How do I set up my Gradebook?

The Gradebook is the hub for all graded activities and points earned in your site.  This lesson will show you how to set up your grading scheme for the course.

Go to the Gradebook tool.

Go to the Gradebook tool.

Select the Gradebook tool from the Tool Menu in your site.

Click Gradebook Setup.

Click Gradebook Setup.

Click on the Gradebook Setup button.

Gradebook setup options.

Gradebook setup options.

There are three different options in Gradebook setup.  

  1. Grade entry: You can select either a Points based gradebook or a Percentage based gradebook, depending on your preferred method for entering grades.
  2. Gradebook Items Display: Check this box to allow students to view released items in the gradebook.  (Individual items can be hidden or released when you create or edit items.)
  3. Categories & Weighting:  You can choose to have No categories, Categories only, or Categories & Weighting in your gradebook.

Tip: If you would like to be able to drop grades, you should select either Categories only or Categories & Weighting.

Adding categories.

Adding categories.
  1. Select the radio button for Categories only.
  2. Enter a title for the category in the text box provided.
  3. If you need additional categories, click on the Add a Category link to enter additional category titles.

Adding weighting.

Adding weighting.
  1. Select the radio button for Categories & Weighting.
  2. Enter the different categories that you plan to weight in your grading scheme.
  3. Enter the percentage weighting for each category.  

Note: The percentage for all categories taken together must equal 100%.

Enabling drop lowest and/or keep highest.

Enabling drop lowest and/or keep highest.

If you selected either Categories only or Categories & Weighting, the enable drop/keep options will appear.  All items within a category must have the same score value in order to use the drop/keep options for that category.

  1. Select the check box next to each of the desired drop/keep options.
  • Enable Drop Highest: Allows you to automatically drop the highest score/s among items in a category.
  • Enable Drop Lowest:  Allows you to automatically drop the lowest score/s among items in a category.
  • Enable Keep Highest:  Allows you to automatically keep the highest score/s among items in a category.

In the appropriate column, enter the number of items in each category that you wish to drop or keep.  You will notice that unavailable choices are grayed out.  For example, you cannot both keep and drop items in the same category, so entering a number for one of these makes the other unavailable.  

Tip:  Many faculty prefer to use Keep Highest as opposed to Drop Lowest, since it reflects a more accurate running total of student grades during the course of the term.  Items that students have not yet completed are not dropped automatically, so one or more higher scores may be dropped until all items have been completed.  

Extra credit category.

Extra credit category.

If you would like to designate a category as extra credit, select the check box in the Extra Credit column next to the category.  Extra credit items add to the student's total grade, but points do not detract from the overall grade if not completed.

Tip: Both entire categories and individual gradebook items within any category may be designated as extra credit.  

Save your changes.

Save your changes.

Once you have finished with your gradebook setup, don't forget to click on the Save Changes button at the bottom to save your changes.