Program / Department Chairs ………………………………………………………………………………………………

  1. Establish the grading categories
    1. Example: Participation, Tests, Homework, Project, Final
  2. Assign weights to each category that total 100%
    1. Example: Participation: 10%, Tests: 30%, Homework: 15%, Project 25%, Final: 20%
  3. Publish the categories and weights in your syllabus.

 

Instructors ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. In Blackboard, add categories from the syllabus as needed 
    1. Gradebook > Gear icon > Grade Categories
    2. If the category isn’t available, Use the Add New Category button
  2. Enter the weights for each category in the Overall Grade Menu of Blackboard
    1. Gradebook > Gear Icon > Manage overall grade settings
    2. Type: Weighted
    3. Displayed: Percentage
    4. Weight within category: Equally
    5. Add weights to each category displayed
  3. Assign a category to each assignment in Blackboard
    1. Gradebook > Gradable Items > three dots (far right) > edit 
    2. Choose the settings:
      1. Visible to students
      2. Due date (optional)
      3. Grade using: Percentage
      4. Maximum Points: (Recommend a 100-point based gradebook)
      5. Grade Category (assign category)
  4. Repeat for each assignment

  

To check the calculations……………………………………………………………………………………………………

  1. Download the Blackboard Gradebook
    1. Gradebook > Grades > Download Gradebook icon (upper right, square with arrow)
    2. Choose Full Gradebook, Select All Items, Download
    3. Save the file to open
  2. Identify all of the grades for each category listed in the syllabus
  3. Average the grades for each category to find the Category Average
  4. Multiply each Category Average by the Category Weight to get the Category Weighted Average
  5. Add all category averages together to get the total average, then divide by the Total Weight to get the Overall Grade.
    1. If there are grades in every category, divide the total average by 100
    2. If there are no grades in a category, exclude that weight from the total weight
      1. This is common when the student hasn’t taken the final exam yet.
      2. If the final hasn't been taken yet, you would divide by 80 instead of 100.


Example calculation:

 

 

  

Example setup for Excel:


 

Directions for using this table in Excel ………………………………………………………………………………

  1. Open a blank Excel Workbook
  2. Open the attached Word Document below to copy the table
  3. In the Excel Workbook, paste the table in cell A1
  4. You will add your calculations to the lower cells. Do not change the grey or white cells.
    1. Add the Categories from your syllabus. Change the text in the table to match your syllabus. (Participation, Tests, etc.) 
    2. Add the Category Weights of each category from your syllabus.
    3. In each category column, add the student’s grades from the gradebook for each category.
      1. If the number of grades is longer than the cells provided, correct the Category Average cell to include the additional cells by extending the last row number of the calculation (Ex: =Average(B8:B21) change the B21 to B35 if that is the last cell with grade data. The CTL can assist with the change if needed.
    4. Change the Current Available cell to the total of the weighted categories that have grades. Exclude any categories that don’t have grades yet. For example, if there isn’t a final exam grade yet, this number would be 80.
  5. In the Category Average row, delete any cell with the entry #DIV/0!
  6. Don’t change the Category Weighted Average row. The needed formula is already included.
  7. The Overall Grade will populate the upper left cell. This number should match the Overall Grade showing in Blackboard.
    1. If the number is different, check the gradebook settings to ensure all assignments are included in a weighted category, the correct weight is assigned, and the grades are set to calculate equally.

 

If your grades aren’t calculating as expected, save the Excel Workbook and submit it as a Blackboard Support Request through OKTA. The CTL team will be happy to review the calculations.