Online Assessment Policy

In order to maintain compliance with SACSCOC expectations, NOVA Online courses have two major assessment requirements:

1. Every course has at least two proctored or major assessments or activities (except 1-credit courses, which require only one).
2. Students must pass the proctored or major assessments to pass the course.

Taking an average score of the proctored assessments is the process NOVA Online uses to meet SACSCOC requirements. For example, in a course with two proctored assessments, a student could fail the midterm but show improvement on the final, bringing the average proctored assessment score above 60%, thus meeting the passing proctored assessment requirement.

Some courses may include non-proctored authentic assessments. The grading for these assessments may not require an average passing rate of 60%. Please review the course syllabus grading scale to determine the major assessment passing policy.

Directions when Submitting Final Grades

Step 1: Check Proctored/Major Assessment Averages

Students' average scores on the proctored assessments should be checked to confirm each average score falls at or above the proctored assessment (or major assessment) passing rate listed on the syllabus. Proctored assessment average scores can by checked by following the directions to check proctored assessment averages.

Step 2: Enter Grades in SIS

Canvas grades can be synced to SIS using the grading scheme enabled in the NOVA Online courses through the Get Grades from Canvas tool. Follow these directions to use Canvas to enter grades through SIS. If instructors choose not to use Canvas to enter grades through SIS, follow the directions listed on the Startup Guide for Faculty under the Submitting Grades section.

How to check proctored assessment averages

1. Click the Grades link in Course Navigation to open the grade book.
2. Scroll all the way to the right. You will see the Proctored Assessments column.

   The Proctored Assessments column shows you an overall percent a student received. Here is how Canvas calculates the percent-

   Total points a student has earned from exams in the Proctored Assessments group / Total points possible of the Proctored Assessments group = Percent that shows up for that group in the Canvas gradebook

   NOTE: If a student did not take one of the proctored assessments, enter a “0” in the column of the exam not taken. This ensures the percentage will be correctly calculated by Canvas.

3. Determine if the student passed the proctored assessment requirement AND if they passed the course.

   Example: In this example, the total points for the course is 1000.

   • The first student (1) failed the proctored assessments, therefore, they failed the class regardless of the total points they earned in the class.
     
   • The second (2) student passed the proctored assessments. You need to then verify that the total score is also a passing grade. In this example the student also passed the Total score requirement.