The positive potential impacts of the Grader Tool as a functioning system are increased convenience and efficiency in managing, accessing, manipulating, and customizing an interactive grade log. The positive impacts of the Grader Tool as a course example are:

1. the presentation of a non-trivial software system that students can use as a guide for their own software development work

2. an illustration of how formal methods of can be put to practical use

3. proficient end-of-quarter grade submission when compared to the current web-based system used by the Cal Poly faculty

4. a gradebook-integrated electronic turn-in of student work for take-home assignments, tests, quizzes, etc.

5. customizable assignment types and categories, with an unlimited amount of categorization

6. easy importing and exporting of student rosters with the office of registrar

Potential negative impacts include those common to any user-oriented software system. For example, the software may be inconvenient to use and therefore decrease, rather than increase, user productivity if the system is poorly designed and implemented. In addition, privacy, reliability, and data integrity may cause negative impacts. If the system crashes or contains bugs, this may cause inaccurate storage of grade data.

As a course example, the use of the Grader Tool presents a significant negative impact involving violation of campus privacy policies and security. The following are specific cases of potential negative impacts:

1. students being able to alter electronic turn-in dates to allow them to turn in late work unpenalized

2. revealing student grades and information to users that may not have admin access

3. students being able to alter the records of their own grades in the grade log

4. possible interception or loss of grades as they are being transferred among local and server machines