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Overall mark

The Overall Mark column displays a calculated running tally of all the items you grade and post that count toward the overall course mark. It appears in the gradebook next to the students’ names so you can quickly see how each student is performing.

Note: If you would like to see how students are performing but do not wish share the details with your students yet, you can hide the row from students using the visibility option.

Quick links

Set up overall mark

  1. If you don’t have the overall mark configured yet, you’ll see a banner prompting you to set it up. Press Set it up.
    Overall mark prompt in the Gradebook page with button to 'Set it up'
  2. Note, if the message above is hidden, you can set overall mark from the Gradebook Setting (cog icon).
  3. Under Overall Mark Calculation, select one of these options:
    • Points: Points based calculation, select categories or assessment items you want to include in the calculation. The total max point will be based on the items selected.
    • Weighted: The weighted calculation calculates categories and assessment items as a percentage of a final mark worth 100%.
    • Advanced: Use a custom formula to calculate the overall mark.
      Options to select overall mark types - points, weighted and advanced
  4. Select your option and press Next. You can change the calculation type in the next page.

This guidance will cover the most common options weighted and advanced.

Example of weighted overall mark

  1. Here is an example of a weighted overall mark setup, set to distribute proportionally, with 4 Assignment components. Each assessment is marked out of 100 but are weighted differently with a set percentage, calculated towards the final overall mark.

    The weightings in this example include 2 written reflections worth 7.5% each, a peer feedback activity worth 5% and a final written assignment worth 80%, totalling 100%.

    An example of 'Calculations Details' page with 'Weighted' option selected

Adding a weighted overall mark

  1. Once weighted calculation type is selected, you can set the weighting to be distributed proportionally or equally.
  2. By default the Overall mark page lists assessment items into categories i.e. Test, Assignment, Discussion, Exam etc. and distributes marks proportionally across all categories.
  3. In the example below, there are 3 items under Test category (2 formative knowledge checks and a summative test) and 2 items under Assignment category (a Blackboard Group Assignment and a Turnitin assignment).

    Please ensure that you assign a category for LTI assessments such as Turnitin, Gradescope & peerScholar. This can be done from the property pane. Any assessment item with unassigned category will appear at the bottom of the list.
    Overall marks page showing the break down of assessment components distributed proportionally in the all assessment categories
  4. As a first step exclude categories of assessments that you are not drawing from. Press the exclude icon (circle with diagonal line). Excluded categories will be greyed out and the exclude icon will appear purple.
    Overall marks page shows the 100% mark distributed Test 50% and Assignment 50%
  5. Expand the categories you wish to select or include assessment items from. Press the chevron icon.
  6. In this example, the following weightings will be applied for items under Test and Assignment :
    • Summative Test (20%)
    • Group submission – Presentation (30%)
    • Individual Final Assignment (50%)
  7. To set 20% for Summative Test, press the exclude icon on the other two formative assessments – Knowledge check – part 1 and part 2 and amend the percentage in the text field. Select the lock icon to confirm the percentage.
    Test category with knowledge checks assessment components excluded and the lock icon to confirm the 20% weighting for summative test.
  8. This will automatically distribute the remaining 80% equally between the 2 Assignment items.
    Under the Assignment category the remaining 80% is distributed equally between the 2 assignment items.
  9. In order to assign a different percentage for each Assignment item, press the Unlink icon.
    Under the Assignment category the remaining 80% is distributed equally between the 2 assignment items with the unlink icon highlighted,
  10. This will separate the item out from the category and provides control over mark distribution. Amend the percentages for each item. You will need to unlock before you can make changes.
    One assignment is unlinked with 30% weightage and another assignment still linked to the Assignment category.
  11. Under Overall Mark Settings, select how you wish to display the overall mark.
    Select how the overall mark is displayed drop down menu
  12. By default Show to students is enabled. Untick if you wish to hide the overall mark for students.
    Select how the overall mark is displayed option with 'Percentage' selected and 'Show to students' ticked
  13. Press Save.
    Overall Mark row in Gradebook page set hidden
    Overall mark row in Gradebook page.

Advanced – Overall mark

In the Advanced calculation type, you can use functions, variables and operators to formulate the calculation. This option gives you greater flexibility and supports varied evaluation practices.

  1. Once Advanced calculation type is selected for Overall Mark, see the guide on calculated column for details on how to set up.

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