How do I finalize scores at the end of the semester?

Harvest Scores at End of Term (Finalization)

Harvesting scores at the end of term allows institutions to balance Canvas’s flexible, real-time grading behavior with the need for stable, reliable assessment data in eLumen Insights. By finalizing results at a specific point in time, institutions can ensure consistent longitudinal reporting without requiring every Canvas configuration or workflow to behave identically across departments.

Overview

By default, Insights ingests Canvas assessment data (Assignments, Quizzes, and New Quizzes) in near real time. Upon ingestion, Insights:

Immediately aggregates results into longitudinal outcome mastery
Automatically calculates indirect outcomes (ILOs and PLOs) using the Curriculum Map

While useful for immediacy, this approach can result in:

Frequently changing scores
Discrepancies between Canvas, the Learning Mastery Gradebook, and Insights
High variability when multiple assessments map to the same outcome

To address this, Insights supports finalizing assessment results for a Section (Canvas course). Finalization captures outcomes at a discrete moment in time and treats them as authoritative for reporting.

Finalizing Assessment Results

Finalization allows a faculty member or course coordinator to select how results should be harvested for a section. Once finalized, Insights will:

Store the selected results for viewing in Longitudinal Results
Calculate indirect outcome results using the Curriculum Map

Finalized results remain stable and are not affected by ongoing grading activity in Canvas.

To Finalize Results

To access the Finalize Results screen:

Go to "My Courses"
Navigate to the Course Tile on the left of the dashboard.
Click "Finalize Results"

This will bring you to a window with the three options for finalization on the left of the screen:

Single Course Assessment - Finalizing a single Canvas Assessment

This option allows users to finalize results from a specific Canvas assignment associated with a section.

When to Use

Outcomes are intentionally assessed in a single assignment
The assignment represents the definitive measure of student performance for those outcomes

How it Works

Insights captures outcome results from the selected assignment at the moment of finalization
Results are treated as final for reporting and indirect outcome calculations

To Finalize a Single Assignment's Scores

Select Canvas Assignment
Select the Assignment from the "Assignment" drop-down list:
Review your scores and click the next button.

Learning Mastery Gradebook

This option uses outcome results as calculated by Canvas’s Learning Mastery Gradebook (LMG).

When to Use

When your assessments are spread across several assessments, it might be more convenient to pull scores into a single report using the LMG.

How It Works

Canvas applies the calculation method defined on the institution’s Learning Outcome
Multiple assessment scores for an outcome are combined into a single result per student

Rounding Considerations

Because LMG calculations may produce fractional values, Insights applies rounding to determine mastery on an integral rating scale.

Recommended Rounding Methods

Round Half Up
- Recommended for Course Performance
- Gives the benefit of the doubt when mastery has been demonstrated at least once
Round Down
- Recommended for Student Benchmarks
- Applies a more rigorous mastery standard

How to Finalize with Learning Mastery Gradbook:

Under Method of Finalization, select Learning Mastery Gradbook.
You can then determine the rounding methods (based on the recommended rounding methods).
Review your scores and click the next button.

Important Notes

Rounding is required because mastery can only be achieved (or not) at whole values on the rating scale.
If the calculation method for an outcome is changed after finalization, it will not affect the finalized scores stored in Insights.

Upload Scores

This option allows users to upload finalized outcome scores directly, bypassing Canvas calculations.

When to Use

Outcomes are assessed outside of Canvas
Institutions want full control over finalized outcome results
Canvas grading workflows vary significantly across departments
When you are using a system other than Canvs as your gradebook (i.e., your institution's S.I.S.)

Behavior

Uploaded results are treated as finalized at the time of submission
Indirect outcomes are calculated immediately after upload

See How do I use the Faculty Score Upload feature in Course Central? article for detailed instructions

Finalizing Reflections and Actions and Submitting Finalized Data

Once you have the data input, you can review and modify the course reflections and course actions.

First, you can create, edit, or remove reflections from the course data.
Once you have made any changes to the course reflections, click "Next."
Next, you can create, edit, or remove Actions from the course data.
Once you have made any changes to the course Actions, click "Next."
Once you have completed the Finalization, you have one final chance to review the Scores, Reflections, and actions before submitting them for finalization:
Once you have reviewed the data, you can click on the "Submit" button to finalize those scores. You will see a confirmation message asking if you want to proceed. Click yes.
Your scores are now finalized and will appear in the dashboard.

Key Considerations and Limitations

Finalization captures results at a single point in time
Finalized scores are used for all longitudinal and indirect outcome reporting
Changes to Canvas grading, calculation methods, or outcomes after finalization do not affect stored results
Institutions can choose the finalization method that best aligns with their assessment strategy

Summary

Harvesting scores at the end of term enables institutions to:

Reduce variability in assessment data
Align Insights reporting with intentional assessment practices
Maintain reliable, defensible longitudinal outcome results

By supporting multiple finalization methods—Course Assessment, Learning Mastery Gradebook, and Upload Scores—Insights provides flexibility without sacrificing consistency.