Yellowdig Set Up and Grading Guide
Yellowdig
About Yellowdig
What is Yellowdig?
Yellowdig is a social learning platform designed for higher education that integrates with Canvas. Many instructors use it instead of Canvas Discussion because of its capacity to build community among students. See this video for a quick overview and tour of the platform!
Who can use Yellowdig?
Everyone! ASU signed a 2-year license for enterprise use across ASU in July 2020. Be advised that the Provost’s Office may not continue the enterprise license at the end of the contract.
Why use Yellowdig?
Compared to traditional Canvas discussions, students typically find Yellowdig more engaging and intuitive because of its similarity to popular social media platforms. It is especially useful for high-enrollment courses because it has automatic grading that integrates with Canvas Grades.
Automatic grading? How does that work?
The instructor sets up the Yellowdig grading criteria for the course, which are based on things like word count, making comments to other students, receiving upvotes from other students, and earning instructor badges. Points automatically synchronize to Canvas Grades every 3 hours, giving instructors a lighter grading load.
Because student pins (posts) in Yellowdig automatically accumulate towards a single grade, providing granular feedback and allotting less than full credit to low-quality contributions defies the tool’s intended purpose.
What if a student posts something irrelevant?
Because of its social media nature, students tend to self-regulate. Students may veer off topic as the discussion naturally progresses and they’re thinking deeper and making connections beyond the scope of an instructor prompt -- that’s usually a good thing! We recommend faculty allow this to happen without much intervention.
That said, instructors or teaching assistants can easily delete student pins and comments and revoke points if they so choose.
How do I get started?
Follow the steps in this guide below to set up Yellowdig in your course. You can also find best practices for using Yellowdig at the end of this guide!
Steps for Getting Started
Creating a Graded Yellowdig Assignment in Canvas
Only ONE assignment with Yellowdig linked can be created in a Canvas course. Students must access Yellowdig this through assignment and complete an activity in Yellowdig in order for grade passback to trigger. All activity/participation in Yellowdig will transfer over to Canvas in a total accumulated percentage score/grade.
Click +Assignment to create a new assignment for Yellowdig.
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- Assignment Details: Set the guidelines and provide topic(s) to complete in YD.
- Be very specific to clarify the goal of posting in YD and earning points.
Can also put these in a Canvas Page if desired.
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- Set the point value, assignment group (if used), and display grade for the assignment.
- Points: Enter the value the assignment is worth in regards to the course’s grade scheme. Yellowdig will adjust to it when grades passback.
Display Grade: Set to “Percentage” so students know their Yellowdig scores match their course grade (more on this in Yellowdig to Canvas Grades section).
Set the Submission Type to External Tool.
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- Click Find and locate then click on Yellowdig.
- If you are not finding “Yellowdig”, your course may not be in the correct department account containing Yellowdig OR your department must request for the tool. Please contact [email protected] for more assistance.
Check on Load in a new tab then click Select.
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When finished, click Save or Save & Publish at the bottom of the screen.
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When ready, click the Load (Assignment Title) in a new window button and a new window tab will open with Yellowdig .
Make Yellowdig visible in the side navigation
To make Yellowdig visible in the side navigation for your course, Go to Settings -> Navigation -> drag "Yellowdig" to the visible navigation list and click "Save"
Setting Up a New Yellowdig Board
Only ONE Yellowdig board can be set up per Canvas course. If a board per section is needed, please request new Canvas courses for each of the desired class sections. Access the Yellowdig webpage through Canvas by clicking on the link to Yellowdig in the Assignment you created or by clicking the link on the Canvas navigation menu. This will launch Yellowdig in a new tab and prompt you to create your Community. Follow the steps below and/or watch this quick video to learn how to create the community.
Set up Yellowdig Account
If accessing Yellowdig for the very first time (as an instructor or student), you will be prompted to enter a username and password.
- Enter your asurite username and create a new password (do not use your asurite password). Then click Next. This will be the only time you will be asked for this. The Yellowdig board should load each time after. If you are requested to log into Yellowdig after this, please see the Troubleshooting Techniques section.
New Community Form
Once your account is set up, Yellowdig will prompt you to create a new community. Refer to the form breakdown information below as you fill this out to help you in determining what you’d like to do.
- Choose Community Title: Give a name to your Community. Your Community Title needn't match the title of your Canvas, but it is recommended you keep them similar.
- Choose Community Permission Level: Set your Community to "Public" or "Private".
- Private Communities are accessible only by users you invite or by students enrolled in your Canvas course.
- Public Communities are accessible by anyone in the ASU Network.
- Determine Discoverability: Discoverable Communities are visible to Network members on the Discover tab. If a Community in your Network is set to "Public", anyone in your Network can freely join the Community. If the Community is set to "Private" and "Discoverable", anyone in your Network can find the Community, but you can only join the Community when your request is accepted by a Community Owner or Facilitator.
- Optional - Import content and/or settings from other course Communities: If you’d like to copy the post content and community settings from your previous communities or the community of a colleague, follow these steps.
