How To Library: How to Import Spreadsheets into the Gradebook

This document will demonstrate how to import assignments and grades into the Gradebook tool from external spreadsheets (such as those created in Excel).

Before you begin, make sure:

• you are logged in to bSpace with your CalNet ID or guest account (http://bspace.berkeley.edu)
• you have clicked the tab for the site you want to update
• you have editing privileges in the site

Steps

In order to eventually import an external spreadsheet file into the Gradebook, you'll first need a spreadsheet file populated with a list of all the student IDs in your course. The easiest way to get the list of student IDs into an external spreadsheet file is to first use the export feature in the Gradebook tool.

1. Click Gradebook in the left toolbar.
   
2. On the Overview screen, click the Roster button.

   

3. On the Roster screen, click the Export CSV button to export the Gradebook. You will be prompted to save the file on your computer. Saving the file to the Desktop on your computer will allow you to easily access the file later. You may also want to change the default file name to something which makes more sense to you.

4. Using a spreadsheet program such as Excel, open the exported Gradebook file you just saved. The first column of the spreadsheet will contain student IDs, the second column will contain student names, and the rest of the columns will contain assignments (if any). The final Cumulative column will contain the cumulative scores for each student. For import purposes, we recommend you delete the Cumulative column.

5. You can now add as many assignment columns as necessary to the right of the Student Name column. In the example below, we've removed the Cumulative column and added the assignments “Book Report (10),” “Peer Review (10),” and “Final Project (20).” We've included the numbers in parenthesis in the names to remind us of how many points each assignment is worth – this is just for our own reference. We've also added grades to the rows for each assignment.

   

6. Once you've added some assignments to the spreadsheet, save the file in CSV format. Most spreadsheet programs, such as Excel, allow you to do this by selecting “Save As” from the “File” menu, and then selecting “CSV” as the file type.

7. You can now upload this spreadsheet to the Gradebook tool. Click the "Upload/Import" link at the top of the Gradebook screen.
   

8. From the Upload/Import screen, click “Upload spreadsheet (csv format) to loading Dock.”

9. In the next screen, type a title for the file you are uploading, and click the Browse button. You must type a title here or it won't go to the next screen. Any title is acceptable - this is just a way for you to remember what you uploaded.

10. After clicking the Browse button and selecting the spreadsheet you want to upload, click the Save button.

11. After clicking Save, the “Verify Upload” screen will appear listing the data from the spreadsheet you are uploading. Click Ok to complete the upload.

12. The uploaded spreadsheet will now appear in the “Loading Dock” area of the “Upload/Import” screen. Click Import to start importing assignments from the uploaded spreadsheet into the Gradebook .

    

13. Clicking Import will bring you to the “Import Preview” screen. Here you can import assignments and grades into the Gradebook by clicking the circular button next to the assignment title. You can only import one assignment at a time. Once you've clicked the circular button next to the assignment you would like to import, click Import Selected.

14. You will now see the “Import Assignment and Scores” screen. The title of your assignment will automatically appear in the “Title” field, but you can change it if desired. You must also enter a point value for the assignment in the “Assignment Point Value” field. Optionally, you can also enter a due date (or click the calendar icon to select a due date from a pop-up calendar).

    Other options on this page:

    •  Include this assignment when calculating final grade: Marking this checkbox will include this assignment when calculating the final “Course Grade” in the Gradebook. Leaving this checkbox blank will cause the Gradebook to ignore this assignment when calculating the final “Course Grade.”

    •  Release assignment: Marking this checkbox will allow students to view their own grades for this assignment. Instructors often choose to leave this checkbox unmarked until all student grades are complete for a given assignment. The grades can then be “released” for the assignment by clicking the assignment in the “Overview” screen, and selecting “Edit assignment settings.”

15. After clicking Submit on the “Import Assignment and Scores” screen, you will be returned to the “Import Preview” screen. Here you can select the next assignment column to import, or click Cancel to finish the import process.
    The highlighted box indicates that “Assignment Book Report (10) has been added.” We will now continue the import process by clicking the circular button next to the next assignment you have imported and clicking Import Selected.

16. By continuing this process, we are able to finish importing all the grades from our spreadsheet. Finally, click the Overview button at the top of the screen to see that all the assignments and grades have been successfully imported and are visible on the “Overview” screen.
    

You can now import assignments and grades into the Gradebook tool. For additional support using the Gradebook tool, visit the ETS Training and Support Center How To Library for the following tutorials:

•  How to Add and Grade an Assignment in the Gradebook

•  How to Finalize Grades in the Gradebook