Discover grade distribution insights using the Grade Distribution Trends report in Arts Tableau.
As grading season wraps up, Arts academic units can use the Grade Distribution Trends report to examine patterns in grade distribution. Available in Arts Tableau, this interactive report allows you to explore trends at the unit, subject, and course levels, along with other available data.
Preview of the Grade Distribution Trends Overview report in Arts Tableau
Access is available by request to department heads, administrators, and other eligible faculty and staff (e.g., program chairs, undergraduate directors) in the Faculty of Arts.
Using the report
Leverage the Grade Distribution Trends report to track year-over-year changes in grade averages and grade distribution at the unit, subject, and course levels. The report also allows you to zoom into specific sections to review grade distributions over the past five years. For further analysis, you can also compare trends with other units in the Faculty of Arts, or across the faculty as a whole.
The report can also address questions that can help inform decision-making for your unit, such as:
- Has the current grading guideline been effective in addressing grade inflation?
- Are grades distributed consistently across courses and instructors?
- How does class size correlate with grade averages? Do larger sections trend differently?
- How do grades evolve as students’ progress from 200-level to 400-level courses?
- Which courses show high grade variability, and what might that signal about course design?
Understanding the metrics
Use the various metrics available to help you analyze grade distribution patterns:
- Student grade average: Mean grade across all students (best for analyzing overall performance trends)
- Section grade average: Mean grade per section, equal weight regardless of section size (useful for reviewing grading practices and informing guidelines)
- Section grade average (credit-adjusted): Same as the section grade average but sections are weighted by available credits (gives higher-credit courses proportionally more influence in comparisons)
Requesting access
Complete our request form to request access to the Arts Tableau reports. Access is generally reserved for department heads, administrators, and other eligible administrative faculty and staff (e.g., program chairs, undergraduate directors).
Before accessing these reports, view our Arts Tableau guide to find tips for navigating Tableau, ensuring you are connected to UBC’s network or VPN, and other resources.
