Category: Blackboard Bits, Bytes, and Nibbles

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 create a weighted grade column:

1. Goto the [Control Panel] for the course and click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it. Click on [Full Grade Center].
2. Roll your mouse over [Create Calculated Column] on the menu bar and select [Weighted Column] from the drop down menu.
3. In the Column Information field, enter a name for the weighted grade column.
4. Choose the primary display and optionally a secondary display for the weighted grade column.
5. In the Select Columns area (section 3) click on grade columns and categories to be included in your weighed total calculations and click the arrow on the right to move the column/category to the “Selected Columns” area.
6. Enter the weight percentages to be applied to each column/category. Categories that you choose to be included in the weighted total will give you an option to drop grades where you can enter the number of grades to drop if appropriate.
7. Choose your options and then click on [Submit] when done.

Want more information?
Step-by-step instructions are available [PDF].
Explore Blackboard's On Demand Learning Center [HTML].
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or email or call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418

Categories can integrate with Grade Center calculated columns such as Weighted Grade Column, Total Points Column, or Average Grade Column. For example, you could weight your grades by category assigning 20% of the final grade to the category "Assignment". Or you may want to create an Average grade column to calculate statistics for all columns that are in the "Assignment" category. Gradable items that are categorized as "Assignment" would automatically be included in the average calculation.

Categories are useful when you want to drop grades. Use categories to drop the lowest grade (or a number of grades) and then include the result in Grade Center calculations. Alternatively, you can use the highest grade in a category to include in Grade Center calculations.

Categories are helpful in organizing and utilizing the Grade Center. If you assign columns to Categories you would be able to sort the Grade Center by a specific Category to compare how the students scored in the Category. You can use Categories with Smart Views in order to have only columns associated to specific Category or Categories shown in the Smart View.

Follow these steps to do it.
To create categories:

1. Goto the [Control Panel] for the course and click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it. Click on [Full Grade Center].
2. Roll your mouse over [Manage] on the menu bar and select [Categories] from the drop down menu.
3. Click on the [Create Category] button.
4. Enter a name for the Category then click [Submit].

To edit/delete categories:

1. Goto the [Control Panel] for the course and click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it. Click on [Full Grade Center].
2. Roll your mouse over [Manage] on the menu bar and select [Categories] from the drop down menu.
3. Roll your mouse over the category you would like to like to edit/delete then click on the arrow to the right of the category name. Select the appropriate action from the shortcut menu.

NOTE: You can delete any Category you created as long as the category is not in use. Default categories cannot be deleted. Categories currently in use will not have the Delete option.

Want more information?
Step-by-step instructions for creating categories and assigning Grade Center columns to categories are available [PDF].
Explore Blackboard's On Demand Learning Center [HTML].
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or email or call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418

You can temporarily hide rows in the Grade Center using row visibility. This can be useful if you are meeting with a student and would like to only display that student’s grades in the Grade Center. Using row visibility, you are able to temporarily hide the grades of all the other students.

Follow these steps to do it.
To hide rows:

1. In the Grade Center, roll your mouse to the Last Name, First Name, or Username cell of the desired student and click on the drop-down arrow in the right of the cell.
2. Select [Hide Other Rows] from the short cut menu. When done, you should only see the selected student.

To show rows:

1. In the Grade Center, roll your mouse to the Last Name, First Name, or Username cell of the student and click on the drop-down arrow in the right of the cell.
2. Select [Show All Rows] from the short cut menu. When done, you should see all students.

Want more information?
Step-by-step instructions are available [PDF].
Explore Blackboard's On Demand Learning Center [HTML].
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or email or call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418