Category Weights Grading is very popular with teachers but setting up category weights is not intuitive. As the quarter comes to a close, if you (or the teachers you support) grade by weighted category, it may be worthwhile to ensure those categories were set up correctly.
The following steps will walk through how to set up a gradebook with two categories (tests and homework) where tests are weighted 2x as much as homework.
Click on the (+) icon in the top right corner
Click on "Category"
Select the classes you want this category to apply to and give this category a name
Under the "Assignment Default" tab, you can choose a default option for total amount of points for assignments in this category and also when to publish these assignments
View all the categories you have created under the "View All" tab
Note: after you create a category, you are unable to delete it.
Common Mistake: do not use the "+ Weight" button under the "Assignment Default" to set up category weights. Changing the weights on all assignments within a category through the "Assignment Default" tab will not accurately weight each category since these weights are dependent on the total amount of points within each category.
Instead, follow the example below:
Click on "Settings" on the bottom left corner in the menu bar
Click on "Traditional Grade Calculations" near the bottom
Click on the pencil icon underneath "Actions" for the class you want to set category weights for
Select "Category Weighting" in the Type column
Select the category you want to weight in the Attribute column
Enter the weight you want to give each category in the Weight column - the percentages in the Percent column will automatically be adjusted so they add up to 100%
Add more categories by clicking on the (+) icon in the top right corner
Note: you will need to set up category weights for every period of each class every semester.
When creating an assignment under the "Assignment" tab, it’s possible to add weights to an assignment directly. This is helpful for one-off or special assignments.
For example, if you want to give the final exam double the weight as any other test, you can click on the "+ Weight" button and enter the weight you want to include (in this case 2) in the X Weight* box.