LSU Scales
Scales are a way of evaluating or rating a students' performance. Moodle offers a standard set of default numeric scales that can be edited. This page shows another set of scales that are similar
Reason for LSU scales
Depending on your aggregation method, Moodle revalues the lowest value in your scale to either 0 or 1. This can be confusing and inconsistent. As a more logical alternative, the lowest value in a scale was set to 1/n or 1. As there is also a no grade option available, missing 0 was not seen as a problem.
Editing a scale
If a scale has not yet been used, you will see an edit, move, and delete icon in the edit column.
Once a scale is used for an activity, it is no longer possible to move or delete it, and you can only edit the scale name and description.
Edited default scales
The LSU scales always start with 1 (the default Moodle scales always start with 0). Here the standard Moodle scales have been edited to reflect this change.
- The Cool Scale - Not cool, Not very cool, Fairly cool, Cool, Very cool, The coolest thing ever!
- (Valued as 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6, and 6/6 respectively in any normalized aggregation method)
- (Valued as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 respectively in the sum aggregation method)
- General Introductions (The Affirmative Scale) - Welcome!, Glad to have you here!, Great post!
- (Valued as 1/3, 2/3, and 3/3 respectively in any normalized aggregation method)
- (Valued as 1, 2, and 3 respectively in the sum aggregation method)
- If you would like two options in your scale (incomplete and complete) type "incomplete, complete" in the scale box.
- (Valued as 1/2 and 2/2 respectively in any normalized aggregation method)
- (Valued as 1 and 2 respectively in the sum aggregation method)
- Generic Social Forum (This scale only worked prior to the averaging function) - Please clarify., I don’t understand., Hmmm. Tell me more., Interesting, Very cool., Awesome!
- (Valued as 1/7, 2/7, 3/7, 4/7, 5/7, 6/7, and 7/7 respectively in any normalized aggregation method)
- (Valued as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 respectively in the sum aggregation method)
- "Refer", pass, merit, distinction
- (Valued as 1/3, 2/3, and 3/3 respectively in any normalized aggregation method)
- (Valued as 1, 2, and 3 respectively in the sum aggregation method)
- "Hesitant" Fail, Acceptable, Average, Excellent
- (Valued as 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 respectively in any normalized aggregation method)
- (Valued as 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively in the sum aggregation method)
- "Stars" ☆----, ☆☆---, ☆☆☆--, ☆☆☆☆-, ☆☆☆☆☆
- (Valued as 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5, and 5/5 respectively in any normalized aggregation method)
- (Valued as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively in the sum aggregation method)
Caveats
Moodle uses the last entry to determine the number of points in the scale for computing percentages. For example, if your scale is 0,5,6,7,8,9,10 then Moodle will use a 1-7 point scale regardless of your chosen aggregation method.
- When using a normalized aggregation method, 0 will become 1/7, 5 will become 2/7, 6 will become 3/7, 7 will become 4/7, 8 will become 5/7, 9 will become 6/7, and 10 will become 7/7 for grade computation, respectively.
- When using the sum aggregation method, 0 will become 1, 5 will become 2, 6 will become 3, 7 will become 4, 8 will become 5, 9 will become 6, and 10 will become 7.
The numbers you enter for your scale are NOT calculated as entered, the system calculates the number of entries and then creates a scale from 1 to the total number of entries (n) with their values calculates as 1/n, 3/n, 4/n, 4/n....
Range
Be aware that Moodle choses the lowest and highest entries within your scale (not their numerical equivalents) and uses those values for the range. Using the star example from above, Moodle will show ☆---- - ☆☆☆☆☆ as the range. Unfortunately, when using an odd numeric scale like 0,5,6,7,8,9,10, the range will be shown as 0-10 when in reality it is 1-7. We are working to resolve this issue.
