Creating a total percentage column in gradebook

Wanting to create a running total column calculating as percentage?  Just follow these steps.

1. ACCESS THE FULL GRADE CENTER

In the Control Panel, click to expand the Grade Center section.  Then click the Full Grade Center link.

 

2.  CREATE A TOTAL COLUMN

In the Action Bar across the top of the page, click the Create Calculated Column button, then select Total Column from the drop-down menu.

 

3. NAME THE COLUMN

Required: Fill in the column name.  You can also add an optional shortened Grade Center display name to appear as a column heading, and an optional description to appear on your students' My Grades page.
   

4. SET PRIMARY DISPLAY TO PERCENTAGE

Required: Set primary display to Percentage.   You can select a secondary display if desired.  The primary display is visible to instructors and students; the secondary display is only visible to instructors.

 

5. SELECT TOTAL COLUMN

In the Select Columns section, you will specify how Blackboard will calculate the percentage grade.  Select the Selected Columns and Categories option to include in the total.  This will open a window below. 

Click on the Total Column (left pane).  Then click the > button to pop it over into the Selected Columns section (right pane). 

This will basically tell Blackboard to convert your existing total score into a percentage.

 

6. SET RUNNING TOTAL OPTION

Select whether or not to have the percentage calculate as a running total.  

If set to Yes, the grades will be calculated to show the current total, excluding items that have not yet been graded.  If set to Yes, make sure you input zeros for students as needed; otherwise, the running total will exclude those items and the total grade will be higher than it should be.

If set to No, the grades will start at zero and increase as you enter grades.

 

7.  SET ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Set the following options as desired:

• Include this Column in Grade Center Calculations: The grade for this item will be included in your Total column — change to No to exclude this column from the Total.
• Show this Column to Students: Set to Yes to make the column visible to students; set to No to make the column visible only to the instructor.
• Show Statistics for this column to Students in My Grades: Set whether or not students can see overall class statistics for this grade item.

 

8.  SUBMIT

Click the Submit button to save your column settings.