Gradebook Glitch: CS2000 Discussion & Pawtograder Issues

Hey folks, let's dive into a frustrating situation we've been experiencing with the gradebook in CS2000, specifically concerning the interaction between Pawtograder and our lab grades. We've got a serious bug report to look at, so get ready to troubleshoot because it sounds like our gradebook is behaving a little strangely, or maybe it's doing it a lot! This impacts student grades, and it's super important we get to the bottom of it. I'll break down the issue, share the details reported by TAs and students, and explain why this points to a potential problem that needs fixing ASAP. Let's get into it, and figure out what is going on!

The Bug: Inconsistent Grade Changes

The core of the problem revolves around the inconsistent and unpredictable changes in student grades after uploading lab grades. Basically, we're seeing grades change in the gradebook, but not in a way that matches what's in our original lab spreadsheet. This is a problem because we need to accurately track and represent student progress. It's a real headache for both the students and for us, as it throws a wrench into the whole grading process.

The initial report came in this morning, when a TA noticed some discrepancies in Matthias Solomon's grades. According to the Pawtograder, he was getting a zero for a lab he previously aced, which did not align with the lab spreadsheet. Now, I, as the instructor, initially figured it was just an error on my part during the upload process. To fix it, I re-uploaded the spreadsheet, expecting the grades to align. However, that didn't happen! The system only updated a few grades inconsistently across the lab assignments. It's a weird situation. If all grades had changed during re-upload, I would have thought it was my fault. But the inconsistency suggests a possible software bug.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, two more students, Nicholas Vocatura and XinYe He, reported similar issues. They said their grades from previous labs were showing as zeros, even though the original spreadsheet showed they received full credit. Nicholas specifically reported that Lab 2 was missing a grade, even though the spreadsheet showed he got full credit. Once again, when I uploaded the spreadsheet, only some student grades changed, in a seemingly random way, across different lab columns. It’s like the gradebook is possessed, changing grades willy-nilly! This kind of randomness is what really points to a possible bug in the system, and it is something we need to get sorted.

The Impact: Student Frustration and Grading Confusion

This kind of issue has some serious ramifications. First off, it causes a lot of frustration for the students. Imagine working hard on a lab, getting full credit, and then seeing a zero appear out of nowhere in the gradebook. It is demotivating, not to mention confusing and stressful! Students rely on the gradebook to understand their progress, and when the information is unreliable, it undermines their learning experience and creates a bad environment.

Beyond student frustration, it creates real confusion for us, the instructors and TAs. We spend a lot of time meticulously tracking and uploading grades, making sure everything is fair and accurate. When the gradebook starts changing things on its own, it adds another layer of complexity to an already complex process. We have to double-check everything, cross-reference data from multiple sources, and spend extra time troubleshooting. It takes more time, energy, and effort to do our jobs, all because of an unforeseen bug!

Potential Causes and Troubleshooting Steps

So, what could be going on here? There could be a few different reasons why we're seeing these inconsistent grade changes. Here are some of the potential culprits:

• Import Errors: It is possible that there is an issue with how the CSV files are being read or interpreted by the grading software. This could lead to incorrect data being imported and grades being changed. It might be due to formatting issues or some compatibility problems.
• Data Corruption: The data itself might be getting corrupted somewhere along the way. Perhaps there's an issue with the database that stores the grades, leading to values being overwritten or altered. This is less likely, but still a possibility.
• Software Bugs: There could be a genuine software bug in the grading system that is causing these issues. This is the most likely culprit based on the inconsistent nature of the grade changes.

Here are some steps we can take to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Double-Check the CSV Files: Verify the formatting of the CSV files and make sure they are in the correct format. It might be helpful to open the files in a text editor to see what's going on under the hood and look for any weird characters or formatting issues.
2. Test with Sample Data: Create a small test CSV file with a few sample student grades and upload it to see if the problem persists. This can help isolate the issue and determine if it's related to the data itself or the upload process.
3. Contact Support: Contact the software support team and report the bug. Provide them with as much detail as possible, including the steps to reproduce the issue, the CSV files, and any error messages.

Call to Action

I really don't want to share student grades over this platform. However, I am more than happy to share the CSV files with you via email if you guys need them. That might help you identify and fix the issue. Please let me know if there's anything else I can provide to help resolve this situation! I'll keep you posted on any new developments and student reports. Let's work together to fix this gradebook glitch ASAP! Thanks for your help!