How To Use Canvas What If Grades

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Canvas offers one of the most useful tools for students, the ‘What If’ grades feature. This feature enables you to anticipate your grades by factoring in various hypothetical situations. In this blog, we will guide you through the usage of this feature, which can assist you in effectively managing your time and effort.

What is the ‘What If’ Grades Feature?

‘What If’ grades are hypothetical scores that you can enter for assignments. By entering these scores, Canvas will recalculate your total grade as if you have secured those scores for the assignments. This feature is incredibly useful when trying to determine what grades you need to achieve on future assignments to reach your overall grade goal.

How to Use the ‘What If’ Grades Feature

The ‘What If’ grades feature is quite simple to use. Follow the steps below:

  1. Log into your Canvas account and navigate to the course where you want to use the ‘What If’ grades feature.
  2. Click on “Grades” in the course navigation menu.
  3. In the Grades page, you’ll see a list of all the assignments for that course. To the right of each assignment, you’ll see a column titled ‘What-If Score’.
  4. Click on the score next to the assignment you want to change. This will allow you to enter a hypothetical score for that assignment.
  5. Enter your desired ‘What If’ grade. Press ‘Enter’ or click outside of the score field to save the hypothetical grade.
  6. Canvas will automatically recalculate your total grade based on the new ‘What If’ grade.

Remember, the ‘What If’ grades only appear on your screen and do not affect your actual grades in any way. You can adjust them as many times as you wish until you reach your desired total grade.

Benefits of the ‘What If’ Grades Feature

The ‘What If’ grades feature has various benefits, including:

  • Strategic Planning: It allows students to plan strategically, helping them understand what grades they need to achieve in future assignments to reach their desired final grade.
  • Goal Setting: It encourages students to set realistic goals, contributing to better performance.
  • Reducing Anxiety: It reduces anxiety among students by providing a clear picture of possible outcomes, allowing them to focus more on learning rather than worrying about grades.

Conclusion

The ‘What If’ grades feature is a powerful tool that Canvas offers to students. By using this feature, you can strategize your efforts, set achievable goals, and reduce academic stress. Experiment with this feature and use it to your advantage to reach your academic goals.