Manage Assignment Columns: Score Column Privacy, Locking, and Visibility

In your gradebooks, there are a number of options for managing how you and your students can interact with score columns. You can set columns to public or private, locked or unlocked, and even (temporarily) to hidden.

Public or Private

You can toggle columns as public or private by clicking the sharing icons and.

Public columns are shared on PlusPortals and count in students' averages. You should make columns public once you finish grading them.

Private columns aren't shared on PlusPortals and don't count in students' averages. This is useful for assignments you haven't finished grading. Although it isn't recommended, you can create public columns that aren't counted in averages as well as private columns that are counted in averages; however, this requires that you edit the column. If a column is public but not counted in averages or private but counted in averages, the averages will appear incorrect.

Scenario 1: A student has test scores of 90 and 100. These scores are both shared with the student, but the 90 score isn't counted in averages. The student sees scores of 90 and 100 resulting in an average of 100. If she doesn't know that the 90 score isn't counted in averages, this result appears incorrect, as she expects to see an average of 95.
Scenario 2: A student has test scores of 90 and 100. These scores are both counted in averages, but the 90 score isn't shared with the student. The student sees a score of 100 resulting in an average of 95. If he doesn't know that there are scores that haven't been shared with him yet, this result appears incorrect, as he expects to see an average of 100.

You can see how many shared columns you have and how many columns aren’t counted in averages at the top-left corner of your gradebook. To see which columns are included in each category, just click the number.

Locked or Unlocked

You can toggle columns as locked or unlocked by clicking the locking icons  and . Locked columns  can't be edited.

This is useful for assignments you've finished grading or aren't currently grading. Locking completed columns can prevent accidental changes. Unlocked columns  can be edited.

Temporarily Hidden

With score column commands, you can temporarily hide score columns from your gradebook, hide all but one student from score columns, or both. For example, when discussing grades with a student or their parents, you can hide any score columns you haven't finished grading as well as every other student in the columns you leave visible. Using this method, you can show a student your gradebook with only their grades in it. Once you're done, you can display all score columns and students again.

You can see how many columns are currently hidden at the top-left corner of your screen. To see which columns are hidden, click the number.