New online grading system to be implemented

A new SIS-Online system for entering grades was presented at the last Arts, Sciences & Engineering (AS&E) faculty meeting Oct. 23, marking a long awaited web-based changeover from a manual grade-entering system.

Faculty will now be able to submit their grades online, without having to fill in bubble sheets printed by the administration.

The system was one of many changes discussed during the redesign of Student Services that began in 1999. Though students have registered online since spring of 2000, professors have still been turning in grades manually.

The move will benefit both professors and students, according to Patricia Sheehan, Director of Technology for Academic Services and Student Affairs. "Moving the grading process to a secure web process is a win-win situation. Students will realize an improvement in service, the staff will realize a reduction in work, the institution will realize some cost savings... and faculty will no longer be required to record grades on a bubble sheet," she said.

The interface was pilot tested by ten faculty members during the second summer session and will be used by all faculty to record grades this semester. "The system was well received, perceived as intuitive and viewed as a great replacement to the bubble sheet," Sheehan said. "Courses were proofed against paper copy and all grades were accurately recorded."

Errors on bubble sheets have been a long-standing concern, as neither students nor teachers want a grade to be recorded incorrectly. The SIS-Online system is bubble-free, and errors will be reduced by the involvement of fewer staff members in the process. It is able to handle a large volume of grading transactions simultaneously, making the entire process more efficient.

Only faculty with listed courses and department chairs will have access to online grade transactions. Requests to make access possible for teaching assistants and other administrators have not yet been addressed. For faculty not entirely familiar with the SIS system, the Student Services Center will be providing two days of training sessions, possibly during the reading period, to make the transition for faculty as easy as possible.

The move to automated systems is occurring in many institutions, educational and otherwise. Within the academic realm, classes, assignments, and grading are all moving online. "I think this is a general trend that stretches beyond grading and higher education," Sheehan said. "Whenever an organization has the opportunity to improve the way they are doing business today, almost all improvements will incorporate some level of technology."