Grades: Creating Categories

Overview

The Gradebook is where you can see an overview of how every member of a class is doing, and provides the basis for how students see their grades, and how the final grades are calculated.  This document will walk you through setting up Categories for different types of learning activities.

Categories are required for Gradebooks using Weighted Grading Systems, but can also be useful in organizing Points based systems.

Instructions

  1. On the green navigation bar, click on Course Tools then select Grades.
    course tools > grades
  2. Click on the Manage Grade link located at the top of the new page.
    Manage grades link image
  3. Click on the blue New button.
  4. From the drop-down menu, select Category.
    New > category
  5. Enter the Name of your category.
    • Category names should make your syllabus how you will be evaluated section.
    • It is recommended that you don't use the Short Name field, as this can become confusing later.
  6. The next steps depend on whether you are using a Weighted or Points based grading system.

Weighted Grading System

  1. Complete the following fields:
    1. Weight - enter in the percentage listed on your syllabus
    2. Distribution
      • Select either
        • Distribute weights by points across all items in the category
          • Use this option if assignments in the category are worth different points, and you want the assignments with greater points to be weighted more.
        • Distribute weight evenly across all items
          • Use if assignments in the category are each worth the same amount of points or grade items are worth different point values but want them treat as being worth the same value.
          • This option allows you the choice of dropping the lowest or highest scores.
    3. Leave the Display options as the defaults.
      Weighted category setting image
    4. Click the blue Save and Close button at the bottom of the page.
    5. Repeat this process for each new category created.

Points Based Grading System

  1. No other fields need to be completed. Using categories is a way to organize your course gradable items or to easily exclude a group of assignments from the final grade calculation.
  2. Click the blue Save and Close button at the bottom of the page.
  3. Repeat this process for each new category created.

 

Need Help?

Need additional information or assistance? Contact CTS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. State University of New York at Oswego Division of Extended Learning and Campus Technology Services

 

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