# Pedagrade

> Pedagrade is a second pair of eyes for instructional designers. It checks a course against sound instructional design and the learning objectives in the designer's own design document or storyboard, while they design, inside Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Like spell check, for instructional design. It runs on private AI: a course is never sent to an outside AI company and is never used to train anything.

This file is kept in step with pedagrade.com. If anything here disagrees with the site, the site is right.

## What it checks while you design (Word and Google Docs)

Pedagrade reads each section of the design document or storyboard when the designer pauses, and stays quiet unless something matters. A double underline means Must fix; a dotted underline means Worth a look. Each flag says why and gives the fix; nothing in the document changes unless the designer clicks.

- Quiz questions: a wrong answer key, or two answers that are both right (with a one-click fix).
- Alignment: a question that asks for less than its objective, or tests no objective.
- Objectives: an objective no question could measure ("understand", "know"), with observable verbs to choose from.
- Needs analysis: a problem or goal with no number, and objectives that don't trace back to the problem.
- Accessibility the design document or storyboard should ask for: captions and a transcript for narration and video, a keyboard way through drag and drop, a timer learners can extend, flashing, meaning shown by color or position alone, "click here" links, alt text that's just a file name. Each names its WCAG rule.
- Consistency: a section that contradicts the rest of the course document (a different number or limit, steps in a different order, a term used two ways).
- The course map: for every objective, where it's taught, practiced, and tested.

## Other checks

- Review: the whole course at once, against alignment, Bloom's Taxonomy, WCAG, Merrill's First Principles, Gagné's Nine Events, and Mayer's multimedia principles, with a score and every fix written out.
- Finished course: upload the published course (a SCORM, xAPI, or cmi5 zip) to check, before it goes to the LMS, that it will upload and report correctly (version, Passed vs Completed reporting, missing files, file names LMSs reject, http content, known LMS quirks), whether learners using a keyboard or screen reader can use it (alt text that is missing or is just a file name, videos without captions, drag-and-drop and other interactions the authoring tool itself says are not accessible, lightbox focus, slide and page titles, language, unnamed buttons; every alt text listed to read over), and that the build still matches the design document or storyboard (changed answer keys, missing or added questions and lessons, objectives the build no longer covers). Rise 360 courses are read in full; for Storyline, add its translation export. Nothing in an uploaded course is run.

## Where it works

- Microsoft Word on the web, Mac, and Windows (early access until Microsoft approves the add-in): https://pedagrade.com/word/
- Google Docs: https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/pedagrade/717886733742
- Claude (connector directory) and ChatGPT (plugin directory): https://pedagrade.com/connect.html
- The web app: https://app.pedagrade.com
One account and the same checks everywhere.

## What it doesn't do

- It doesn't write or generate courses. It checks the designer's work; the designer stays in charge.
- It doesn't send course content to OpenAI, Anthropic, or any other AI company. Inside Claude or ChatGPT, the chat itself goes to that assistant as usual.

## Accuracy (published test)

- 0 of 371 correct answer keys called wrong.
- 97 to 99% exact on Bloom's level across 432 questions.
Weak spots are published too: https://pedagrade.com/accuracy.html

## Pricing

- Every account gets a free week of the Individual plan, starting with its first check (not at sign-up). No card needed.
- Individual: $9.99 a month or $99 a year, every course. The price stays the same for as long as you stay subscribed.
- Team: $19 per designer per month (three or more designers).
- Higher education: an annual contract for a department or university.

## Links

- Home: https://pedagrade.com
- How it works and the sample report: https://app.pedagrade.com/sample
- FAQ: https://pedagrade.com/faq.html
- Privacy: https://pedagrade.com/privacy.html
- Security: https://pedagrade.com/security.html
- For teams: https://pedagrade.com/teams.html
- Title II accessibility for higher ed: https://pedagrade.com/title-ii.html
- Guides: https://pedagrade.com/guides/

## Contact

- Support: support@pedagrade.com
- Teams and schools: todd@pedagrade.com

Pedagrade is a product of Black Beacon Studios LLC, an Ohio company, built by Todd K. Edwards, an instructional designer.