Q: I have three TAs in my course, and each of them will be grading the tutorials for their respective sections. The TAs need to upload grades for the students in their own sections. What is the best way to do this? If each TA imports an Excel file with grades for students from their section, is there a risk of accidentally overwriting or erasing grades for students in other sections?
A: Although it’s possible for a TA to import an Excel file with grades for students in their section, managing grading across multiple sections in a Quercus course using multiple Excel files can sometimes lead to unintended issues. For example, if a file includes data (such as names or SIS User IDs) for students from other sections — even if their grade cells are left blank — it can still overwrite existing grades. Additionally, importing grades with an incorrectly formatted spreadsheet may result in grades not being recorded.
To help you avoid those headaches, here are some better ways to manage grades in courses with multiple sections:
Option 1: Enter grades directly in SpeedGrader or the Gradebook
If the assignment requires student submissions in Quercus, TAs can enter grades directly in SpeedGrader. They can filter by section to view only the submissions from their assigned students: How do I view sections in SpeedGrader?
If the assignment does not require an online submission in Quercus, TAs can enter grades directly in the Gradebook. They can also filter the Gradebook to display only students in their respective sections.How do I filter columns and rows in the Gradebook?
Option 2: Use the UT OMR Grade Upload tool
Similar to the grade import feature in Quercus, the UT OMR Grade Upload tool allows you to upload grades into the Quercus Gradebook. While it also requires uploading a CSV file, the format is simpler than the Gradebook import. It also gives you the chance to confirm assignment and student information before final submission, which can help reduce the risk of errors. Additionally, it allows you to enter assignment comments for each student. For detailed instructions, please see our guide: How do I upload grades via the UT OMR Grade Upload Tool?
Please note that, the CSV file used for the UT OMR upload must include:
- A column for grades
- A column for either student numbers or UTORids (You can use the UT Advanced Group Tool or New Analytics to get a list of students with their names, emails, and UTORids: Download a list of the student emails and UTORid in Quercus)
If you and the TAs are more comfortable using the grade import option, the best approach is to use a shared document to collect grades and then import a single file into Quercus. For this method, we also recommend first export the Gradebook, entering the grades directly into the exported CSV file, and then importing the updated file back into Quercus – this might help minimize issues.
For further questions or assistance with importing assessment grades, please contact the EdTech Office or book a consultation.