Angela Andrade told me about the website at http://www.engrade.com. It is a free site where instructors can post grades and students can access them at any time. Some features of the site that instructors may find useful include the ability to:
- keep track of students' progress
- maintain a running calculation of students' grades based on category percentages the instructor inputs
- immediately see average grades for each assignment or assessment, to determine if reteaching is necessary
- maintain attendance records
- communicate with students via email
- maintain a calendar of events, assignments, etc.
- keep records for all of your classes in one spot
- list the same assignment in more than one class at a time
- export all information to Excel
- archive completed classes for reference
Advantages for students include the ability to:
- keep abreast of their grades
- check what assignments they have not turned in, especially if not present in class
- be sure that all grades are correctly recorded
- find out grades on tests and assignments just as soon as instructor posts them
I have used this site for two semesters now and my students and I both appreciate the features it provides. It is also another tool for those of us who are looking for ways to incorporate technology into our classrooms. I recommend you register and input either a current class you are teaching or make one up just to try it out. If you have any questions, there is a help tab, and you can even contact Engrade directly. I am happy to answer any questions as well, and I would imagine that Angela knows even more about the site and its features than I do. After visiting the site, please post any comments you have to share with us.
Thanks, Lynda