We have developed a gradebook layout called "Simple Gradebook" as an added feature to our Marking Manager plugin.
The Simple Gradebook is meant to provide a quick overview of student progress, as shown in the image below. We are considering turning Simple Gradebook into a separate block (or gradebook report/plugin) if there is enough interest.
Feel free to play with this plugin in our demo site here: http://moodlefn1.knet.ca/demo/m25/
Comments welcome.
Thanks,
Fernando