Straight answers to the questions instructors ask before trying Gradescope, and the ones that come up once they do.
Jump to: Deciding · Setting up · Grading and grades · Students · Support
Deciding
Is Gradescope worth it for my course?
It helps most when you have many submissions, several questions per assignment, or more than one grader. Paper exams, problem sets, bubble-sheet exams, and coding assignments are the strongest fits. Courses built mainly on long essays usually see smaller time savings. See which assessments fit best.
Will setting it up take longer than it saves?
Your first assignment takes the most time, because you mark where each question sits on the page and build a rubric. After that, grading goes question by question, and you can duplicate the assignment next term to keep its outline and rubric. OIE can build your first one with you.
Can I try it on one assignment first?
Yes. Start with one exam or problem set. Nothing else in your Blackboard course changes.
Does it work for my discipline?
Gradescope reads handwritten and typed work, so it is not limited to STEM. Written short answers, diagrams, and worked problems all grade the same way. Watch the recorded non-STEM webinar for examples.
Setting up
How do I open Gradescope?
From your Blackboard course: Books & Tools, then View course & institution tools, then Gradescope Course. You sign in with your SU NetID, with no separate password. If you are not using Blackboard, go to gradescope.com/saml and choose Syracuse University. See every step with screenshots.
Can my TAs grade?
Yes. TAs and co-instructors in your Blackboard course come over when you sync your roster, and everyone can grade the same assignment at the same time.
One step after syncing: TAs come into Gradescope with the Instructor role, which gives them full access to course settings and grades. On Gradescope’s Roster page, use the Role dropdown next to each TA to change it to TA. Syncing again updates roles to match Blackboard, so check them after each sync.
Which bubble sheet do I use?
Print Gradescope’s free 200-question template on regular paper from any printer. After the exam, scan the sheets on any copier and upload the PDF. Gradescope scores every sheet against your answer key, including partial credit.
Grading and grades
Do grades go to my Blackboard gradebook?
Yes, with one click, as long as you synced the assignment from Blackboard: Content Market, then Gradescope Assignment. Open the assignment’s Review Grades page and select Post Grades to Blackboard. Only fully graded submissions post.
What if I change my mind about a deduction halfway through?
Edit the rubric item. Every submission already graded with it updates automatically, so the first and last papers are graded the same way.
How do I handle exams from the Center for Disability Resources?
Download completed exams from the Disability Faculty Portal and add the file to your Gradescope assignment with the rest of the class. For online or homework assignments, give individual students more time on the assignment’s Extensions page.
Students
What do my students have to do?
For in-class exams you scan, nothing. For homework, they open the assignment link in Blackboard and upload their work from a phone or computer. They sign in with their NetID. Share Gradescope’s Student Hub with your class. It walks students through submitting work and viewing grades.
When do students see their feedback?
Their marked work appears in Gradescope when you select Publish Grades. Once published, they see each rubric item and comment, and can submit regrade requests if you allow them. Scores you post to Blackboard follow your Blackboard gradebook settings.
Support
Is training available?
Yes. Follow the step-by-step setup with short videos, browse Gradescope Tips, watch the recorded webinars, or set up a time with OIE to work through your own assignment. OIE can also visit a faculty or department meeting.
Who do I contact?
For whether and how to use Gradescope in your course, contact OIE at gradescope@syr.edu. For problems inside Gradescope, such as an upload or scanning error, contact help@gradescope.com. For Blackboard sign-in or a course not appearing, contact the ITS Service Center at help@syr.edu or 315.443.2677.
Want help with your first one?
Bring an exam or assignment you already use, and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness will help you decide whether Gradescope fits it and how to set it up. We can:
- Build your first assignment with you, using your own exam or problem set
- Come to a faculty or department meeting to show how colleagues in similar courses use it
- Point you to a webinar on the way you grade, such as bubble sheets or programming autograders
Where to go for other help: problems inside Gradescope, such as an upload or scanning error, go to Gradescope support at help@gradescope.com. Problems with Blackboard itself, such as signing in or a course not appearing, go to the ITS Service Center at help@syr.edu or 315.443.2677.