Grading Documentation Update

DOC-97
DOC-176

Added note about grading subsections only, and vertical bars
representing subsections in progress tab

docs/en_us/course_authors/source/building_course/establish_grading_policy.rst

@@ -23,34 +23,40 @@ Establishing a grading policy takes several steps. You must:
 Set the Grade Range
 *******************
 
-You must set the grade range for the course.  For example, your course can be pass/fail, or can have letter grades A through F.
+You must set the grade range for the course.  For example, your course can be
+pass/fail, or can have letter grades A through F.
 
-To set the grade range, from the **Settings** menu, select **Grading**.  
+To set the grade range, from the **Settings** menu, select **Grading**.
 
 The control for the grade range is at the top of the Grading page.
 
 .. image:: ../Images/grade_range.png
-  :width: 800
   :alt: Image of the Grade Range control
 
-The above example shows that you have a pass/fail grade range, with a score of 50 as the cutoff. This is the default setting used when you create a course.
+The above example shows that you have a pass/fail grade range, with a score of
+50 as the cutoff. This is the default setting used when you create a course.
 
 You use the grade range control to change these settings:
 
 * To add a grade in the range, click the **+** icon.
 
-  A new grade is added to the range between the existing grades. For example, if you add a grade in the default setting, 
-  the grade range changes to **F** (0 to 50), **B** (50 to 75), and **A** (75 to 100):
+  A new grade is added to the range between the existing grades. For example, if
+  you add a grade in the default setting, the grade range changes to **F** (0 to
+  50), **B** (50 to 75), and **A** (75 to 100):
 
   .. image:: ../Images/grade_range_b.png
-    :width: 800
     :alt: Image of an altered Grade Range control
 
-* To change the score range, hover the mouse over the line dividing two grades, click and drag the line left or right.  
+* To change the score range, hover the mouse over the line dividing two grades,
+  click and drag the line left or right.
 
-  You can see the range numbers of the two grades adjacent to the line change. Release the mouse button when the line is where you want it.
+  You can see the range numbers of the two grades adjacent to the line change.
+  Release the mouse button when the line is where you want it.
   
-* To change the name of the grade, double-click the current name of the grade to select it, and then start typing the name of the new grade. For example, if the original name of the grade is "Pass", you can double-click "Pass" and then type "Excellent" to replace the name.
+* To change the name of the grade, double-click the current name of the grade to
+  select it, and then start typing the name of the new grade. For example, if
+  the original name of the grade is "Pass", you can double-click "Pass" and then
+  type "Excellent" to replace the name.
 
   You cannot change **F** or **Fail**. 
 
@@ -60,7 +66,8 @@ You use the grade range control to change these settings:
   
   You cannot remove F or A.
   
-After you make any changes to the grade range, you must click **Save Changes** at the bottom of the page.
+After you make any changes to the grade range, you must click **Save Changes**
+at the bottom of the page.
 
 
 .. _Set the Grace Period:
@@ -71,9 +78,11 @@ Set the Grace Period
     
 You can set a grace period that extends homework due dates for your students. 
 
-.. note:: The grace period applies to the whole course; you cannot set a grace period for individual assignments.
+.. note:: The grace period applies to the whole course; you cannot set a grace
+ period for individual assignments.
   
-In the Grading page, under **Grading Rules & Policies**, enter a value in the **Grace Period on Deadline** field. Enter the value in Hours:Minutes format.
+In the Grading page, under **Grading Rules & Policies**, enter a value in the
+**Grace Period on Deadline** field. Enter the value in Hours:Minutes format.
 
 .. _Configure the Assignment Types:
 
@@ -81,7 +90,8 @@ In the Grading page, under **Grading Rules & Policies**, enter a value in the **
 Configure the Assignment Types
 ******************************
 
-You must create assignment types for your course and determine the weight of the student's total grade for each assignment type. 
+You must create assignment types for your course and determine the weight of the
+student's total grade for each assignment type.
 
 For example, you may have:
 
@@ -96,9 +106,11 @@ By default, a new course you create has four assignment types:
 * Midterm Exam
 * Final Exam
 
-You can use these assignment types, modify or remove them, and create new assignment types.
+You can use these assignment types, modify or remove them, and create new
+assignment types.
 
