Stuart (and Cliff and Tomás):

It looks like we won't be able to whip up a grading program in time for the end of Fall Semester, but perhaps we can have something for you the next time around.

I'd like to construct this program bit by bit as a tutorial so that all the members can gain some insights into HyperCard programming. To start it off, I'll kick around a few ideas for a general design and you can tell me what you think. Then I'll provide a rough working model which you can play with. From then on we'll keep adding features until everyone is satisfied.

Maybe Cliff and Tomás can get into the act since they also have grading chores. Have either of you already found a grading aid on the Mac? Would you be willing to send it along for general distribution? Do you have any ideas for designing the perfect grading stack?

My top-of-the-head inclination is to set up a stack with one card for each student. Thus you would generate a new stack for each new course. The student cards would contain grades for each assignment, room for comments, maybe a projected grade, and so forth. At the top of the stack would be a card with a scrolling alphabetized list of all the students and fields to enter the percentage value of each assignment. Somewhere you would also want to display class averages for each assignment and for the course as a whole. Later we could add graphs and other goodies just for fun.

What is the maximum number of assignments in given course, do you think? Do you give letter grades with pluses and minuses or do you give points? How about extra credit? Do you ever grade on the proverbial curve?

I welcome comments and ideas from everyone in the group.