2. Creating a Coursework Tool
Introduction
Modules that have been rolled over from the previous year may already have a coursework tool, however new modules will probably need to have a coursework tool add. There is no limit to the number of coursework tools that can be created in a module however it is typical to have just one with multiple assignments. This chapter cover the basics of creating a coursework tool, accessing it, editing the name and deleting it. The last few sections (marked advanced) will cover some of the configuration options available for the tool that you may not use but are useful to know about.
- Creating a Coursework tool
- Accessing the Coursework tool
- Renaming the Coursework tool
- Deleting spare tools
- Coursework group type (advanced)
- Coursework assessment type (advanced)
- Requiring all assignment grades (advanced)
Creating a Coursework tool
New coursework tools can be created in the Tools section near the bottom of the Module Overview Page, which you can navigate to by clicking the module title wherever it is visible. To create a new coursework tool:
- Scroll down the Module Overview page until you reach a list of the available tools (separated into Core, Occasional and Specialized)
- Select the 'Coursework Submission' tool by checking the tick box to the left of the tool name (see Figure 1a)
- Click the 'Create Tools' button.
Figure 1.1a: To create a tool, select it using the tick box and then click the Create Tool button.
Figure 1.1b: To access a tool once it has been created, click on the links to the tool either on the Modules page (Figure 1b top) or Module Overview page (Figure 1b bottom)
Accessing the Coursework tool
The newly created tool will appear in the tool table on the Module Overview page, and a link will appear under the module title on the Modules page. To access the tool, click on the 'Overview' (or 'Go to Overview' on some browsers) link in the tool table on the Module Overview (see example at bottom of Figure 1.1b) or by clicking on the name of the tool on the Modules page (see example at top of Figure 1.1b).
Renaming the Coursework tool
Those users with the appropriate permissions can change the tool name, so for example if a coursework tool is used for the reassessment diet it may be benefical to rename the tool 'Resit Coursework', or something to this effect. To change the name locate the tool in the Tool table (see Figure 2). You will see that the name appears in an editable text field. Replace the old name with the new name and click the 'Update Tools' button so save the change. Once a name has been altered it may take a few moments for the name change to filter through MMS.
Figure 1.2: Example of Tools table on the Module Overview
Deleting a Coursework tool
Unnecessary coursework tools can also be deleted on the Module Overview page:
- Locate the tool you wish to delete in the tools table (see Figure 1.2)
- The last column in the table is the 'Delete?' column and contains checkboxes for every tool
- Select the tool(s) you wish to delete by ticking the checkboxes
- Click the Delete Selected Tools button
Coursework Group Type (advanced)
Once a coursework tool has been created it can be assigned a group type. There are a few reasons why you might want to choose a group type:
- Tutors who have been assigned a coursework group of that type will see their student's by default
- It will allow you choose different due dates for an assignment based on group (for more details see the Extensions chapter of this guide)
The group type associated with a tool is listed in the tools table, and defaults to the group type that comes first alphabetically. To select a different group type simply select the preferred type from the drop down list in the Group type column (third from the left in Figure 1.2), and click the 'Update Tools' button to save.
Coursework Assessment Type (advanced)
The assessment type option on a coursework tool acts as a 'filter' on the student list contained within the tool. There are three options: Primary, Reassessment, and Deferred. By default a new coursework tool will default to an assessment type of 'Primary', which means that it will list all students expected to have grades reported in the primary exam diet, which is usually all the students on the module. The Reassessment and Deferred filters will display only those students for which registry expect resit or deferred results. The filters simply make it easier to locate the correct students when entering resit or deferred marks. It is recommended that for results outside the primary diet that if new coursework marks are required that a new coursework tool is created instead of just replacing the original marks with resit/deferred marks, this helps to keep a clean audit trail.
The Assessment type is listed in the Assessment column of the tools table (forth from the left in Figure 1.2). To change the assessment type select the preferred type from the drop down list and click the 'Update Tools' button to save.
Note: Only students whom registry are expecting resit/deferred results for will appear in a filter view. Once results are submitted the students will be removed from the filter and you will need to return the assessment type to 'Primary' to see the marks.
Requiring All Assignment Grades (advanced)
The second column from the right in the tools table (see Figure 1.2) is labelled 'Require all grades' and contains a small checkbox for each tool. This controls when the final coursework mark tool is sent to grade aggregator. By default the grade aggregator dynamical reads the coursework mark out of the coursework tool regardless of how many assignments a student has submitted. By marking the coursework tool as 'Require all grades' this prevents the grade aggregator from reading out the coursework mark until all assignments have been submitted for a student. This means that if a student has not submitted all their required assignments the grade aggregator will not calculate a module mark for the student and will calculate a status of 'Z', preventing the student from passing the module.
To mark the coursework tool as requiring all grades tick the checkbox and click the 'Update tools' button
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