Change weights and categories

A student's overall score is the weighted average of the student's assignment averages. If you add offline categories to the gradebook, you can include the student’s averages for other categories. You also can include Study Plan averages.

By default, homework counts as 30 points, quizzes as 20, and tests as 50. Depending on your course, all assignments have an equal weight of 10 points. Check prebuilt assignment point weights before you assign them.

You can customize these weightings and add weightings for Study Plan and offline work. If you include the Study Plan in overall score calculations, student Study Plan results are calculated as the number of mastered questions divided by the total number questions in a section or objective.

You can choose one of two methods for calculating scores and can customize both:

• Category and assignment weighting - categories are assigned a weight and weighted relative to each other. Then assignments within each category are weighted relative to each other.
• Assignment-only weighting - assignments are weighted relative to each other and category is not included in the calculations.

Using either method, you can weight new assignments by the total possible question points instead of the default 10 points. Student scores for assignments weighted by possible points are displayed in points throughout the gradebook. This weighting is applied only to assignments created after you make this customization.

See the examples below for details on how different choices affect overall scores.

1. In the Gradebook toolbar, select Change Weights.
2. On the Change Weights and Categories page, choose how grades are sent to your learning management system gradebook if you sync grades.
3. Choose whether to weight by category and assignment or by assignment only.

   You cannot change how to apply weighting when there are instructor-created categories or more than one offline category.

4. Optionally omit results for tagged assignments and select Add... to choose tags.
5. Optionally omit results for unassigned assignments.
6. If you use category weighting, assign points to each category in the Category Weighting list.

   Select Add Category to create a custom category and add assignments for special weighting.

   Select Edit Offline Categories to add offline categories and adjust their weighting.

   You cannot add multiple offline categories after you have weighted assignments.

7. Choose how to weight assignments:
   • By total possible assignment points: Next to Assignment Weighting, select Edit to weight new assignments by total assignment points instead of the default 10 points. This weighting is applied only to assignments created after you have made this customization.
   • By unique weights for each assignment: In the table of assignments, enter the number of points to assign to each in the Assignment Weight column.

   If you weight all assignments equally, overall scores are simple averages. If you apply individual assignment weights, overall scores are weighted averages.

8. Optionally use the Category list for an assignment to change its category.
9. Optionally select Omit Results for any assignment that should not contribute to the overall score.
10. Select Save to make your changes.

You use can assignment tags to omit the results from overall score calculations:

1. In the Gradebook toolbar, select Change Weights or More Tools > Omit Assignment Results.
2. On the Change Weights and Categories page, select Omit tagged assignments from the Overall Score calculation.
3. Select Add... to choose tags.

When you omit tagged assignments, student scores are recalculated and sent to your LMS gradebook if you sync grades.

In courses with preloaded assignments, omitting results for unassigned assignments prevents these assignments from affecting student score calculations.

1. In the Gradebook toolbar, select Change Weights or More Tools > Omit Assignment Results.
2. On the Change Weights and Categories page, select Omit unassigned assignments from the Overall Score calculation.

If your course includes Learning Catalytics, you must omit scores from within Learning Catalytics.

You can assign an omitted assignment to an individual student and its score affects only that student.

The following examples show how a student's overall score varies using different methods for weighting assignments.

For these examples, the student has done six assignments, two in each category:

Homework 1 = 9 of 10 pts (90%) correct

Homework 2 = 15 of 20 pts (75%)

Quiz 1 = 4 of 5 pts (80%) correct

Quiz 2 = 6 of 7 pts (85.7%) correct

Test 1 = 18 of 24 pts (75%) correct

Test 2 = 10 of 15 pts (66.7%) correct

Default category and assignment weighting

This example shows the default category and assignments weights: homework= 30 points, quizzes = 20 points, tests = 50 points; assignments = 10 points each.

Homework score= [( [(9/10 x 10) + (15/20 x 10)]/(10 + 10))30]/30 = 24.75/30

Quiz score= [([(4/5 x 10) + (6/7 x 10)]/(10 + 10))20]/20 = 16.57/20

Test score= [( [(18/24 x 10) + (10/15 x 10)]/(10 + 10))50]/50 = 35.43/50

Overall score = [(24.75/30 x 30) + (16.57/20 x 20) + (35.43/50 x 50)]/(30 + 20 + 50) = 76.75/100

Default category weighting and assignment weighting by possible assignment points

In this example, category weights are defaults and all assignments are weighted by possible assignment points.

Homework score= [([(9/10 x 10) + (15/20 x 20)]/(10 + 20))30]/30 = 24/30

Quiz score= [([(4/5 x 5) + (6/7 x 7)]/(5 +7))20]/20 = 16.67/20

Test score= [([(18/24 x 24) + (10/15 x 15)]/(24 + 15))50]/50 = 35.90/50

Overall score = [(24/30 x 30) + (16.67/20 x 20) + (35.90/50 x 50)]/(30 + 20 + 50) = 76.57/100

Customized category weighting and assignment weighting by possible assignment points

In this example, category weights are 40, 10, and 50, and all assignments are weighted by assignment points.

Homework score= [([(9/10 x 10) + (15/20 x 20)]/(10 + 20))40]/40 = 32/40

Quiz score= [([(4/5 x 5) + (6/7 x 7)]/(5 + 7))10]/10 = 8.33/10

Test score= [([(18/24 x 24) + (10/15 x 15)]/(24 + 15))50]/50 = 35.90/50

Overall score = [(32/40 x 40) + (8.33/10 x 10) + (35.90/50 x 50)]/(40 + 10 + 50) = 76.23/100

Assignment-only weighting

In this example, category weighting is not used and all assignments are weighted using the default setting.

Homework score= [(9/10 x 10) + (15/20 x 10)]/(10 + 10) = 16.5/20

Quiz score= [(4/5 x 10) + (6/7 x 10)]/(10 + 10) = 16.57/20

Test score= [(18/24 x 10) + (10/15 x 10)]/(10 + 10) = 14.17/20

Overall score = [(16.5/20 x 20) + (16.57/20 x 20) + (14.17/20 x 20)]/(20 + 20 + 20) = 47.24/60

Assignment-only weighting when tests are weighted by possible assignment points

In this example, all tests are weighted by possible assignment points and other assignment categories have equal weights (10 points):

Homework score= [(9/10 x 10) + (15/20 x 20)]/(10 + 20) = 24/30

Quiz score= [(4/5 x 5) + (6/7 x 7)]/(5 + 7) = 10/12

Test score= [(18/24 x 24) + (10/15 x 15)]/(24 + 15) = 28/39

Overall score = [(24/30 x 30) + (10/12 x 12) + (28/39 x 39)]/(30 + 12 + 39) = 62/81