Scales

Template:Course admin Scales are a way of evaluating students' performance. Moodle offers a standard set of numeric scales. It is also possible to create custom scales which can be available on the site. For example, you can give the student a word or small phrase as a way of rating or giving a student feedback.

Scales may be used in Forums, Glossaries and Assignments for rating and/or grading a student's activity.

Standard scales

Moodle includes 100 different numeric scales which can not be edited, and one non-numeric example.

Numeric

Moodle includes numeric scales that range from a maximum of 100 to a maximum of 1. For example, selecting a scale of 10, will allow a rating on a scale between 10 and 1. Numeric scales can be calculated as a grade.

Included non numeric scales

Included in the standard 1.9 Moodle install is a scale called "Separate and Connected ways of knowing". This has 3 elements: "Mostly Separate Knowing", "Separate and Connected", "Mostly Connected Knowing". These phrases relate to a theory about how people approach the world. In edit mode, the teacher or administrator can see the scale description which explains the use of this interesting rating system.

Creating a new scale

New scales can be created by teachers with editing rights or by administrators or by any user with the manage scales role capability (Moodle 1.7 onwards). The process is similar for making a new scale for either a course or site.

Creating course scales

Scales are located in the Grades in the course administration block.
1. For versions of Moodle prior to 1.9, click on the Scales link in the course Administration block (highlighted in red in the screenshot).
  
  Moodle 1.8 course administration block
  In Moodle 1.9 onwards, click on the Grades link in the course Administration block, then select Scales from the Edit section of the grader report Choose an action dropdown list.
On the Scales page click the "Add a new scale" button.
On the next page give your scale a name in the Name box (highlighted in red in the screenshot) that will identify it among other scales.

Creating a new scale screen: Name, Scale, Description areas
In the Scale box (highlighted in green), create your scale. Each item in the scale should be separated by a comma. You can use as many options here as you require. You must order the comma separated elements in increasing order of value. For example, an A,B,C,D scale must be entered as D,C,B,A.

- For example, you could include a four option scale refer, pass, merit, distinction or Hesitant (Fail), Acceptable, Average, Excellent depending on your curriculum/course needs.

Write a detailed description in the Description box (highlighted in blue) for your scale. Your students will have access to the description, and you can use this to give them additional feedback. The more details you put in the description, the more students will understand what each scale item means.

Creating a site scale

Creating scales that are available in every course is similar to creating one for a single course. The site administrator will find a Scales link in the site administration block under Grades. It will list the scales available on the site, except the standard numeric sales.

- In older versions of Moodle, Administrators has to create a site-wide scales by "promoting" a scale created for a course. To achieve this, add a new scale in any course, then use the move down arrow to move the scale from custom scales to standard scales (i.e. site-wide).

Using a scale

First the teacher needs to assign a specific scale to the activity using a drop down menu in the activities setting. Then the teacher and/or students can rate an activity element (for example, a post in a forum) with the pre-defined scale.

Editing a scale

A scale can only be edited if no activities are using that scale. If this is the case, you will see an Edit, move Down, and Delete icon in the edit column.

Example scales

The Cool Scale

The Cool Scale - The coolest thing ever!, Very cool, Cool, Fairly cool, Not very cool, Not cool

Affirmative Scale

General Introductions (The Affirmative Scale) - Welcome!, Glad to have you here!, Great post!

Complete

If you would like two options in your scale (incomplete and complete) type "incomplete, complete" in the scale box.

Generic Social forum scale

Generic Social Forum (This scale only worked prior to the averaging function) - Awesome!, Very cool., Interesting., Hmmm. Tell me more., I don’t understand. Please clarify.

Graphic character scales

It is possible to use a special set of characters as scales. For example in Moodle.org forums use a set of 5 stars (outlined and filled). The filled in stars advancing as the rating is higher.

- Caution. Special graphic characters can be dependent upon the browser, the loaded character sets and other variables that may not produce the same result for every student.

Documentation