-To create a new assignment type, in the bottom of the Grading page, click **New Assignment Type**, then configure the fields described below.
+To create a new assignment type, in the bottom of the Grading page, click **New
+Assignment Type**, then configure the fields described below.
 
 ==========================
 Assignment Type Fields
@@ -135,7 +147,8 @@ You configure the following fields for each assignment type:
   
 * **Number of Droppable**
   
-  The number of assignments of this type that the grader will drop. The grader will drop the lowest-scored assignments first.            
+  The number of assignments of this type that the grader will drop. The grader
+  will drop the lowest-scored assignments first.
 
 
 .. _Set the Assignment Type for Graded Subsections:
@@ -143,21 +156,33 @@ You configure the following fields for each assignment type:
 **********************************************
 Set the Assignment Type for Graded Subsections
 **********************************************
-After you configure assignment types, as you are organizing your course, 
-you set the assignment type for subsections that contain problems that are to be graded. Courses are organized to include sections and subsections. Each subsection that contains problems to be graded can include only one assignment type. See :ref:`subsections` for more information.
+After you configure assignment types, as you are organizing your course, you set
+the assignment type for subsections that contain problems that are to be graded.
 
-.. note:: You can designate a Subsection as one, and only one, of the assignment types you configured. You can also set a due date.
+Each subsection that contains problems to be graded can include only one
+assignment type. See :ref:`subsections` for more information.
+
+.. note:: You can only set assignment types and due dates at the subsection
+ level. You cannot set assignment types or due dates for entire sections or
+ for individual units within subsections. Additionally, you can designate a
+ subsection as one, and only one, of the assignment types you configured.
   
-See :ref:`subsections` for general instructions on configuring a Subsection. See :ref:`Set the Grading Policy` for instructions on designating a subsection as a graded assignment.
+See :ref:`subsections` for general instructions on configuring a subsection. See
+:ref:`Set the Grading Policy` for instructions on designating a subsection as a
+graded assignment.
 
-Within a graded Subsection, you create problems of the type designated for that Subsection. 
-You should not mix problems of different assignment types in the same Subsection.
+Within a graded subsection, you create problems of the type designated for that
+subsection. You cannotß not mix problems of different assignment types in the
+same subsection.
 
-For example, if you want to create a homework assignment and a lab for a specific topic, create two Subsections. 
-Set one Subsection as the Homework assignment type and the other as the Lab assignment type. 
-Both Subsections can contain other content as well as the actual homework or lab problems.
+For example, if you want to create a homework assignment and a lab for a
+specific topic, create two subsections. Set one subsection as the Homework
+assignment type and the other as the Lab assignment type. Both subsections can
+contain other content as well as the actual homework or lab problems.
 
-.. note:: You can create problems in Studio without specifying that the Subsection is an assignment type. However, such problems will not count toward a student's grade.
+.. note:: You can create problems in Studio without specifying that the
+ subsection is an assignment type. However, such problems do not count toward
+ a student's grade.
 
 See :ref:`Working with Problem Components` for instructions on creating problems. 
 
@@ -167,23 +192,24 @@ See :ref:`Working with Problem Components` for instructions on creating problems
 Set the Grading Policy
 =======================
 
-You can designate a subsection as one of the assignment types that you specified in the grading policy.
+You can designate a subsection as one of the assignment types that you specified
+in the grading policy.
 
 You set the grading policy for the subsection from two places:
 
 * The course outline 
 * The subsection page
 
-From the course outline, click the checkmark next to the subsection.  Then select a grading policy from the popup menu:
+From the course outline, click the checkmark next to the subsection.  Then
+select a grading policy from the popup menu:
 
     .. image:: ../Images/course_outline_set_grade.png
-       :width: 600
        :alt: Image of the assignment type for a subsection
 
-From the subsection page, click the text next to the **Graded as** label, then select a grading policy from the popup menu:
+From the subsection page, click the text next to the **Graded as** label, then
+select a grading policy from the popup menu:
 
     .. image:: ../Images/subsection_set_grade.png
-       :width: 600
        :alt: Image of the assignment type on the subsection page
 
 See :ref:`Establish a Grading Policy` for more information.
@@ -193,22 +219,34 @@ See :ref:`Establish a Grading Policy` for more information.
 Set the Due Date
 ==================
 
-For subsections that contain graded problems, you can set a due date. Students must complete the problems in the subsection before the due date to get credit. All problems in a subsection have the same due date.
+For subsections that contain graded problems, you can set a due date. Students
+must complete the problems in the subsection before the due date to get credit.
+All problems in a subsection have the same due date.
 
