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Making Course Recommendations in Aspen

This is such a busy time of year!  Between grading Midterm exams, using Aspen to post your students' grades, and making course recommendations for next year there is a lot to do! Here are some resources and a few tips for making course recommendations a little easier!

Configure your Aspen account to make course recommendations:

While logged into Aspen, click on your name, and Set Preferences.

Choose the GradeBook Tab, and click on Show course selection recommendation:

Clicking Show course selection recommendation activates the Course Selection options in Gradebook>Scores.  You probably want to uncheck this after you have made your recommendations.  It takes up a lot of visual space in your GradeBook!  


Clicking the other two options provides a new icon next to the student name in Staff View>Gradebook >Scores.  

Clicking the icon above provides two tabbed information sheets for the student - their home and contact information under Demographic, and their current schedule/grades under Academics. 


Making your Recommendations:

While in the Staff View, select a section and navigate to GradeBook>Scores.  There you will find the activated Course recommendation cells.  





Click on the arrow in a Recommendation column to select a course recommendation for that student.  
A list will appear for you to select the recommended course.

A couple of pieces of information:

  • You can select up to two recommended courses for each student.
  • You may only select courses in the same department as the course you are teaching the student.
  • You may make comments in the Comments box located next to the recommendation explaining why you made that recommendation.  These comments are viewable by parents and students in the portal.

Quick Tips:

Fill-Down Values:

If you want to recommend the same course for most or all of your students in a class, select the course for the first student.  Then, click Options>Fill-Down Values.  

Click on the recommended course again, and that course should fill down to every student.  You can make changes to any student you want to recommend a different course for.


Navigate (or search) from one class to another:

Use the arrows found near the top right of GradeBook>Scores to navigate to the next class!


Optional but Recommended:  Print a report of your recommendations:

While in GradeBook>Scores, click the Reports tab and select Course/Teacher Recommendation Export:


This report may come in very handy in the next few weeks as students request their courses, and you have discussions with them about which course(s) you recommended and why!

Communicate your recommendations to your student/parent:


Be sure to let your students know which course you are recommending them for and why!


Resources:




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