Gradiance
Documentation
A complete ecosystem for competency-based oral assessment — from the moment a student joins the queue to the moment a grade is recorded. Built for the realities of running 500 interviews a semester.
Two tools. One workflow.
Gradiance is two applications working together. The queue lives on the web and handles everything before the interview starts. The Interview Manager lives on the instructor's machine and handles everything during and after.
Gradiance Queue
Students join from their phones. Instructors manage the queue from their laptop. Real-time updates, policy switching, and competency selection — all in the browser, no install required.
- Students join from any device
- Real-time position updates
- Competency selection at join time
- Daily attempt limits enforced automatically
- Pause, lock, reorder, announce
- FCFS, Points-Based, and Randomized policies
Interview Manager
A local desktop application that runs the interview session itself. Question sets, grade tracking, timing, Canvas integration, email, and research exports — all stored locally with no data sent to the internet.
- Question delivery on a separate student screen
- Automatic grade logic and lock-ins
- Competency-based progression tracking
- Canvas quiz grade import
- Student recap emails
- HMAC-pseudonymized research export
How a session flows
From a student opening their phone to a grade being recorded — here's the complete picture.
Student joins
Opens gradiance.org, selects competency, joins queue
Student waits
Watches position in real time, studies nearby
Instructor calls
Clicks Call — student notified to come in
Interview runs
Interview Manager auto-populates student and competency
Grade recorded
Highest-wins logic, lock-ins checked, recap email sent
The Grade System
All grades are earned through demonstrated understanding in a conversation — not through points, curves, or test-taking strategy. Your highest earned grade is always your grade.
Full demonstration
Deep understanding — can explain, apply, extend, and handle follow-up questions. Could teach this to someone else.
Understands but has gaps
Core idea is solid, some areas to strengthen. Good foundation with more work to do.
Meets the standard
Basic working knowledge. Knows what it does but not yet fully why, or can describe but struggles to apply.
Basic familiarity only
Recognizes the material but cannot yet demonstrate it. Awarded via Canvas quiz import.
Explore the docs
How the Queue Works
Join, wait, and get called
Why We Do It This Way
Oral assessment, equity, and the baseball bat
How to Prepare
Study strategies and what to expect
Installation
Get the Interview Manager running
Interview Workflow
Step-by-step interview guide
Core Concepts
Grade records, lock-ins, thresholds
Architecture
How the two systems connect
API Reference
139 public functions searchable
Research
Publications and pedagogy