In most courses at York, the grading strategy is comprised of a set of assessments, each carrying their own weight towards the course total. The weight is often different than the maximum grade for an activity. For example, the midterm is marked out of 100 marks, but it weighs 15% towards the course total.
The default grading strategy in eClass (Simple weighted mean of grades) does not calculate grades in this manner despite what its name might suggest. The aggregation method required to assign specific weights to grades is Weighted mean of grades in order for the grades to be calculated based on a specific weighted grading scheme.
Changing the Aggregation Method (Grading Strategy) to Calculate Weighted Grades
You can change how grades are aggregated in the Aggregation drop-down list in the Gradebook. To do this, follow the instructions below:
- Click Grades in the top row to launch the Gradebook. The Grader report is displayed by default.
- Click on the Grader report drop-down menu and select Gradebook setup from the list.
- To the right of the course title, click on the Edit drop-down menu under the Actions column.
- Select Edit Settings.
- Click on the Aggregation on the drop-down menu and select Click on Weighted mean of grades.
For more information on the other Aggregation options, please refer to the documentation on the eClass website.
- Click Save changes button to finalize the changes your have made.
Follow the instructions below to assign weights to assessment categories and/or activities in your course.
Assigning Weights to Grade Items
In order to assign the weights, it is important that all graded items are included in the Gradebook. Any eClass assessment activities (i.e. Assignments, quizzes, etc.) will automatically appear in the Gradebook once added to the course. If required, you can add "offline" assessments to your course such as exams, oral presentations, and participation, etc. Refer to the Adding Offline Grade Items documentation page for more information.
Once all the grade items are in your Gradebook, you can begin assigning weights to individual items. To assign corresponding weights to assessments, follow the instructions below:
- Click Grades in the top row to launch the Gradebook. The Grader report is displayed by default.
- Click on the Grader report drop-down menu and select Gradebook setup from the list.
- Be sure that Weighted mean of grades is the aggregation method for the Course total. The Weight column appears with an entry field for each item in the Gradebook setup page.
- Enter the corresponding percentage weight values for each item in the Weight column.
Ensure your weights add up to 100. If the weight category does not add up to 100, the grade displayed will not be accurate.
- Click Save changes.
Assigning Weights to Categories in the Gradebook
It is possible to organize your Gradebook into categories. For example, you may have categories for Quizzes, Assignments and/or Discussions Forums. For example, Quizzes might be worth 30% of the course total regardless of how many quizzes are given.
If you choose to use categories, it is important to choose the aggregation method to calculate the total for each category, so that your grades are calculated in the way you intend. Follow the workflow below to setup a category, and set the aggregation method to Weighted mean of grades method.
- Click Grades in the top row to launch the Gradebook. The Grader report is displayed by default.
- Click on the Grader report drop-down menu and select Gradebook setup from the list.
- On the Gradebook setup page, click the Add category button.
- Enter a category name select Weighted mean of grades for aggregation method, click Saves changes.
- Move each row item to the appropriate category. Click the vertical icon to the left of the row.
- Click the row you would like the item to be moved to. Move to here will be displayed.
Upon completion your gradebook will reflect individual assessment activities and others grouped within a category. See an example below:
Refer below for an explanation of the difference between the two most common aggregation methods to determine which best suits your needs.
Using Weighted Mean of Grades to Calculate a Category Total
Typically, there are pre-determined weights for every grade item in a category, as specified by the instructor at the beginning of the term in the course assessment breakdown. Therefore, Weighted mean of grades is the most suitable aggregation method for categories under most circumstances.
If Weighted mean of grades is selected, boxes appear in the Weight column, where instructors can specify the weight for each item.
The sum of the weights for individual grade items in a category must equal the category weight. For example, if the Category weight is 20 as above, the four items in the category must add up to 20. In the example above, we can see that:
5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20
The Gradebook can accommodate many different grading schemes. However, organizing and planning the calculation is critically important to ensure accurate grades are displayed to students.