Assignments, Assigning Grade Values

How do I change the points possible for assignments?

Occasionally, point values on assignments and assessments are altered during the course copy process. To edit the points possible for an assignment:

1. In the Control Panel click the Action Link to the right of Grade Center
2. Find the column for the assignment that needs to be modified and click the Action Link next to the column name
3. Click Modify Column
4. Enter the correct value for Points Possible in the text box
5. Scroll down and click the Submit button

Can I assign variant values to letter grades for different assignments?

Yes. The Faculty Member can set up several different grading scales under Manage > Grading Schema. Create a new schema or modify an existing one, then select modify the assignment column and select the appropriate schema as a Primary Display.

I would like to avoid attaching point values to certain assignments. For example, I have a requirement that students accumulate 30 hours of observation in the schools - this is a state mandate that we attach to my course. I want to keep track of their hours in an "assignment" called clinical hours. However, the Grade Center is forcing me to put a point value. Same for attendance - they either get credit for being there, or they don't. I do not want to assign points per day.

One approach you may want to try with the Blackboard Grade Center is to add a column in the Grade Center in which you simply post for the students how many hours you have record of them completing. The column can be worth 0 Points Possible. When you are creating the column, set Points Possible to 0 and select No for the option Include item in Grade Center calculations. This will ensure that you are able to use that column to post the number of hours that a student has completed without that numerical value being added to their total points earned in the course.

You can take this same approach for other items such as attendance.

Is there anyway I can give check, check plus or check minus on some assignments I post to the Grade Center?

Blackboard doesn't have a built-in check, check plus, or check minus feature. However, by adding a text item to the Grade Center and using the square root sign √ in place of a check mark, it is possible to in effect assign these values.

First, add a column to the GradeCenter, making sure to enter 0 for Points Possible, to set the Primary Display to Text, and to select No for Include item in Grade Center calculations.

Then, click on a cell in the new column to enter a value for a student, either a √, √+, or √-. To enter a √ on a Windows PC, ensure that Num Lock is ON and then hold down the Alt key and type 251 using the number pad and then let off the Alt key. Then, a - or + can easily be entered after the √.

Because this is a text column, the values are not computed into a numeric score and are not included when Blackboard computes the total score for the course.

How do I assign a course grade independent of the Total grade column calculations?

The easiest way to assign a course grade independent of the Total grade is to add a column to the Grade Center, set the Primary Display to Text and choose No for the option Include item in Grade Center calculations.

When entering a grade, you can simply type A, B, C, etc. in the grade cell.

For more information on the Grade Center, please visit the main Grade Center page here.

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Last Updated: 05/23/2011