Overview
Require Participation for Grade is a feature in FeedbackFruits that ensures students who do not participate in an activity will not automatically receive a grade (such as a 0) in the gradebook. With this functionality, instructors can promote accountability while preventing non-participating students from being scored unfairly. Not participating means not opening the activity at all. If a student opens the activity but does not complete any steps, they will still receive a 0.
Grading configurations (such as weighting different steps or allocating points to submissions, reviews, or reflections) work independently of this setting. Require Participation for Grade simply determines whether a grade is pushed at all when there is no participation.
For Teachers
How It Works
When this setting is enabled within a FeedbackFruits activity:
If a student does not open or otherwise participate in the activity, no grade will be pushed to the gradebook instead of a 0.
Participating students receive a grade according to your grading configuration, for example weighting submissions, reviews, or reflections.
This ensures the gradebook reflects engagement fairly, without automatically penalizing students who never opened the activity.
No grade is sent to the LMS until the student participates, and it will only reach the LMS once you publish grades. This is not auto-publishing and requires combing/publishing for the grade to appear.
Use Cases
Enable this setting when sending a 0 for non‑participants would misrepresent your design or compliance needs.
When it helps
Attendance and compliance: Blank grades for non‑participants should indicate non‑attendance.
Alternative activity choices: When a students are allowed to pick one of several activities, only the chosen activity can receive a grade. The activities, they don’t choose remain black rather than receiving a 0.
Excused, late‑enrolled, or dropped students: Avoid unintended failing grades.
Rolling or self‑paced courses: Don’t push grades before a learner reaches the activity.
Audit or non‑credit learners: No failing grades for optional work.
Examples
Peer Review: No grade is sent when grades are published unless a student has opened the activity.
Interactive Study Materials: No grade is sent until a learner engages with questions; participation triggers grading.
Group Member Evaluation: No grade is sent until the evaluation is opened/completed; participation triggers normal scoring.
How to Set It Up
Step 1: Open the FeedbackFruits activity you want to configure.
Step 2: Navigate to the Settings section of your activity.
Step 3: Find the "Grading" section, and under Grading options look for "Require participating for grade.
Step 4: Enable the "Require Participating for Grade" option.
Step 5: Save your settings and publish the activity.
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Step 6: When ready, publish grades to send them to the LMS. Participation alone does not send grades.
For Students
This activity uses Require Participation for Grade. You will not receive any grade in the LMS gradebook unless you participate. Once you participate, your grade is calculated normally based on your instructor’s settings.
What “participate” means
Open the activity.
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Depending on the activity, participation can include:
Peer Review: open the activity, submit your work, complete assigned reviews, and any reflection.
Interactive Study Materials: open the activity and answer questions or interact with the content.
Group Member Evaluation: open the evaluation and submit your ratings and comments.
If you never participate, your gradebook cell will stay blank instead of showing a 0.
What you’ll see in the gradebook
Before a student opens the activity: blank grade.
After a student opens/participates: the grade becomes eligible but appears in the LMS only when the teacher publishes grades.
Tips to make sure you get a grade
Open the activity early to unlock grading.
Complete all required steps shown in the activity.
If you enrolled late or were excused, ask your instructor what is expected to receive a grade.
Common questions
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I opened the activity, but there’s still no grade. What’s wrong?
Opening the activity makes your grade eligible, but it only appears in the LMS when the teacher publishes grades. Also check that you completed all required steps, such as submission, reviews, and reflection.
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I don’t plan to do this activity. Will I get a 0?
No. Your gradebook cell stays blank if you don’t enter the activity. Your instructor decides how blanks are treated in the course.
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I participated, but the grade looks low.
Check which steps are required and their deadlines. Missing steps or late participation can affect your score depending on your instructor’s settings.
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Do I need to redo anything if I only opened the activity?
Opening may count as participation in some cases, but most activities require completing specific steps. Follow the checklist in the activity to be sure.