Dataform Grading

The Dataform activity can be used either with or without assigning course grades. By default the activity does not appear in the course gradebook but it can be easily added to gradebook by selecting a grade scale in the activity settings. Once the activity is gradable teachers can assign activity grades to participants in a variety of ways including automatic grading and advanced grading methods such as marking guide and rubrics.

Making the activity gradable

Simply select a grade scale in the activity settings. This will add a grade item to the course grade book.

Grading methods

Simple direct grading

The simplest and most straightforward grading method is to assign activity grades to participants directly in the Moodle gradebook.

Calculated and automatic grading

A more dynamic direct grading method can be applied by using an activity grade calculation. You can enter a formula consisting of certain patterns. Whenever the values of these patterns change during the activity, the Dataform will update the activity grades.

Grading by number of submitted entries

You can set the activity to assign an automatic grade equals to the number of entries submitted by the participant. The participant grade will be updated whenever the participant submits a new entry or deletes an existing entry.

A useful application of this feature can be to restrict access to course activity until participants accepted terms by opening and submitting a an entry in a designated Dataform activity.

Example 1

The following settings will assign each participant an automatic grade that is equal to the number of entries submitted by the participant, up to 5 points. The grade of the participant will be updated on every submission of a new entry or deletion of an existing entry.

Grade:	5
Grading method:	Simple direct grading
Calculation:	##numentries##

Grading by field content

You can set the activity to assign an automatic grade by aggregation of field numeric values (of supporting fields) in the participant's submitted entries. The participant grade will be updated whenever the participant updates the content of the referenced field. submits a new entry or deletes an existing entry.

The pattern syntax is

##VALUE:FIELD_PATTERN##

• VALUE: Optional. If specified, the pattern will contain only this value in the list returned from the participant's entries.
• FIELD_PATTERN: Typically the field name of the supporting field. Some field type may provide designated patterns.

In the formula the pattern should be aggregated in SUM, MAX, MIN, AVERAGE, e.g.

SUM(##VALUE:FIELD_PATTERN##)

Supporting fields:

• Entry state

Example 1

Given an entrystate field called 'State' with states Submitted (initial) and Approved, the following settings will assign each participant an automatic grade that is equal to the number of approved entries, up to 10 points.

Grade:	10
Grading method:	Simple direct grading
Calculation:	SUM(##:State##)

Marking guide

Supported but not implemented in Dataform 2.6.

Rubric

Supported but not implemented in Dataform 2.6.

Tips and tricks

Jump to course gradebook

You can jump directly to the course gradebook by clicking ‘Gradebook’ in the administration block. This link appears only when the activity is gradable.

See also

• Gradebook
• Marking guide
• Rubric