Commercial systems that provide functionality comparable to the Grader Tool include

• Cal Poly PolyLearn (Moodle),
• Blackboard,
• Microsoft Excel,
• Google Classroom,
• LearnBoost,
• Instructure Canvas

Each of these systems provides a wide variety of class mananagement and grading functionality. In terms of such functionality, the goal for the Grader Tool is to provide the important core features found in these tools, not the full range of features found in all of them. The Grader Tool does provide modest functional improvements in three areas, when compared to most commercially available tools. These improvements are:

1. more flexibility for the instructor to set the class curve with a graphical interface

2. more fliexiblity for the sub-class level group management such as project teams

3. additional features that allows students to predict their final course grade based on currently graded assignments and future assignments, as well as with the graphical view of how well a student is doing relative to his or her classmates.

The goals for the Grader Tool relating to public domain source code and sound pedagogical development are not met by any of the above commercial systems.

A detailed review of each related tool follows in these subsections:

• PolyLearn review
• Blackboard review
• Excel review
• Google Classroom review
• LearnBoost review
• Canvas review

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