Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using Gradeflows, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). Gradeflows is an educational research project affiliated with Loyola Marymount University, operating with university and IRB approval. If you disagree with any part of these terms, then you may not access the Service. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, instructors, and students of the platform.
Description of Service
Gradeflows is an educational research project that provides:
- Automated analysis workflows for programming assignments (test results, static analysis, etc.)
- Integration with GitHub Classroom for assignment management
- AI-powered assessment and quiz generation
- Student progress tracking and analytics
- Anti-cheating monitoring during assessments
- Research tools for educational studies (optional participation)
User Accounts and Eligibility
Account Requirements
- Must have a valid GitHub account for authentication
- Must be affiliated with an educational institution (instructors) or enrolled in participating courses (students)
- Must provide accurate and complete registration information
- Must be at least 18 years old to participate in optional research studies
Account Security
- You are responsible for maintaining the security of your GitHub account credentials
- You should report any unauthorized use of your account to your instructor
- Accounts that violate these Terms may lose access to the platform
Acceptable Use Policy
Permitted Uses
- Educational activities related to programming and computer science instruction
- Academic research in educational technology (with appropriate consent)
- Assessment of student work and academic progress
- Collaboration within authorized course contexts
Prohibited Activities
- Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, or circumventing anti-cheating measures
- System Abuse: Attempting to hack, exploit vulnerabilities, or disrupt platform operations
- Data Misuse: Accessing unauthorized data, sharing login credentials, or violating other users' privacy
- Malicious Content: Uploading viruses, malware, or other harmful code
- Harassment: Engaging in discriminatory, threatening, or abusive behavior
- Commercial Use: Using the platform for non-educational commercial purposes
Academic Integrity
Users must adhere to their institution's academic integrity policies and:
- Submit only original work or properly attributed content
- Follow course-specific collaboration guidelines
- Not share assessment questions or answers outside authorized contexts
- Report suspected violations to instructors or administrators
- Comply with anti-cheating monitoring during assessments
Intellectual Property Rights
User Content
- You retain ownership of code and content you submit to the platform
- You grant the platform a limited, non-exclusive license to process, store, and display your content for educational purposes
- You must have the right to submit any content you upload
- You are responsible for ensuring your content doesn't infringe third-party rights
Platform Content
- Gradeflows platform, design, and functionality are the intellectual property of this project
- Assessment questions and analysis workflows may be subject to instructor or institutional ownership
- You may not copy, modify, or redistribute platform software or content
Privacy and Data Protection
Your use of the Service is subject to the Privacy Policy, which covers:
- Data collection and usage practices
- Educational data protection (FERPA compliance)
- Third-party service integrations
- Research participation (optional)
- Your rights and choices regarding personal data
Service Availability and Limitations
Service Availability
- This is a research and educational project provided on a best-effort basis
- Service availability may vary and is not guaranteed
- Maintenance, updates, or technical issues may temporarily affect functionality
- Third-party integrations (GitHub, AI services) may impact functionality
Automated Analysis Limitations
- Automated analysis results (test outcomes, code quality metrics) are algorithmic evaluations, not human assessments
- Instructors are responsible for interpreting analysis results when determining final grades
- Complex programming concepts may require human evaluation
- System errors or bugs may affect analysis accuracy
Educational Use and FERPA Compliance
As an educational service provider, the platform:
- Designed to support institutional FERPA compliance
- Uses student educational records only for legitimate educational purposes within the platform
- Maintains appropriate security safeguards for educational data
- Does not disclose educational records outside the platform without proper authorization
- Supports institutional compliance with educational privacy laws
Research Participation
Research participation is optional and governed by separate IRB-approved protocols:
- Participation requires explicit consent and age verification (18+)
- You may withdraw from research at any time without affecting platform access
- Research data is handled according to IRB protocols and applicable regulations
- Non-participation does not limit your use of educational features
Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability
Service Disclaimers
- This educational research project is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind
- The platform does not guarantee the accuracy of automated analysis, test results, or AI-generated feedback
- Educational outcomes depend on multiple factors beyond the platform
- As a research project, technical issues or changes may affect service performance
- This platform is experimental and should be used in conjunction with traditional educational assessment methods
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Gradeflows shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to academic consequences, data loss, or service interruption. Use of this educational research platform is at your own risk.
Termination
Account Termination
- You may request account termination at any time through your instructor
- Accounts may be suspended or terminated for violations of these Terms
- Course completion or institutional changes may affect account access
- Terminated accounts may result in loss of access to assessments and analysis results
Effect of Termination
- Educational records may be retained according to institutional requirements
- Research data (if applicable) handled according to IRB protocols
- Some provisions of these Terms survive termination
Third-Party Services
The platform integrates with third-party services that have their own terms:
- GitHub: Subject to GitHub Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
- Google Services: Subject to Google Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
- Supabase: Subject to Supabase Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
You are responsible for complying with all applicable third-party terms.
Nature of Platform Output
Important clarifications about what this platform provides:
- Code Analysis: Unit test outcomes, static analysis reports, and compilation results
- Assessment Feedback: AI-generated feedback on student responses with mastery indicators (0/1/2: missing/gist/mastery)
- Informational Tools: These outputs are analysis tools for instructors, not final grades or gradebook entries
- Instructor Discretion: Instructors retain full authority in interpreting results for grading purposes
- No Gradebook Integration: The platform does not maintain or sync with institutional gradebooks
- Industry Standard Terminology: Like GitHub Classroom and similar educational technology platforms, Gradeflows uses the term "grading" to describe automated code analysis and assessment. These are not official academic grades or gradebook entries.
Educational Research Project
Important notices about this platform:
- Gradeflows is an educational research project affiliated with Loyola Marymount University, not a commercial service
- The platform is provided for educational and research purposes within participating institutions
- Users should not rely solely on automated assessments for academic evaluation
- Instructors should interpret all automated analysis results when determining grades
- The project may be modified, updated, or discontinued based on research needs
Changes to Terms
These Terms may be modified at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
Dispute Resolution
For any issues or concerns:
- Contact your course instructor for educational or analysis questions
- Follow your institution's academic grievance procedures for academic disputes
- Research-related concerns should be directed to the IRB contact provided in consent forms
Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
Contact Information
For questions about these Terms of Service:
- Contact your course instructor for platform and academic questions
- Refer to your institutional policies for academic integrity questions
- For research-related inquiries, contact the IRB or research team as specified in consent forms
Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any additional agreements, constitute the entire agreement between you and Gradeflows regarding the use of the Service.