A&S Learning Design & Technology Knowledge Base

Linking an exam or assignment to Lessons

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For Spring semester 2021, UVA has a new Gradescope integration. 

 For instructors who used Gradescope prior to Spring 2021, the following process will be slightly different from what you are used to. Essentially, each Gradescope assignment must now be linked through the Lessons tool. This provides for a more seamless Gradebook integration than was previously available, allowing the instructor to manually edit grades imported by Gradescope. 

Add the Lessons tool to your site

If you do not already have the Lessons tool on your Collab site, you will need to add it.

Go to "Site Settings." Select "Manage Tools." Scroll down until you see "Lessons" and check the box next to it. Click "Continue" then "Finish" as prompted.

Note: If you are not using Lessons for anything else in your site, you can hide the Lessons tool from students to reduce confusion and visual clutter. To hide a tool, select "Tool Order" in site settings. Click the gear next to the tool, then select "Make Tool Invisible to Students." Click Save.

UVACollab Test : Gradescope test : Site Settings - Google Chrome

Linking a Gradescope assignment to Lessons

Linking your Gradescope assignment to Lessons is necessary in order for the Gradebook integration to work properly. You can link the assignment when creating it or after creating it, as long as it is linked BEFORE you send grades for that assignment to Gradebook.

Select the Lessons tool from your navigation bar in Collab.

Click "Add Content."

Select "Add External Tool."

Select Gradescope from the list of available tools.

You will see a dialogue box with Gradescope pop up. Select if you would rather link with "A new Gradescope Assignment" or "An existing Gradescope Assignment" that you already created in this course.

It is much simpler to link an existing assignment you already created in Gradescope. Creating the assignment within Lessons is slightly more complicated. 

Linking an existing assignment to Lessons

Selecting "An existing Gradescope Assignment" will display all the unlinked assignments on your Gradescope course and allow you to select one of them. Click "Link Assignment." Your assignment is now linked and you are finished with the process.

This method is the simplest way to link a Gradescope assignment with Lessons. 

Creating a new Gradescope assignment within Lessons

If you select "A new Gradescope Assignment," after clicking "Link Assignment," you will be shown the standard dialogue box to choose an assignment type to create. Select the type of assignment you would like.

(For more information on these assignment types, see the articles on online assignments, homework assignments, and exams.)

UVACollab Test : Test 2 : Lessons - Google Chrome

Note: If you create a new assignment within Lessons, your view will be limited by the size of the dialogue box (which cannot be resized). This is one of the reasons it is easier to create your assignment beforehand in Gradescope and then link it to lessons through the "Link with an existing Gradescope Assignment" option.

Regardless of what type of assignment you select, you will be given options to name the assignment, upload a template if relevant, and establish release and due dates. Once you have entered this information, click "Create Assignment."

UVACollab Test : Test 2 : Lessons - Google Chrome

Once your assignment has been created, you will be brought back to the Lessons page. Click the name of the assignment you just created in order to finish setting it up.

A full Gradescope window will open within Lessons, allowing you to finish setting up your assignment as you normally would in Gradescope.

(For more information on creating assignments, see the articles on online assignments, homework assignments, and exams.)

Click "Save Assignment." Your assignment is now created and linked.

Student Access

Students will be able to access the assignment either through the Lessons tab or the Gradescope tab. Some instructors may find it helpful to hide one tool or the other to reduce student confusion on where to access the assignment. 

If you are using the Lessons tool in your course, but would like students to access and complete assignments exclusively through Gradescope, consider hiding only the Lessons page to which the Gradescope assignments are linked and leaving your other Lessons pages accessible.

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