Courses (Academic Assignment)

What is a Course?

A Course is the unit that connects a subject with a section, a teacher, and a grading type within a school year. It is the central element of academic planning: without courses it is not possible to register schedules, take attendance, apply evaluations, or generate grades.

Example: The course "Mathematics — 7th A — Prof. María del Socorro — Quantitative" indicates that Professor María del Socorro teaches Mathematics in the 7th A section and that grades are recorded numerically.

Access path: Side menu → Academic Structure → Courses

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List View

When entering the module, the system displays a table with all registered courses. Each row shows:

Column	Description
School Year	School term to which the course belongs (e.g., 2026-2027)
Section	Assigned class group (e.g., 7th A, 11th A, Nursery)
Subject	Subject being taught (e.g., Mathematics, Physics, Music)
Teacher	Teacher responsible for the course
Curricular Area	Curricular classification of the subject (e.g., Physical-Natural Sciences)
Grading Type	Evaluation mode: Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed

Note

The counter at the top (e.g., 139) indicates the total number of courses registered in the system.

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Search and Filters

To locate a specific course, click the search icon (🔍) in the upper right corner. A bar will appear with three combinable filters:

Filter	Type	Function
School Year	Selector	Filter by school term
Section	Selector	Filter by class group
Teacher	Selector	Filter by responsible teacher

Tip

Filters work in combination. For example, you can select School Year 2026-2027 and Section 11th A to see only the eleventh grade A courses for the current term.

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Actions per Course

Each table row has an actions menu accessible through the three vertical dots icon (⋮):

Action	Icon	Description
Edit	✏️	Modifies course data
Delete	🗑️	Deletes the course (requires confirmation)

Important

The system does not allow deleting a course that has attendance records, evaluations, grades, schedules, or incidents registered. If you attempt to delete it, you will receive an error message. You must first delete the records linked to the course.

Note

When deleting a course, the Virtual Classroom activities associated with that course are automatically deleted, as they are content exclusive to the class.

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Create a New Course

1. Click the + button (upper right corner).
2. Complete the form with the following fields:

Field	Required	Description
School Year	✅	Select the school term
Section	✅	Select the class group (depends on the selected School Year)
Subject	✅	Select the subject to teach
Grading Type	✅	Evaluation mode: Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed
Teacher	✅	Select the responsible teacher
Curricular Area	✅	Curricular classification of the subject

Tip

The Section field is enabled after selecting a School Year, since sections are associated with a specific school term. This behavior is known as a cascade selector.

3. Click Save (💾) to register the course, or Cancel (✕) to discard.

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Edit an Existing Course

1. Locate the course in the table.
2. Click the three dots icon (⋮) → Edit.
3. The form will open with the current course data.

4. Modify the necessary fields and click Save (💾).

Note

Changing the Teacher of a course does not affect already recorded grades or attendance. It only updates who is the responsible teacher from that point forward.

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Grading Types — Complete Guide

The Grading Type is one of the most important fields when creating a course. This decision defines how the teacher will create evaluations, how they will capture each student's grades, and what type of results will appear on academic report cards. Once a course has recorded evaluations, changing the grading type is not recommended, as it could create inconsistencies in existing data.

The system supports three evaluation modes, aligned with the regulations of the Ministry of Education (MINED) of Nicaragua:

Type	How is it evaluated?	Final result	Levels that use it
Qualitative	Descriptive assessments per criterion	Scale code (e.g., AA, AS, AF)	Early Education and Regular Primary (1st–2nd)
Quantitative	Numerical scores per criterion	Numerical sum (e.g., 85/100)	Custom configuration
Mixed	Descriptive assessments per criterion	Automatically calculated numerical grade	Regular Primary (3rd–6th) and Secondary (7th–11th)

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MINED Assessment Scales

The system includes official assessment scales configured by educational level and grade. Each scale has a code, a descriptive name, and a weight that determines its numerical equivalence.

Early Education (Nursery, 1st Level, 2nd Level, 3rd Level)

Early education uses a simplified qualitative two-level scale, focused on observing the child's learning process without numerical pressure:

Code	Name	Weight	Pedagogical Meaning
AA	Advanced Learning	1.00	The child demonstrates mastery of the competencies expected for their age
AP	Learning in Progress	0.40	The child is developing competencies and requires continuous support

Note

In Early Education, no numerical scores or grade ranges are assigned. The evaluation is based on the teacher's direct observation of the child's overall development. Only two assessments are possible.

