Set up the gradebook in Brightspace to store evaluations tied to quizzes, assignments, and discussions or items not connected to Brightspace activities, such as class participation or attendance.
Setting up the gradebook in Brightspace before each semester begins will make it easier to manage grades and avoid common issues.
Gradebook Setup Wizard Instructions
How to use the Gradebook Setup Wizard
- To use the gradebook Setup Wizard, on the course homepage, click ‘Grades’ under the ‘My Grades’ dropdown in the navigation bar.
- Once on the Grades page, click ‘Setup Wizard’ in the sub-navigation bar. Under Step 1, choose how final grades will be calculated: a weighted grade system, a points-based grade system, or a custom grading system set up with a formula. Then, select Continue.
- In Step 2, select either Calculated Final Grade or Adjusted Final Grade. Check Automatically release final grade to show students their final grade immediately without manually releasing them from Enter Grades. Then, select ‘Continue.’
- Calculated Final Grade: This cannot be directly modified and is automatically updated when new evaluations are completed and published. Students will know their final grade early in the course, as it will be updated as the learner progresses.
- Adjusted Final Grade: This is more flexible, and both the numerator and denominator can be edited to suit your needs. However, the Adjusted Final Grade will never update automatically.
- In Step 3, select how Ungraded Items should be treated. Check the ‘Automatically keep final grade updated’ checkbox to always keep students’ final grades updated after a grade item or calculation option is changed. Then, select ‘Continue.’
- Drop ungraded items: Items that are not graded will not count towards the final grade.
- Treat ungraded items as 0: Items that do not have a grade input are counted as 0 in the final grade. Additional information can be found on the Automatic “0” on Quiz help guide.
- Consider the following when choosing between the two options:
| Grade Item | Score with “Drop ungraded items” | Score with “Treat ungraded items as 0” |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz 1 | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Quiz 2 | -/10 | -/10 |
| Final Grade | 10/10 | 10/20 |
- In Step 4, select a Grade Scheme that sets a default or custom labels/ranges of scores instead of a numerical scheme. Click the icon in the Preview column to view an example of the scheme. Then, select ‘Continue.’
- In Step 5, choose the number of decimals to display in Grades. The value must be an integer between 0 and 5. Then, select ‘Continue.’ Note: Brightspace will round the display of numbers.
- In Step 6, choose what students see when viewing their grades. The following four properties (Points Grade, Weighted Grade, Grade Scheme Symbol, and Grade Scheme Color) can be displayed by default for the gradebook. Then, select ‘Continue.’
- In Step 7, finalize the preferred selection, then click Finish. Notes: the selections summary below are just an example of a gradebook setup. Instructors may edit the Grades Setup Wizard anytime by navigating to it from ‘Grades’ under the ‘My Grades’ dropdown and selecting ‘Continue.’
