Gradebook Micro Front-End

[gabrieldamours]

Abstract

[Based off OEROADMAP-12]

Make Open edX's gradebook micro front-end (MFE) easy to install and run on Open edX, bridge a few functionality gaps, and produce documentation.

As an instructor, I want to access a full-featured gradebook with the following minimum set of features:

• Provides grade data on a per-user or per-exercise basis
• Allows manual overriding of grades (granular and in bulk)
• Provides an audit trail of grade modifications
• Works with any number of users
• Generates downloadable reports
• Has data visualization tools
• Has APIs

Context & Background

Most commercial LMS on the market feature a centralized gradebook tool that allows bulk visualization and editing of grades. Open edX currently offers the following gradebook-like functionalities:

• A limited set of features offered via the Student Admin tab of the Instructor Dashboard
• A partially-featured gradebook tool that is only available for courses with a small number of enrolled learners.

There is a sizeable gap between Open edX's current gradebook functionalities and the minimum set of features described in the Opportunity Objective section. Making the gradebook MFE easily accessible to instructors would be a huge step forward in filling this gap.

While using a gradebook is not relevant when hosting large-scale MOOCs, a significant number of organizations use the Open edX platform to host courses with an increased focus on instructor-learner interaction, including the review and analysis of course performance. Moreover, a full-featured gradebook is one of the most frequently requested missing features for Open edX.

Scope & Approach

We (OpenCraft) conducted a technical discovery in 2020, led by Fox Piancenti and Giovanni Cimolin da Silva. If needed, we can schedule a new discovery on what's needed to develop the MFE, and how to best implement it. We'd aim to deliver in successive phases, starting with an MVP. In 2020, we estimated this project as between L (12 dev weeks) and XL (24 dev weeks).

Value & Impact

With a full-featured gradebook, instructors will have an easier time seeing, overriding, and analyzing learner grades. This will result in a more efficient workflow and will also provide useful data to improve the course experience.

A full-featured gradebook will improve the Open edX platform's competitiveness on the LMS market, and will likely increase its market share.

Milestones and/or Epics

The milestones for this project are:

• Elaborate an MFE deployment strategy
• Add bulk grade management functions (bump class grade, bulk edit and other operations)
• Add CSV export functionality
• Add CSV import functionality
• Provide quick links to the problems for the instructor to visit
• Reporting & Student performance analysis
• Have a visual dashboard to allow viewing student grades and plot data, for performance analysis and “course debugging” by instructors
• Flexible gradebook: allow multiple grades to be plugged and derived from the same problem (good for LTI integrations and ORA problems)
• Create gradebook internal APIs
• Minor improvements

Named Release

TBD

Timeline

12-24 weeks of dev time (TBD)

Proposed By

OpenCraft

Additional Info

No response

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