Blackboard FAQ: Grades, Assigning a Letter Grade

Is there a way to automatically display letter grades based on total points earned in the Grade Center?

Yes, but first the faculty has to create a custom Grading Schema in the Grade Center that matches the desired course grading scale.

From the Control Panel, enter the Grade Center; place the cursor over the Manage button to access the drop-down list. From the drop-down list, select Grading Schemas.

On the Grading Schemas page, click the Letter action link (the double downward pointing arrows) to access the drop-down menu; then select Edit.

On the adjacent Edit Grading Schema page, fill in the Name, and if you so prefer, add an optional Description.

In the Grades Scored Between text box, type the percentage range for the letter grade in question. In the Will Equal text box, fill in the letter grade. In the Will Calculate as text box, type the percentage value to be used if a letter grade is added manually.

Repeat the above steps for all letter grade values you want to edit. Then click Submit.

Blackboard will then display a letter grade for the running weighted total that reflects the grading scale that you have set up.

I want to create a column so I can manually enter a letter grade for my students and have this be their final grade; how can I do this?

This can be accomplished by following these steps:

1. From the Control Panel, enter the Full Grade Center
2. Select Create Column
3. Enter a name for the column (such as "Final Grade")
4. Select Text for the Primary Display
5. Enter "0" for the Points Possible
6. Leave the options in #3 as they are
7. Click Submit (The new column will now appear as the last column in the Grade Center)
8. Click the action link to access the menu for this column and select Set as External Grade (a green check mark will appear next to the column heading's name indicating that this has been done)
9. For each student, click on the corresponding cell in the new column and enter the letter grade

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Last Updated: 12/07/2011