-#. From the subsection page, click **SET A DUE DATE**. The Due Day and Due Time fields appear.
-#. Place the cursor in the Due Date field, and pick a day from the popup calendar.
+#. From the subsection page, click **SET A DUE DATE**. The Due Day and Due Time
+   fields appear.
+#. Place the cursor in the Due Date field, and pick a day from the popup
+   calendar.
 #. Place the cursor in the Due Time field and pick a time.
 
-.. note:: When you set a due date, keep in mind that students will be in different time zones. By default, the time zone appears as UTC, not the student's local time. If you tell your students an assignment is due at 5:00 PM, make sure to specify that the time is 5:00 PM UTC and point them to a time converter.
+.. note:: When you set a due date, keep in mind that students will be in
+ different time zones. By default, the time zone appears as UTC, not the
+ student's local time. If you tell your students an assignment is due at 5:00
+ PM, make sure to specify that the time is 5:00 PM UTC and point them to a
+ time converter.
 
-You can also :ref:`Set the Grace Period` for your assignments to cover any misunderstandings about time. For example, some classes have set a grace period of 1 day, 6 hours, and 1 minute. The grace period applies to all assignments.
+You can also :ref:`Set the Grace Period` for your assignments to cover any
+misunderstandings about time. For example, some classes have set a grace period
+of 1 day, 6 hours, and 1 minute. The grace period applies to all assignments.
 
-Students see the due date in the course accordian under the subsection title. For example:
+Students see the due date in the course accordian under the subsection title.
+For example:
 
 .. image::  ../Images/Subsection_due_date.png
-  :alt: Image of subsection due dates in the course accordian
+  :alt: Image of subsection due dates in the course accordion
 
-There are several problems in this subsection, all due November 3, 2013 at 23:30 UTC.
+There are several problems in this subsection, all due November 3, 2013 at 23:30
+UTC.
 
 
 
@@ -218,10 +256,21 @@ There are several problems in this subsection, all due November 3, 2013 at 23:30
 **************************
 The Student View of Grades
 **************************
-Once a grading policy is in place, students can view both their problem scores and the percent completed and current grade in the **Progress** tab for the course.
+Once a grading policy is in place, students can view both their problem scores
+and the percent completed and current grade in the **Progress** tab for the
+course.
   
   .. image:: ../Images/Progress_tab.png
-    :width: 800
     :alt: Image of the student Progress tab
 
-.. note:: The **x** for an assignment in the Progress tab indicates that the assignment grade is currently dropped. You configure how many assignments are dropped when you :ref:`Configure the Assignment Types`.
+Each item in the X axis of the chart is for a graded subsection. Graded problems
\ No newline at end of file
+in units are not broken out in the chart; the score from each problem in the
+subsection is added to that vertical bar.
+
+Graded subsections are grouped in the chart by assignment type rather than
+listed in chronological order. For example, all homework exercises are grouped
+together, followed by labs, then exams.
+
+.. note:: The **x** for an assignment in the Progress tab indicates that the
+ assignment grade is currently dropped. You configure how many assignments are
+ dropped when you :ref:`Configure the Assignment Types`.
\ No newline at end of file

docs/en_us/course_authors/source/change_log.rst

@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ Change Log
    :header-rows: 1
 
    * - Date
-     - Change   
-   * - 3/31/14 
+     - Change  
+   * - 04/01/14 
+     - Update the :ref:`Establish a Grading Policy` chapter to emphasize that grading is applied to subsections only. 
+   * - 03/31/14 
      - Expanded the :ref:`Grades` chapter to include the new :ref:`Review_Answers` section.
    * - 03/27/14
      - Updated the :ref:`Add Pages` section to reflect feature changes.

docs/en_us/course_authors/source/creating_content/create_discussion.rst

@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ Working with Discussion Components
 Overview
 *******************
 
-You can add a Discussion component to a Unit, to pose a question related to the Unit and give students a chance to respond and interact.
+You can add a Discussion component to a Unit, to pose a question related to the
+Unit and give students a chance to respond and interact.
 
