Aspen GradeBook Average Modes Demystified

Today's post is designed to help you ensure that your Aspen GradeBook is calculating grades as you intend! Now is a great time to do a sanity check with your GradeBook, because Aspen highly discourages making any changes to your Average Mode configuration once grades are entered against assignments!

You should coordinate your Aspen GradeBook with colleagues in the following situations:

if you are teaching a like course with other colleagues
if you and a colleague each teach one semester of a year long course

Below is a list of the Average modes available to you, and some of the pros & cons of each mode. Click here for a larger view.

I'm still not sure which Average Mode I want to use!

This document gives specific examples of calculations using the same student grades for each mode. It is a great way to see how the grades calculate! Below you can see differences in term grades using the same student data for the various methods (with some assumptions):

What is my Average Mode?

Look in the details of the individual class (GradeBook tab, select Class, Details side tab).

If you see 'GradeBook default' listed, then click your name on the top right, and click on Set Preferences. Select the GradeBook tab from the top menu of the popup window, and scroll down to see which mode you have set as your preference.

Should I change my average mode or add/delete categories after this week?
Probably not. Aspen highly discourages any changes to the GradeBook after a few assignments have been graded, especially important tests or quizzes. Changes are retroactive back to the beginning. (There are some options for different grading configuration between terms, but Aspen doesn't recommend using them). Changes would likely cause upset among some students (and parents) whose grades were adversely affected.

Do I have to use the same Average Mode with all my classes?
No! You can use different Average Modes for different courses if that makes sense to you. However, you should be using the same Averaging Mode/Category weight as colleagues teaching the same course you are, or coordinate with a colleague if you are teaching one semester only of a one year course.

Still have questions? Consult your Department Chair or Terry for assistance!

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