There are two ways that you can create a weighted total in the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook. You can add a Total Calculation column or use the Overall Grade function. Total Calculation columns offer greater flexibility where you need to use multiple Total Calculation columns to pull marks together into a single grade. You can only set up one Overall Grade. You can choose whether Total Calculation columns and the Overall Grade are shown to students or kept hidden for your own use.
Whether you use Total Calculation columns or the Overall Grade, weighted totals in the Gradebook display as a running total. A running total adjusts itself for work which has yet to be marked. If you have two assessment items equally weighted at 50% and a student is awarded a mark of 65 for the first assessment item (and the second assessment item has not yet been graded) the overall grade will display 65% (not 32.5%).
Create a weighted mark using a Total Calculation column
Step 1. Using either the Markable Items or Marks (grid) view of the Gradebook, click the add content plus symbol where you want the weighted total to appear. In the menu, select Add Total Calculation. The New Total Calculation page appears.
Step 2. Name the calculation meaningfully.
Step 3. Change the Calculation Type to Weighted.
Step 4. Grade weighting can be done by individual assessment items or by category. Normally, you will weight individual assessment items to generate the weighted mark.
The easiest way to select and weight assessment items is to expand the categories to see all the graded assessment items in your module site. Unlink the individual assessment items you want to add weightings to so that they appear independently at the top of the list. Add their weightings ensuring that the total equals 100. (This will automatically assign 0% weighting to all other graded assessment items in your site that are not included in the overall grade. Alternatively, you can exclude these items and categories from the overall mark calculation).
Step 5. From Settings, optionally type a Description, and select a marking schema. Choose Percentage.
Step 6. If you want students to see the weighted total in their Gradebook, make it Visible to Students.
Step 7. Click Save. Your weighted total has been created. You can now close the panel to return to your Gradebook.
Calculating a weighted mark using the Overall Grade
Step 1. If it is your first time using Gradebook in your module site, you will see a message about setting up the Overall Grade on the right-hand side or the bottom of the page, depending on the view you are using. You can click Set it up to begin.
If you don’t see that message, you can set up the Overall Grade from the Gradebook Settings. In Gradebook, click the Settings Cog in the top right-hand corner. Scroll through the settings until you see Overall Grade and click Set up overall grade.
Step 2. After clicking Set it up or Set up overall grade, you will be asked to choose the format to calculate the overall grade for your module. Choose Weighted and click Next.
Step 3. Grade weighting can be done by individual assessment items or by category. Normally, you will weight individual assessment items to generate the overall grade.
The easiest way to select and weight assessment items is to expand the categories to see all the graded assessment items in your module site. Unlink the individual assessment items you want to add weightings to so that they appear independently at the top of the list. Add their weightings ensuring that the total equals 100. (This will automatically assign 0% weighting to all other graded assessment items in your site that are not included in the overall grade. Alternatively, you can exclude these items and categories from the overall mark calculation).
Step 4. Select how the overall grade is displayed in Gradebook. Choose Percentage, and optionally choose to Show to students.
Step 5. Click Save. Your overall grade is now set up. You can now close the panel to return to your Gradebook. Depending on your Gradebook view, the overall grade appears at the top of the Markable Items view or next to the student names on the left-hand side of the Marks (grid) view. You can reposition the overall grade in the Markable Items view, but it remains in a fixed position in the Marks (grid) view.
