# Grade with Lightning Grader

> Lightning Grader is the lesson workspace for scanning submission status and grading rubrics, feedback, and score history without leaving the page.

Source: https://www.curacourse.com/help/grade-a-lesson-with-lightning-grader

## At a glance

**Lightning Grader** is the lesson workspace for scanning submission status and grading rubrics, feedback, and score history without leaving the page.

![CuraCourse screenshot: Grade a lesson with Lightning Grader](https://www.curacourse.com/help/featurebase/778dc4df0e63227d5904.png)

## Prerequisites

- Lesson **view** mode (not course dashboard).
- Learners with submissions on this lesson (for meaningful scores).

## Steps

1. Open **Lightning Grader** on the right sidebar.
2. In the roster, use shared filters (cohort, search, sort). Click **Refresh** after a live grading session.
3. **Activity** shows whether a learner was recently active on this lesson and a last-active time (based on their live lesson document, not time in the grader).
4. Select a learner to open grading detail:
   
   
   
   - Rubric items (autograded and manual)
   - Score modifiers, final score
   - General feedback and private grading notes
   - **Score history** — switch attempts; **Selected** vs **Viewing** labels
   - **Previous** / **Next** for adjacent learners in the sorted list
5. The main lesson area shows the **submitted snapshot** for the attempt you’re grading.

The back arrow in grading detail returns to the roster list inside Lightning Grader without exiting view-as.

## Common gotchas

- Green/gray activity dots update when you refresh or reopen the tab—not continuously in the background.
- First open loads the score-policy **selected** submission; history lets you grade a different attempt explicitly.

## Next steps

- [Score Policy](https://www.curacourse.com/help/score-policy-submission-rules-and-grading-strategy)
- [Score Modifiers](https://www.curacourse.com/help/score-modifiers-bonuses-and-deductions)