Regular Primary — 1st and 2nd Grade

The first primary grades use a three-level qualitative scale, appropriate for the transition stage between early and formative education:

Code	Name	Weight	Pedagogical Meaning
AA	Advanced Learning	1.00	The student exceeds the competencies expected for the grade
AS	Satisfactory Learning	0.80	The student achieves the expected competencies
AF	Fundamental Learning	0.60	The student is in the process of reaching basic competencies

Note

The difference from Early Education is the addition of the intermediate level AS (Satisfactory Learning), which allows the teacher to differentiate between students who achieve expectations and those who still need reinforcement.

Regular Primary — 3rd to 6th Grade

Starting from 3rd Grade, MINED incorporates numerical ranges associated with each code, which enables the use of Mixed mode in the system:

Code	Name	Weight	Grade Range
AA	Advanced Learning	1.00	90 – 100
AS	Satisfactory Learning	0.80	76 – 89
AF	Fundamental Learning	0.60	60 – 75
AI	Initial Learning	0.40	0 – 59

Note

This is where the AI (Initial Learning) code appears for the first time, indicating that the student has not reached the minimum competencies. In MINED practice, an AI grade (below 60) is equivalent to a failed subject.

Secondary — 7th to 11th Grade

Secondary education maintains the same four-level scale with numerical ranges identical to those of upper Primary:

Code	Name	Weight	Grade Range
AA	Advanced Learning	1.00	90 – 100
AS	Satisfactory Learning	0.80	76 – 89
AF	Fundamental Learning	0.60	60 – 75
AI	Initial Learning	0.40	0 – 59

Tip

Scales are configured by School Year, Educational Level, and Grade. This allows the school to adjust the ranges or codes according to MINED provisions for each school term, without needing to modify the system.

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Qualitative — Descriptive Evaluation

In Qualitative mode, the teacher evaluates without numbers, using only the assessment scale codes. This is the appropriate mode for levels where MINED does not establish numerical grades.

When defining the evaluation:

• Each criterion has only a name (e.g., "Oral expression", "Fine motor skills").
• The score field remains hidden to avoid confusion.

When capturing grades:

• The teacher selects a scale code (AA, AP for Early Education; AA, AS, AF for 1st–2nd) for each criterion of each student.
• The final result is also a descriptive code — no numerical calculations are performed.

Practical example — 1st Level (Early Education):

Evaluation: "Development Observation — Period I"
Criterion 1: Oral and gestural expression
Criterion 2: Socialization with peers
Criterion 3: Gross motor skills

Student	Oral expression	Socialization	Motor skills	Result
Sofía Ramírez	AA	AA	AP	AA
Pedro Sánchez	AP	AA	AP	AP

In this example, Sofía shows Advanced Learning in two of three areas. Pedro requires more support in oral expression and motor skills.

Practical example — 2nd Grade (Regular Primary):

Evaluation: "Literacy — Period II"
Criterion 1: Fluent oral reading
Criterion 2: Simple sentence writing
Criterion 3: Reading comprehension

Student	Oral reading	Writing	Comprehension	Result
María López	AA	AS	AA	AA
Carlos Mejía	AF	AS	AF	AF

María achieves an overall Advanced Learning. Carlos is at Fundamental Learning — the teacher should plan reinforcement activities.

Note

This mode is mandatory for Early Education (Nursery to 3rd Level) and recommended for 1st and 2nd Grade Primary, in accordance with MINED guidelines that prioritize formative assessment in the early stages of learning.

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Quantitative — Numerical Evaluation

In Quantitative mode, the teacher works exclusively with numerical values:

When defining the evaluation:

• Each criterion has a name and a maximum score.
• The total evaluation score is automatically calculated as the sum of the maximum scores of all criteria.

When capturing grades:

• The teacher enters a number for each criterion of each student.
• The system does not allow a criterion's grade to exceed its maximum score (automatic validation).
• The final result is automatically calculated as the sum of the criteria.

Practical example — 9th Grade, Mathematics:

Evaluation: "Midterm Exam — Quadratic Equations"	Maximum Score
Criterion 1: Problem solving	40
Criterion 2: Algebraic formulation	35
Criterion 3: Graphical analysis	25
Evaluation total	100

Student	Problem solving (max: 40)	Formulation (max: 35)	Analysis (max: 25)	Result
Ana López	38	30	22	90 (AA)
Carlos Mejía	25	20	15	60 (AF)

Ana scores 90 points, placing her in the Advanced Learning range (90–100). Carlos scores 60 points, placing him in Fundamental Learning (60–75).

