Gradebook Setup Steps - Weighted Categories

Scenario:
Course grading is set up using weights such as these:
Mid-Term Exam            15%
Labs and Field Trips       25%
Critical Reviews            15%
Participation                 25%
Final project                 20%

Steps:

  1. Starting with new, blank course, select Grades from the "Administration" block.
  2. [Turn editing on] (upper right corner) to reveal edit icons.
  3. The name of the course should appear at the top of the grade sheet with an edit icon below.
  4. Click the edit icon to reveal the Grade category preferences. Make the following setting adjustments:
    1. If Category name is blank, that's okay; leave it blank.
    2. Click "Show advanced" and then select "Weighted mean of grades" for Aggregation. 
    3. Put a check next to "Aggregate only non-empty grades" so that blank grades are not calculated as zeros-- this will require you to enter a zero for missing or incomplete work if you want the zero to figure in.
    4. If you want to set specific weighting for each item within a category, you can put a check next to "Aggregate including subcategories". However, if you use a standard scale for items within categories (all labs are out of 20 points in the Lab category for example) it may be easier to leave this unselected and use the simple weighted mean of grades.
    5. Leave None selected for Drop the lowest, otherwise the gradebook will drop the lowest category total for the students.
    6. Leave Full view selected for Aggregation view so you can see both individual grades as well as category totals until you are sure things are calculating as you want them.
    7. Click Save changes to return to the Grader report.
  5. Next, add categories into which you will organize graded items. 
    1. From the "Choose an action..." dropdown in the top left corner, select "Categories and items".
    2. Click "Add category" at the bottom of the screen.
    3. You need to determine the settings for this particular category:
      1. Give the category a name, i.e. Exams, quizzes, labs...
      2. Determine the aggregation type. If you expect the items in the category to be weighted inherently by having all items equal or having more important items worth more points, select "Simple weighted mean of grades".
      3. Put a check next to "Aggregate only non-empty grades" so that blank grades are not calculated as zeros-- this will require you to enter a zero for missing or incomplete work if you want the zero to figure in.
      4. If you want to drop a certain amount of the lowest scores, select that in the dropdown.
      5. Set the Item weight to the weight you want this category to hold in relation to the course grades as a whole. (If labs are worth 25% of the total course grade, this category should be set to 25.)
      6. "Save changes" to return to the grader report.
    4. Continue adding as many new categories as you need to fit your grading structure.
    5. Once your categories are established, continue by adding grade items to the course. You can do this by adding assignments and activities directly to the course. When you add a new assignment or activity, you will be able to assign a category as you edit other settings. You may also choose to simply add manual columns to the gradebook.
  6. To add manual columns to the gradebook:
    1. From the  "Choose an action..." dropdown in the top left corner of the Grades, select "Categories and items".
    2. Click "Add grade item" at the bottom of the screen.
    3. Give the item a name, grade type and adjust other settings as necessary.
    4. Be sure to specify the category to which this item belongs. If this is the only item for a category, you can add it to the main course category and apply the weight to the item as you would a category.
    5. "Save changes" to return to the grader report.
  7. Continue adding new assignment, activities and manual columns as necessary. As you add these items, be sure to select the appropriate category in the settings.
  8. As new items are added, they should appear nested under the appropriate category. If not, you can assign categories by editing each activity or by structuring the items in the "Categories and items" view. To do this:
    1. From the  "Choose an action..." dropdown in the top left corner of the Grades, select "Categories and items".
    2. Click the move arrows of the Category or Grade item to be moved. This refreshes the screen.
    3. Click in the dashed box where the Category or Grade item should be placed.
    4. When you finish, use the "Choose an action..." dropdown to return to the Grader report.
  9. As scores are added to the Grader report or through the assignment grade sheet, the Category totals and Course total will update to reflect the current grade. 
  10. Obviously, check the math to assure that it's calculating as you expect.  You may find it helpful to click the "Show ranges" link near the top of the page, which will show you the greatest possible score for an item.