Calculating final grades

The Final Grades page lists the calculated final grade for each user in your grade book. You should ensure these grades are accurate. Final grades might be inaccurate if:

• You did not select the Automatically keep final grades updated option when you set up your grade book.
• There are grade items that you still need to enter grades for.

Table of contents

1. Access the Final Grades page
2. Recalculate the final grade when “Automatically keep final grades updated” is not selected
3. Enter an adjusted final grade
4. Release a final grade
5. Additional options on the Final Grades page
6. Calculate final grades for a single user
7. Excluding grade items from the final grade
8. Scenario: Final calculated grade using Points system
9. Scenario: Final calculated grade using Weighted system

Access the Final Grades page

Click the   Enter Grades icon for Final Grades on the User List or Grades List.

Recalculate the final grade when “Automatically keep final grades updated” is not selected

Do one of the following:

• Click Recalculate All on the action menu.
• Click the Recalculate the Final Grade icon for the user whose grade you want to update.

The Final Grades page also contains an area to enter adjusted final grades for users. You could use adjusted final grades to apply a bell curve or to raise the final grade of a user who was sick. Whether the adjusted final grade is released to users depends on the Final Grade Released option you chose when setting up your grade book. See Understanding final grade calculations for more information.

Enter an adjusted final grade

Do one of the following:

• If you want a user’s grade to be different from the calculated final grade, enter the adjusted grade in the Adjusted Final Grade field.
• If you want to release the calculated final grade as the adjusted grade, click the Transfer Calculated Final Grade to Adjusted Final Grade icon.

Once you have ensured that users’ grades are accurate, you can release them.

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Release a final grade

Do one of the following:

• Click Release All on the action menu.
• Select the Release Calculated Final Grade or Release Adjusted Final Grade check box for the user whose grades you want to release, and click Save.

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Additional options on the Final Grades page

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Calculate final grades for a single user

1. From the User List page, click a user’s name.
2. Click the Recalculate the Final Grade icon if necessary.
3. Enter an adjusted final grade or click the Transfer Calculated Final Grade to Adjusted Final Grade icon.
4. Select the Release Calculated Final Grade or Release Adjusted Final Grade check box depending on the Final Grade Released set up option you chose.
5. Click Save.

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Excluding grade items from the final grade

It is possible to evaluate and record grades for grade items that you don't want included in users' final grades. For example, you could evaluate practice assignments or course participation even though they are not included in users' final grades so that users get ongoing feedback and support.

Exclude a grade item or category in the weighted system

1. From the Manage Grades area, click on the name of the grade item or category  you want to edit.
2. Set the Max. Points to whatever value you want to evaluate the item or category out of.
3. Set the Weight to 0%.
4. Click Save.

Exclude a grade item or category in the points system

1. From the Manage Grades area, click on the name of the grade item or category you want to edit.
2. Select the Exclude from Final Grade Calculation option.
3. Click Save.

Notes

Items are excluded from both the calculated and adjusted final grades.

You cannot use excluded points grade items in calculated grade items.

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Scenario: Final calculated grade using Points system

You offer a number of online training courses that use similar content, but adjust the course content depending on your users’ interests and skill levels. You set up specific courses by importing course content from a master course. You do not want to change the weight of each grade item to make every course grade book balance, so you use the points system and keep each grade item’s Max. Points the same. You grade basic tasks out of 5, intermediate tasks out of 10, and advanced tasks out of 15. You give users who receive at least 70% on all grade items 10 bonus points. You allow users to exceed the maximum points for a grade item, but not the final grade. Because you often allow some users to skip advanced tasks, you drop ungraded items from the final grade calculation.

You set up grade items with the following properties:

You assign the following grades for the user Frank Catcher:

You release the calculated final grade to Frank. It is calculated as follows:

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Scenario: Final calculated grade using Weighted system

You are teaching an introductory science course in which users are graded on four labs, their participation in discussion topics, and a final examination. You allow users to drop their lowest grade on a lab. You also provide bonus grades to users who act as moderators for discussion topics. If a user does not submit a lab you leave it ungraded and treat ungraded items as a grade of 0.

You set up grade items and a Labs category with the following properties:

You assign the following grades for the user Frank Catcher:

You release the calculated final grade to Frank. It is calculated as follows:

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See also

• Understanding final grade calculations