Features & Development

feature request: grade sheet integration

Re: feature request: grade sheet integration

by Jan Hlavacek -
Number of replies: 0
 While I am not in principle opposed to integrating some sort of gradebook or spreadsheet functionality into WeBWorK, I expect there would be some issues:

  1. Privacy: there are regulations concerning handling private information such as grades, for example, whatever gradebook WeBWorK implements, in order to use it in the US, it will have to comply with the FERPA. 
  2. I have a bad feeling about this idea simply based on my experience with numerous proprietary publisher provided solutions such as MyMathLab. These all include complicated gradebooks, class management tools and whatnot, but in the end they are not really very good at what they are supposed to do, that is an online homework and exam system. Havig an integrated gradebook would be nice, but the main emphasis for WeBWorK should always be, IMHO, to be the best system for delivering homework, quizzes etc.
  3. Right now exporting grades from WeBWorK is fairly easy, and as far as I can tell, the LMS integration also works well.  I just experienced a minor end of semester meltdown while trying to export grades from MyMathLab course and import them into our LMS.  In te past I worked with a clicker system in couple of my classes that implemented a complete extremely complicated student tracking system, with database that icluded things like free lunch status and so on, but it was completely impossible to simply export student clicker scores at the end of the semester.  I spent like 8 hours trying, and anded up giving everybody full credit on the clicker portion of their grades. I don't want WeBWorK to become like that.
All that said, if anyone wants to implement spreadsheet like capabilities for WeBWorK, you may want to take a look at the Gamma