Paste a Template Link: If you wish to copy both the content and settings from another course’s community board, you can paste a template link here to make a copy. To find a Community's template link, go to it’s Settings → Basics and scroll to the bottom.
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- Copy Content From: If you want to copy content from another course’s community without copying the settings, you’ll complete this section.
- Note: Only Posts and Comments from Community Owners and Facilitators will be copied, and you will assume ownership of those Posts and Comments upon content copying. If you choose not to copy the content, your new Community will inherit the default default "Welcome to Yellowdig" posts, which feature how-to guides for using Yellowdig.
- Copy Settings From: If you want to copy the settings from another course’s community without copying the content, you’ll complete this section.
- Note: Community settings include point settings, the participation reset deadline, and topics with point values. Community settings do not include the board start and end date or the grading start and end date. If you choose not to copy settings, your new Community will inherit Yellowdig’s default settings.
- Click SUBMIT. You're ready to set up your new course!
Configuring the Community
Once the form is submitted, a Welcome message will prompt you to complete Community Setup Steps. You may complete the steps in the pop-up prompt now or you can complete these later when setting up your point system.
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Once in the board, some pre-created posts will appear that instructors may use to inform students about Yellowdig. These can be edited or deleted by clicking the three-dot option menu in the upper right corner of the post, and selecting Edit or Delete Post. Note: If editing the pre-created posts, Emojis will need to be added again.
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Point Configuration Management
When setting a point system for students, it is advised by Yellowdig to use the recommended settings as it encourages student participation. Additionally, once a point system has been established, avoid changing it mid-session to cause less confusion with students on their scores.
- Click Settings then click Point System in the left navigation menu.
Check that “Enable participation points” and “Pass grades to a learning management system” have been enabled (check mark showing) if grades should pass over to Canvas, then click Weekly Point Configuration.
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Go through each section to configure the point system according to your course needs.
Point Earning Window
Set the dates and times for when the board is to be available for posts and earning participation. It is recommended for most classes to set the start and end dates on the same day of the week and the same times (e.g. Sunday 12AM to Sunday 12AM) to ensure a full week time allotment for contributions (though special circumstances may apply).
- Click View periods to see the weekly set up and what times each session will start and end.
- A week/period cannot be selected to be skipped within the earning window. Yellowdig encourages students to interact weekly on the board.
Periodic Target
Set the total point value that must be earned weekly.
- Yellowdig recommends setting it to at least 1,000 points to encourage participation.
- Scores in Yellowdig will convert to match the Canvas assignment value based on percentage of progress the student has earned each week (See Yellowdig to Canvas Grades for more details).
Periodic Buffer
Optional: allow students to earn over the required periodic target, or weekly point requirements. This allows students to work ahead on their participation earnings each week, or allows for catching up if they miss participation requirements in a specific week.
- Set the percentage amount students may earn extra of on top of the periodic target (e.g. 1000 periodic target with 30% buffer = potential to earn 1300 per week).
- Yellowdig recommends to set the buffer to at least 20% or 30%.
- If a buffer is not desired, instructors may provide created accolade badges to students’ posts which will allow them to receive extra points even if they meet their periodic target for the week. This would allow for students with exceptions to catch up to a missed week’s participation.
Earning Rules
Establish the amount students earn from activities performed in the board. Additionally, post and comment-related activities can have word count requirements so a submission cannot be made without meeting the minimum needs.
- Activities that Yellowdig recommends to be used are Creating a new Post, Commenting on another user’s Post, Receiving a Comment from another user, and Receiving a Reaction from another user. These encourage more interactions in the board between peers.
Points Review
Go to this section when finished setting up the board and the setting should be saved.
- See an overview of all options applied in the Summary section on the right side of the window.
- When finished, click Submit Configuration to save and exit the Point Configuration Set Up.
Summary
Yellowdig to Canvas Grading
If a Canvas assignment with Yellowdig linked was set up and made available to students, percentage progress will passback from Yellowdig to Canvas after students complete activities in the Yellowdig board. Keep the assignment’s grade counting towards the final course grade as Yellowdig displays scores based on progress made with each progressing week.
Establishing Grade Passback to Canvas
To establish their grade passback, your students will need to launch into Yellowdig through this one graded Assignment link that you created or through the sidebar link to Yellowdig.
If grade passback isn't happening in your course, this may be because your learners have not yet clicked the graded assignment link to Yellowdig on your course page. To configure grading, please advise your learners to click on the graded assignment link to Yellowdig, which should appear in your course's Assignments or Modules tab. They must click on the link at least once to configure grade passback.
We recommend sharing this guide to Yellowdig grading with your learners at the start of the class to help them better understand grade passback to Canvas.
How Grade Passback Works
- Scores take several hours after a student’s last activity to sync over to Canvas. There is no set time, so instructors should wait at least 24 hours after the end of a week’s participation before checking grades in Canvas to ensure all grades have been passed over accurately.
Students can see their progress through My Grades which will display their overall progress on the board and their points earned as each week passes.
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In Canvas, the scores that transfer over by percentage progress will convert and display based on the Canvas assignment’s setting. Setting the display grade to percentage for students makes seeing the progress easier than by points as Yellowdig will likely differ.