 See the following topics:
 
@@ -16,7 +17,10 @@ See the following topics:
 * :ref:`A Student's View of the Discussion`
 
 
-Before you add a Discussion component, it is generally a good idea to add an HTML component that introduces the topic to be discussed. The Discussion component itself does not contain any text and may be easy for students to overlook. 
+Before you add a Discussion component, it is generally a good idea to add an
+HTML component that introduces the topic to be discussed. The Discussion
+component itself does not contain any text and may be easy for students to
+overlook.
 
 Also see the following chapters:
 
@@ -29,11 +33,15 @@ Also see the following chapters:
 Create a Discussion Component 
 *****************************
 
-.. note:: Before you create a Discussion component, consider that Discussion categories are immediately visible in your forum (on the Discussion tab for your course) when you create them, even though the unit that contains the Discussion component is set to Private.
+.. note:: Before you create a Discussion component, consider that Discussion
+ categories are immediately visible in your forum (on the Discussion tab for
+ your course) when you create them, even though the unit that contains the
+ Discussion component is set to Private.
 
 
-To create a new HTML component in an existing Unit, ensure the Unit is Private.  
-For more information on Public and Private Units, see :ref:`Public and Private Units`.
+To create a new Discussion component in an existing Unit, ensure the Unit is
+Private. For more information on Public and Private Units, see :ref:`Public and
+Private Units`.
 
 #. Under **Add New Component**, click the **discussion** icon.
 
@@ -53,33 +61,41 @@ For more information on Public and Private Units, see :ref:`Public and Private U
    .. image:: ../Images/DiscussionComponentEditor.png
     :alt: Image of the discussion component editor
 
-#. Follow the guidelines in the editor to fill in the **Category**, **Display Name**, and **Subcategory**. 
+#. Follow the guidelines in the editor to fill in the **Category**, **Display
+   Name**, and **Subcategory**.
   
 #. Click **Save**.
 
+.. note:: For a Discussion component to be visible in the **Discussion** tab's
+ topic drop-down list, the unit must be published and the section and
+ subsection must have a release date in the past. See :ref:`Publishing Your
+ Course` for more information.
+
 .. _A Student's View of the Discussion:
 
 **********************************
 A Student's View of the Discussion 
 **********************************
 
-For students, Discussion component names appear in the course ribbon at the top of the page:
+For students, Discussion component names appear in the course ribbon at the top
+of the page:
 
 .. image:: ../Images/DiscussionComponent_LMS_Ribbon.png
- :alt: Image of a unit from a student's point of view with the component list showing a discussion component
+ :alt: Image of a unit from a student's point of view with the component list
+     showing a discussion component
 
-The Discussion space appears under other components in the unit. 
-It doesn't have a label in the body of the unit. 
-Instead, students see "Show discussion" or "Hide discussion" on the left, 
-and a blue **New Post** button on the right.
+The Discussion space appears under other components in the unit. It doesn't have
+a label in the body of the unit. Instead, students see "Show discussion" or
+"Hide discussion" on the left, and a blue **New Post** button on the right.
 
-In the following example, the Discussion component follows Video and HTML components:
+In the following example, the Discussion component follows Video and HTML
+components:
 
 .. image:: ../Images/DiscussionComponent_LMS.png
   :alt: Image of a video component followed by a discussion component
 
-In the **Discussion** tab at the top of the page, 
-students can find the category and subcategory of the discussion in the left pane.
+In the **Discussion** tab at the top of the page, students can find the category
+and subcategory of the discussion in the left pane.
 
 .. image:: ../Images/DiscussionComponent_Forum.png
  :alt: Image of the discussion page from a student's point of view