Below is a question I got from one of my faculty about the gradebook and I don't know if I know how to help. Any ideas would be appreciated!
Exam 1 15%
Exam 2 15%
Exam 3 15%
Exam 4 15%
Homework 10%
Presentation 5%
Final Exam 25%
I typically convert all grades to percents, so it there are 300 homework points and a student has 270, thats 90%, and that 90% contributes 9% to the final grade. If the final exam is 150 points and a student has 120 on it, thats 80%, and that contributes 20% to the final grade. I know how to do this easily in Excel, and I can manage it in Blackboard (together with Excel), but I really dont fathom how to get this set up in Moodle.
Also, I have not been able to find a comprehensive document on using the gradebook (for new users) Does anyone know of one they would share?
Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
Here is how I would set the gradebook up for this scenario.
Here is how I would set the gradebook up for this scenario.
- Turn the advanced settings on under "set preferences"
- Choose Display Weighted Grades "to everyone"
- "set categories" create 4 categories name "Exams", "Homework", "Presentation", and "Final Exam"
- "set weights" set the weights for your 4 categories as follows:
- exams: 60
- homework: 10
- presentation: 5
- Final: 25
Hi,
Thanks for both the question and the answer. I've been wondering about this too.
Am I right in assuming that this will only work if the four exams (each worth 15%) are assigned the same number of points? If you wanted them worth different numbers of points (to correspond to different numbers of questions for example) would you have to set up separate categories for each?
Could you put the Final Exam in with the other exams and weight that category 85% and alter the point value of the final relative to the other exams 2.5/1.5?
Do these weightings for homework and quizzes work no matter what point values we assign the individual homework and assignments?
I think we may be confused about the combination of category weightings and point values in calculating grades.
Thanks again to both of you.
David
Thanks for both the question and the answer. I've been wondering about this too.
Am I right in assuming that this will only work if the four exams (each worth 15%) are assigned the same number of points? If you wanted them worth different numbers of points (to correspond to different numbers of questions for example) would you have to set up separate categories for each?
Could you put the Final Exam in with the other exams and weight that category 85% and alter the point value of the final relative to the other exams 2.5/1.5?
Do these weightings for homework and quizzes work no matter what point values we assign the individual homework and assignments?
I think we may be confused about the combination of category weightings and point values in calculating grades.
Thanks again to both of you.
David
David,
"Am I right in assuming that this will only work if the four exams (each worth 15%) are assigned the same number of points?"
Yes
"If you wanted them worth different numbers of points (to correspond to different numbers of questions for example) would you have to set up separate categories for each?"
Yes
"Could you put the Final Exam in with the other exams and weight that category 85% and alter the point value of the final relative to the other exams 2.5/1.5?"
Yes
"Do these weightings for homework and quizzes work no matter what point values we assign the individual homework and assignments?"
Yes
"I think we may be confused about the combination of category weightings and point values in calculating grades."
Category weightings will make each category contribute X percent to the weighted total; where X is the weight that you assign to the category. This is regardless of how many points that particular category may have.
For instance you could have 4 categories with weights set to 25 each. Let's say that each category has total points 5, 100, 20, and 400. Now even though the points for each category is drastically different each category will contribute 25% to the weighted total. To elaborate further let's say a student has 3, 88, 19, and 350 points in each category (respectively). Their weighted total would be calculated as follows. (3/5)*0.25 + (88/100)*0.25 + (19/20)*0.25 + (350/400)*0.25 = .15 + .22 + .2375 + .21875 = .82625 or 82.625%
hope that helps.
"Am I right in assuming that this will only work if the four exams (each worth 15%) are assigned the same number of points?"
Yes
"If you wanted them worth different numbers of points (to correspond to different numbers of questions for example) would you have to set up separate categories for each?"
Yes
"Could you put the Final Exam in with the other exams and weight that category 85% and alter the point value of the final relative to the other exams 2.5/1.5?"
Yes
"Do these weightings for homework and quizzes work no matter what point values we assign the individual homework and assignments?"
Yes
"I think we may be confused about the combination of category weightings and point values in calculating grades."
Category weightings will make each category contribute X percent to the weighted total; where X is the weight that you assign to the category. This is regardless of how many points that particular category may have.
For instance you could have 4 categories with weights set to 25 each. Let's say that each category has total points 5, 100, 20, and 400. Now even though the points for each category is drastically different each category will contribute 25% to the weighted total. To elaborate further let's say a student has 3, 88, 19, and 350 points in each category (respectively). Their weighted total would be calculated as follows. (3/5)*0.25 + (88/100)*0.25 + (19/20)*0.25 + (350/400)*0.25 = .15 + .22 + .2375 + .21875 = .82625 or 82.625%
hope that helps.
Wonderful! thanks so much.