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View Student Progress
Instructors may view the progress of their students in Yellowdig by:
- Go to Data then Reports in the left navigation menu.
- Click on Show Log to see a list of their activities and earnings per week.
Activities that do not earn them points because they already met their periodic target will be grayed out. Instructors can click on an activity link and be brought to its location in the board. Instructors may remove points from a post if needed by click the +/- Points option and entering a negative value (e.g. -2).
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Accolades for Catching up or Awarding Quality Posts
Instructors may provide created accolade badges to students’ posts which will allow them to receive extra points even if they meet their periodic target for the week. This would allow for students with exceptions to catch up to a missed week’s participation. This would be in replacement or addition to periodic buffers established during the Point System set up.
Troubleshooting Techniques
If students are experiencing issues accessing or using Yellowdig, consider the following troubleshooting techniques. After trying the steps below, if issues still persist, please send the student to or contact the Experience Center at contact.asu.edu.
Student’s grades not syncing in the Canvas Gradebook after several hours since posting.
- Solution: Make sure students go through the Yellowdig attached assignment. Hide the left, Yellowdig navigation link during the first 2 weeks of class.
Student is not seeing the board appear in the assignment OR it is requesting they log into Yellowdig.
- Solution #1: Use Google Chrome or FireFox and update the browser to the latest version.
- Solution #2: Refresh the website page. Sometimes the link or integration expires after a certain amount of time.
Solution #3: Check that their [email protected] email address is set as the starred, default email in their Canvas account.
Account > Settings > Ways to Contact (right of screen) > [email protected] email has a black starImage
For more on Troubleshooting, check out the Yellowdig Knowledge Base articles. If you continue having trouble, you may also email [email protected]
Resources, Tips, and Techniques
Tips and Best Practices
- Layout the exact requirements for Yellowdig as an assignment to complete on their own each week. Length of post, how points are earned, completion requirements, etc.
- Provide prompts/topics ahead of time if desired, in a new page OR listed out on one assignment and post the same assignment for following week’s modules.
- DO NOT create multiple Canvas assignments for Yellowdig.
- Will cause grading issues with multiple assignment columns.
- YD only syncs to one column for accumulation score (the last assignment link a student enters).
- Direct/link to the one assignment when hyperlinking text in a description page.
- Set the “Display Grade As” to percentage for easier score reflection. Best if Canvas & YD have differing point values.
- Avoid changing point scheme in the middle of the semester. Regrading is possible, but will create confusion for students and Canvas Grade.
- Award “Accolades” (i.e. badges) with points for students who need to make up points on a missed period/week or during break times when students may not be posting. Additionally, they can be used to highlight a quality or interesting post selected by the instructor for other students to refer or review. See Creating and Using Accolades.
- Take away points and delete inappropriate posts as needed. Can set restricted words under “Forbidden Words” in the board settings under “Management”.
- Encourage students to do additional interactions beyond earned points to learn more from one another.
- See guide on Community Health Dashboard for analytics and comparisons with your course’s Yellowdig board and student interaction.
- See Community Reports for detailed points layout on each student and their interactions.
- Reach out for help when you need it!
- Instructors and students can both reach out to the Experience Center for for assistance with Yellowdig, 24/7.
- Instructors may also reach out to the Teaching and Learning Center at SOLS ([email protected]) or contact the LX Design team ([email protected]) if more assistance in setting up is desired.
Review the Main Yellowdig Functions
Outside of Settings, Admin, Community Health, and a couple of functions reserved for Community Owners and Facilitators (e.g., Accolades and Pinning to the Top), nearly all of the main Yellowdig functionality is the same as what students use and see. The functions that you will use to interact in your Community Feed (Posting, Commenting, Upvoting, attaching Topics, etc.) are identical to those of your students. See Features and Functionality for overviews of these functions.
The activity of instructors and TA's can have a significant positive impact on student motivation and the types and quality of content that students post, so we always recommend that instructors try to spend at least a little bit of time Upvoting, awarding Accolades, and leaving quick Comments (e.g., "Excellent analysis!"). Community Owners and Facilitators who interact in the Community will accumulate points and have their activity tracked just like students, so one way to monitor and improve your interactions is to set point or Post/Comment goals. See this article to understand how the point system and grade passback work.
Yellowdig Resources
- Yellowdig Tutorial: Instructor Set Up & Grading Guide (UTO/ET)
- Yellowdig Knowledge Base Article (UTO/ET)
- Yellowdig - Is it right for you? (ASU recorded webinar)
- How to Set Up Yellowdig in Canvas (video tutorial) (EdPlus)
- Yellowdig Board Settings for Canvas (video tutorial) (EdPlus)
- Yellowdig: A Social Learning Platform (TeachOnline)
- Designing & Organizing Your Yellowdig Board (TeachOnline)
- Yellowdig’s Canvas Instructor Onboarding Guide PDF (Yellowdig.com)
- Fall 2020 Grade Passback Improvements (Yellowdig blog)