades.

What if I unenroll a student from my D2L course? Don't do this. It's much better to leave the student in the roster and deal with it in the SIS.

Can I use the same grade scheme in more than one D2L course? Yes, but you must import it into the additional courses.

Can I create a new grade scheme in a D2L gradebook that I use only for the final grade? Absolutely.

Is there additional documentation for this process? Yes, UW-System created a supporting document for instructors. It is available here in a Word format .

November 20, 2007