Tip

The final result is read-only — it is automatically calculated in real time as the teacher enters each individual grade. If a teacher tries to enter 45 in a criterion with a maximum of 40, the system will automatically adjust it to 40.

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Mixed — Descriptive Evaluation with Numerical Result

The Mixed mode is the most widely used mode in the system and the one that most closely aligns with MINED's evaluation practice for upper Primary (3rd–6th) and all of Secondary. It combines the descriptive clarity of official codes with the numerical precision needed for report cards and academic consolidation reports.

When defining the evaluation:

• Each criterion has a name and a maximum score (same as Quantitative).
• The total evaluation score is explicitly defined.

When capturing grades:

• The teacher selects a scale code (AA, AS, AF, AI) for each criterion.
• The system automatically calculates a final numerical result using the weights associated with each code.

Calculation formula:

Result = (Average of Criteria Weights) × Total Evaluation Score

Official weight table (3rd Grade to 11th Grade):

Code	Name	Weight	If the evaluation is worth 100
AA	Advanced Learning	1.00	100.00
AS	Satisfactory Learning	0.80	80.00
AF	Fundamental Learning	0.60	60.00
AI	Initial Learning	0.40	40.00

Practical example — 8th Grade, Natural Sciences:

Evaluation: "Integrative Project — Ecosystems of Nicaragua"	Score: 100
Criterion 1: Bibliographic research
Criterion 2: Oral presentation to the class
Criterion 3: Teamwork

Student	Research	Presentation	Teamwork	Average Weight	Result
María Torres	AA (1.00)	AS (0.80)	AA (1.00)	0.93	93.33
Luis Gómez	AF (0.60)	AI (0.40)	AS (0.80)	0.60	60.00

María's calculation: (1.00 + 0.80 + 1.00) ÷ 3 = 0.9333 → 0.9333 × 100 = 93.33 → Range: AA

Luis's calculation: (0.60 + 0.40 + 0.80) ÷ 3 = 0.60 → 0.60 × 100 = 60.00 → Range: AF

Tip

Mixed mode is the MINED standard for 3rd to 6th Grade Primary and all of Secondary (7th to 11th). It allows the teacher to evaluate using the official descriptors (AA, AS, AF, AI) while the system automatically generates the numerical grade for report cards and consolidation reports.

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Summary: Which Type to Use by Grade?

Educational Level	Grades	Recommended Type	Available Codes
Early Education	Nursery, 1st–3rd Level	Qualitative	AA, AP
Regular Primary	1st and 2nd Grade	Qualitative	AA, AS, AF
Regular Primary	3rd to 6th Grade	Mixed	AA, AS, AF, AI
Secondary	7th to 11th Grade	Mixed	AA, AS, AF, AI

Technical Comparison of the Three Modes

Feature	Quantitative	Qualitative	Mixed
Grade input	Number	Code (AA, AS, AF, AP)	Code (AA, AS, AF, AI)
Final result	Numerical sum	Descriptive code	Calculated number
Score per criterion	✅ Required	❌ Not applicable	✅ Required
Assessment scale	❌ Not applicable	✅ Required	✅ Required
Automatic calculation	Direct sum	No calculation	Weighted average × score
Recommended MINED level	Free configuration	Early and lower Primary	Upper Primary and Secondary

Important

The grading type directly affects the format of report cards and academic consolidation reports. A Quantitative course will show numerical grades in the report, while a Qualitative course will show the MINED descriptive codes. Make sure to select the correct type before you start recording evaluations.

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Relationship Between Courses and Other Modules

The course is the central element that connects multiple system functionalities:

Module	Relationship with the Course
Schedules	Each schedule block is associated with a course (subject + section + teacher)
Attendance	Attendance is recorded per course: each student has a status per class
Evaluations	Evaluations and grades are defined and captured within a course
Incidents	Disciplinary reports can be linked to a specific course
Virtual Classroom	Activities, resources, and materials are organized by course

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Navigation Summary — Courses

Element	Location	Function
🔍 Search	Upper right corner	Activate search bar and filters
➕ Add	Upper right corner	Create new course
School Year	Search bar (left)	Filter by school term
Section	Search bar (center)	Filter by class group
Teacher	Search bar (right)	Filter by teacher
⋮ Three dots	Beginning of each row	Actions: Edit, Delete
💾 Save	Inside the dialog	Confirm creation or editing
✕ Cancel	Inside the dialog	Discard changes

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Module Navigation

Path	Description
Academic Structure	Module overview
Periods	School terms and evaluation periods
Sections	Grades and class groups
Enrollments	Student enrollment