Overview

Paradigm supports the use of concurrent grading systems to give providers flexibility on how academic outcomes are awarded to course enrolments, unit enrolments, and assessments. The grading system within Paradigm is also equipped to handle changes to grading schemas that are necessary to make over time. This knowledge article will provide a detailed workflow on how you can search, add, and edit grade type items according to the business requirements of your institution.

Complexity:

Grade Type fields

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Item Fields

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Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grade Point Average (GPA) is a summary statistic that represents a student’s average performance in their studies over a stated period of time, such as one semester or over the entire course. GPAs are numbers that are often calculated to two decimal places. They are used as indicators of average grade (numerically) to provide a less ambiguous and more concrete measure of student performance than a lettered grade. GPA is also used for sorting groups of students into rank order for awards and merits.

GPA requires the allocation of grade points to each unit enrolment outcome. Specifically, this involves allocating a grade point value (e.g. 5) to a specific letter score (e.g. credit). Australian providers differ on the exact grade point scale to use, but the process is always the same. We implemented GPA in a way that reflects industry practice. You may define your own GPA scale by adding the relevant information to the grade grading schema defined in the user interface, Go to SYSTEM > Search Grade Type > search for UNIT_GRADE >, and then Edit Grade Points against each Grade Type.

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Weighted Grade Point Average

(

Weighted Average Mark (WAM)

Weighted GPA)

This value represents the weighted grade points for all unit enrolments that contain a grade point value. ie The grade points is not blank. The formula for this field is as follows
 sum(Grade Points * Credit Point) / sum(Credit Points)

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Weighted Average Mark (WAM)

Weighted Average Mark (WAM) is calculated based on a student’s actual marks (e.g. 58, 65, and so on) and the year level and weighting level defined at each base unit. If no weighting level is defined at the base unit then the system will assume a weighting of one.

Here is the detailed calculation method the system follows:

• Multiply the unit mark (Final Grade Percentage) by the unit credit point value (Credit Points) and then by the weighting level

• Sum the resulting values (Weighted Marks)

• Multiply the unit credit point value (Credit Points) by the weighting level

• Sum the resulting values (Weighted Credit Points)

• Divide the sum of the Weighted Marks by the sum of the Weighted Credit Points

• Calculate to three decimal places.

You can find the Calculated WAM button on the student’s course enrolment page.

Using the above the table the WAM is calculated as follows: 5480 / 76 = 72.10

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Grades and Enrolment Status

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Multiple

Grade Schema

Multiple grades schema can be used in Paradigm at the same time for different Courses. For example, a VET level course uses Competency Achieved / Competency not Achieved as opposed to a Higher Education Course that uses the HD, DN, CR, P, F system. When a Course of Study is established, the grade grading schema to be used for it can be selected as part of the set upsetup. This is achieved by setting the Unit Grade type and the Assessment Grade type options within the Course record. When this option has not been set or selected (the field is left blank) the system will default to using the unit_grade for the grading system.

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Percentages and Grades

For example, if a CR requires a minimum grade of 60.0 and the student achieves a 59.99 the grade will be recorded as the lower grade of a Pass. 

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Implications

Workflow

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Workflow

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> Search Grade Type

> Click the SEARCH GRADE TYPES button.

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Expand
title C. Edit existing an Existing Grade SystemItem
Status colour Blue title c. Edit existing Grade System Status colour Blue title step 1 Choose an Existing Grade Item Status colour Green title 1 System > , Status colour Green title 2 Search Grade Type > , Status colour Green title 3 Choose System > Search Grade Type > Click the SEARCH GRADE TYPES button. Image RemovedImage Added Status colour BlueGreen title step 24 A list of all Grade Types in the system will appear, as shown below: Status colour Green title 4 . Select the Grade Type that you want to edit. Image RemovedImage Added Status colour BlueGreen title step 35 After selecting a Grade Type to edit, a screen the same as below will display all the possible grades a student can achieve on within that specific Grade Type. Status colour Green title 5 Select Locate the Grade item that you want to edit and click the PENCIL📝 button icon to edit. Info NOTE: In the example below, the D grade under the UNIT_GRADE Type has been chosen. Image RemovedImage Added Status colour BlueGreen title step 46 A form to edit the details and conditions of the chosen possible grade under a Grade Type will appear. Status colour Green title 6 Edit/Update the required fieldsUpdate the fields as necessary, while ensuring that any fields that must be unique, are not changed to overwrite an existing record with that value. Refer to the Fields within the Grade Types section above “Grade Type Fields”section above under the“Key Terms and Concepts” heading for the description of each fieldsfield. Status colour Green title 7 After editing the fields, click the SAVE GRADE button to apply the changes. Image RemovedImage Added back to top

Related Pages

_{Overview | Assumptions | Key Terms and Concepts | Implications | Workflow | Video | Related Pages | Further Reading}

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