Creating Calculated Columns

By default there are two calculated columns already in your Blackboard course: Total and Weighted Total.

If you need additional calculated columns, there are four types that you can create: Total, Weighted Total, Average, and Maximum/Minimum. This tutorial will cover the two most common types, Total and Weighted Total.

Total: sums the total points for all or specific grade center columns. It can provide a final grade total or can be used to total the final score for a set of related assignments.
Weighted Total: calculates and displays a grade based for a selected number of Columns based upon each column's respective worth of the total grade. Each selected Grade Column or Category of columns must be assigned a percentage of the total score. You are also given the option of dropping the a specified number of the highest or lowest grade in a particular category. For more information about setting up weighted grading see: https://usahsedu.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OEKB/pages/15400988
Minimum/Maximum: calculates either the minimum or maximum grade for a selected number of columns.
Average: calculates and displays the mean percentage correct for a selected number of columns.

It is not recommended that you use the Average column in your course. Students frequently assume the Average column is calculating the total number of points divided by the total number of possible points. This is incorrect. It is actually calculating the “mean percentage correct” which is the total number of percentage points awarded per column summed and then divided by the number of columns.

Create a Calculated Column

In the full grade center select the “Create a Calculated Column” button and then select the type of column you wish to create.

In this example we will set up a “Total” column. Your course should have a default “Total” column already available. However, if it is not there, or if you wish to create a total column for specific assignments only, you would need to create a new one.

Enter in the information required:

Column Information

Column Name: This is the text that will display in the grade center and to the students in their My Grades area. Typically for total columns the name is either “Total” or “Total Points”.

Primary Display: This is the value type displayed in the grade center and to students in their My Grades area. For total columns it should be set to “Score” which will display total points scored.

Secondary Display: For faculty only, this can display a secondary value in the grade center. This option is not typically used for total columns.

Select Columns

Include in Total: Use this area to select whether all grade center columns (assignments) should be included in the value or only specific ones.

Calculate As a Running Total: “Calculate as a running total” allows you to exclude columns which have not yet been graded from the score. For total columns, this generally does not matter as it only shows total achieved points without any additional calculations. It is recommended that you set the “Calculate As a Running Total” option to “yes”.

Options

Include this column in Grade Center calculations: If this option is set to “Yes”, the points for this assignment will count toward the Total column. Select “No” for this when the assignment or grade needs to be tracked and shown to students but does not count toward the final grade.

Show this column to students: When this option is set to “Yes” students can see the column and their grade in the My Grades area as well as on the course calendar (if a due date is set). If this option is set to “No” students will not be able to see their grade.

Show statistics (average and median) for this column to students in My Grades: When this option is set to “Yes” students will be able to see the average and median grade for the assignment. It is recommended that you set this option to “No”.

Don’t forget to click “Submit” to create your column!