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Weighting Grades by Category

A Grade Center Category is a classification of Grade Center Columns. Categories organize Grade Center data and can be used to create Calculated Columns. Weighting grades by category is a three-step process:

1. Define your categories
   
   
2. Identify the columns for each category, and lastly
   
   
3. Determine the weighted percentages for each category. Category weights should total 100%

To weight grades by Category, complete the following steps:

1. Select one of your courses: Welcome tab > My Courses.

2. Go to Course Management within the Side Navigation Menu, Control Panel > Grade Center > Full Grade Center.

3. From the Manage button drop-down, select Categories. Blackboard has seven default categories: Assignment, Blog, Discussion, Journal, Self and Peer, Survey, and Test. These default categories cannot
   be removed or edited. (You can use the supplied categories or create your own. If you’re OK with the current defined categories you can proceed to Step 2.)

Step 1 - Define your categories

1. Create any new categories with the Create Category button.
   a. Enter a Name for category.
   b. Enter a Description (optional).
   c. Click Submit.

2. The item dropdown box will let you edit the category.

Only user created or duplicate categories can be deleted.

1. To delete, select the check box of the categories.
   
2. Click the Delete button on the top or bottom of the screen.
3. Dialog box appears click the OK button.
4. Click the Submit button.
5. OR select delete from the item dropdown
   
   This view also shows which columns in the Grade Center belong to which category.
   
   

Step 2 – Identify the columns for each category.

1. Go back to Full Grade Center view, from the Manage button drop-down, select Column Organization.

2. Select the check box in front of all columns you want to classify with a category.

3. Select the desired category from the Change Category to… drop-down menu.

4. Repeat process for all remaining columns needing classification.
   
   
5. Click the Submit button.
   
   

   If a graded column does not have a category identified then either (1) it will be ignored or (2) it will need to be handled as a separate item (see “Weight Grades by Item”).

Step 3 – Determine the weighted percentages for each category

1. From the Full Grade Center View, click the Double arrow next to the Weighted Total column title. Select Edit Column Information from the drop-down.

2. Select a category from the “Categories to Select” box.

3. Click the right direction arrow to transfers your category to the Total Weight section.

4. Enter the percentage; repeat this process for each category. The sum of all categories should equal 100%.

5. Select an option for Calculate a Running Total.
   
   Select Yes in “Calculate as Running Total” to display the current average without averaging in the columns which have not been graded yet. (For example: Student takes Test 1 receives 100%. Test 1 is worth 10% of the total grade. This average column will display 100%.)
   
   It is important you realize items not submitted by students must be updated with a zero for the grade to be accurate.
   

   Select No in “Calculate as Running Total” to display the average of all columns. (For example, a student takes Test 1 and receives 100%. Test 1 is worth 10% of the total grade. This average column displays 10%.)
   
   Remember, weighted grades are not correctly calculated until you have scored at least one item from each of your defined categories.

6. Click the Submit button.
   

   Please see “Weighted Grades Defined” to get an explanation of equal vs. proportional with regard to how each column in a category is valued when the category percentage is calculated.