1. Introduction
  2. How to Post Scores
  3. System Requirements
  4. Privacy Issues Concerning Grades
  5. Calculating Grades

1. Introduction

Post'Em is an automated reporting system that enables faculty and associate instructors to post students grades and scores without compromising students' privacy. Students may access their scores twenty-four hours a day using a web browser. Scores can be updated by instructors at any time, and the results can be viewed immediately by students. Comments for particular students can be included along with the scores.

Post'Em was created in 1996 by Adrian German at the IU Bloomington Evaluation Services and Testing, Indiana University Bloomington, using Steve Brenner's cgi-lib.pl library.

2. How to Post Scores

Here is a brief overview of the process:

  1. Create an Excel spreadsheet with student usernames in the first column and scores in the following columns.
  2. Save the spreadsheet as a CSV (comma-delimited) file.
  3. Go to http://www.indiana.edu/~best and click Post'Em Instructors.
  4. Log in and specify the course and section number.
  5. Select "Upload Scores" and upload the CSV file to Post'Em.
  6. Tell students to go to http://www.indiana.edu/~best and click Post'Em Students.

3. System Requirements

Post'Em works best with Netscape Navigator 4.08 or higher or Internet Explorer 4 or higher. Post'Em will work in most earlier versions of these browsers, but some JavaScript features that make the program easier to use will be disabled.

4. Privacy Issues Concerning Grades

In compliance with Federal law, specifically the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act," Indiana University policy provides students with "appropriate access to personal records, while maintaining their confidentiality" (from Indiana University Bulletin Schedule of Classes, March 1996, p 177). The Teaching Resource Center recommends:

Each instructor must take care that student records not be revealed to anyone other than the student. If you post grades of any kind, be certain to establish for each student a special identification code (or use only a part of their ID number) which only you and the student know. Or you can post the grades via the World Wide Web, if you have set up an on-line gradebook developed by the IU Bloomington Evaluation Services and Testing. (from Handbook for Associate Instructors. (1996). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University COAS and Office for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculties.)
The on-line gradebook referred to in the preceding quotation is the Post'Em reporting system. It provides the required student privacy, while allowing students twenty-four hour access to their scores. Instructors may update the scores at any time, and the results are available immediately for viewing.

5. Calculating Grades

Post'Em has only basic capabilities for calculating scores. Its main function is making scores accessible to students in a confidential manner.

Calculating grades is done most easily in a spreadsheet or a dedicated gradebook program. For example, to use Excel formulas to calculate grades and statistics, see pages 14-19 and 27-29 of Excel for Post'Em.