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The Grade Center allows you to create weighted grade columns. There are several different ways to calculate weighted totals in the Grade Center.

For example, you can calculate a weighted total:

• by item
• by category
• by weighted running total
• when dropping the lowest score from a category
• in categories with equally weighted items consisting of different point values
• in categories with proportionally weighted items consisting of different point values

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Understanding weighted grades
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A weighted grade column is a calculated column that displays the calculated result of component parts (columns and/or categories); each part is worth some percentage of the total. You can create a weighted grade based on any column and/or category in the Grade Center. For example, you can create a weighted grade column that calculates the final grade for the course. Categories such as Test, Discussion, and Assignment would be given a certain percentage of the final grade along with the percentage for other grade columns (e.g. Mid-term, Final Exam).

Follow these steps to do it.

To add a weighted column to the Grade Center:

1. Go to the [Control Panel] of the course you want to add a weighted column. Click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it.
2. Click on [Full Grade Center].
3. Move the mouse over the [Add Calculated Column] button and select [Weighted] from the drop down menu.
4. Enter a name that describes what the weighted grade column is in the Name field. Grade Center display name and description are optional.
5. Select how you would like the results of the weighted grade to be shown by clicking on the pull down arrow and selecting primary display from the list. Secondary display is optional and will only be shown in the Grade Center.
6. In the select columns section, choose which grade columns and/or categories will be used in the calculation of the weighted grade by clicking on the grade column or category and then clicking on the respective arrow to move the column/category over to the selected columns area.
7. Enter the weight percentage to be applied to each column/category you selected. The total weight must equal 100%.
8. When selecting a category you can choose to weigh columns equally or proportionally and whether to drop grades in the category or to use the highest or lowest grade in the category.
9. Choose whether to calculate the weighted grade as a running total which would include only the columns that have been graded in the calculation.
10. In the options section you should indicate whether you want to include this weighted grade column in grade center calculations, show the weighted grade column in My Grades, and show statistics for the weighted grade column in My Grades. My Grades is what is shown to your students when they go into your course.
11. Click [Submit] when you are finished entering all your information and selecting the options. The weighted grade column will be added as the last column in the Grade Center.

Want more information?

Step-by-step instructions are available [pdf]
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

You can create rules to apply color to the cells in the Grade Center. Creating color rules in the Grade Center provides visual indicators to help you interpret information quickly. For example, you can use yellow to highlight graded items with failing scores so students and columns that require attention are prominent. Also, you can assign colors to the following grading statuses: In Progress, Needs Grading, or Exempt.

By default, color coding is not enabled in the Grade Center, and to use color coding you need to enable it. After you define and save the color rules, the color coding applies to all Grade Center views.

Follow these steps to do it.

To add color coding to the Grade Center:

1. Go to the [Control Panel] of the course you want to add color coding to. Click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it.
2. Click on [Full Grade Center].
3. On the action bar, point to [Manage] menu, and then select [Grading Color Codes].
4. On the Grading Color Codes page, select the check box for Enable Grading Color Codes.
5. In the Color Coding Options section: For each Grading Status, click the down pointing arrows icon in the Background Color column to access the Swatch Color box.
6. In the Swatch Color box, select a color and click [Apply] to save it.
7. In the Grade Ranges section: Click [Add Criteria] to create a color rule.
8. In the Criteria drop-down, select Between, More Than, or Less Than.
9. Type a percentage in the box or boxes.
10. For Background Color and Text, click the down pointing arrows icon to access the Swatch Color box. Select a color and click [Apply] to save it.
11. Click [Add Criteria] to create an additional Grade Ranges field.
12. Click [Submit] when done.

Want more information?

Step-by-step instructions are available [Video] [web page].
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

In the Grade Center, an Instructor can calculate grades by combining multiple Grade Center columns to get performance results. Calculated columns can be used to:

• Calculate total points
• Calculate grade based on weight
• Calculate an average grade
• Calculate a minimum or maximum grade
• Set criteria when creating Adaptive Release and Retention Center rules

You can include a calculated column when creating another calculated column. For example, if you created a calculated column that weighs quiz grades, you can include the column when creating a final grade column.

A Total and Weighted Total column are automatically created in the Grade Center when new courses are created. You can rename, change the settings, determine which columns are included, or delete these default columns.

Follow these steps to do it.

To add a calculated column:

1. Go to the [Control Panel] of the course you want to add a calculated column. Click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it.
2. Click on [Full Grade Center].
3. Roll your mouse over [Create Calculated Column] and click on the type of calculated column you want to create.
4. Enter a name for the Calculated Column and then choose the appropriate options for the calculated column.
5. Click [Submit] when done.

Want more information?

Step-by-step instructions are available [pdf].
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.