Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Grade Center Columns

Adding Columns to the Grade Center

Any item that has points associated with it (assignment, test, discussion board, journal, etc.) in your Blackboard course will automatically generate a column in the Grade Center.  If you are collecting an assignment in the classroom, instead of via Blackboard, you can manually create columns in the Grade Center from the Create Column button at the start of the action bar.  Visit Blackboard's official help page for more information about Grade Columns.


Default/Frozen Columns

There are eight columns that appear by default in the Full Grade Center.  These can be customized (frozen, hidden, moved) within the Manage > Column Organization area of the Grade Center - we'll cover this in more detail in next week's post:
  • Last Name/First Name: these are frozen by default, meaning they will always display in place, even as you scroll across the Grade Center (other columns can also be frozen, if you wish)
  • Last Access: indicates the last date each student accessed your Blackboard course
  • Username/Student ID: both taken from eServices roster; can be hidden if you do not wish to view either or both
  • Availability: indicates whether this course is available to each student; can also be hidden if you wish
  • Weighted Total/Total: see next section

Total vs. Weighted Total Columns

By default, Blackboard's Grade Center - in the instructor view - includes both a Total column and a Weighted Total column.  The Weighted Total column is used to help you arrive at a final grade if you weight grades.  The Total column is used to arrive at a final grade if you use a points system.  Instructors need to decide which to use and delete the other, so as not to confuse students.  

In the Teaching & Learning Center we recommend using the total column, rather than the weighted column.  It's much less confusing for students, as they can easily understand how their grade is calculated when a Total column is used.  Additionally, grades are always accurate and are not skewed throughout the semester due to category weightings.  Instructional Technologists in the Teaching & Learning Center are available to meet with you to review your weighted grade system and help you convert it to a total points system so that the same weightings still apply.

If you are using a weighted total, you need to ensure that each item in the Grade Center has a category assigned to it so that all calculations will figure correctly.  You also need to ensure that each category has a value assigned within the Weighted Total column and that the categories are appropriately weighted - either equally or proportionally.




Visit Blackboard's official help page for more about the Grade Center Interface.  Contact the Teaching & Learning Center at any time with questions about the Blackboard Grade Center.

In the following posts this month, we'll cover grading schema, color codes, categories, Smart Views, column organization, and row visibility, as well as grading reports.  


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