The part I am starting to question in my 9th year of having a online grade book is how much does it benefit our students? In Middle School, High School, undergraduate and graduate school I had a running list of everything I had to turn in for each class that include how much it was worth and the grade I received. I knew my grade in the class at any given time. I could figure my GPA whenever I needed. My grade was NEVER a surprise. As I watch my middle school students through the years I feel they are more out of tough with what their grade is and why they have that grade. I have had graduate students not know how to figure their own grade or GPA. They have become totally dependent upon the fact they can check their grades online. I feel that being able to check you grades on line is a good tool. Teachers do miss things....we put the wrong grade in, we give assignments the wrong point values, we just miss a student in the grade book, and we sometimes forget to correct something we say we will. The fact that a student (or parent depend on the age of the student) can check grades is a good form of accountability for the teacher. Many more of my students seem shocked about their midterm grades for all of their classes when I pass them out now then when we had hard copy grade books.
Is the online grade book making students less accountable for their own grades? What are you seeing in your classrooms or with the students you interact with.