What is a Weighted Grade?

Link to Video: How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?

A weighted grade refers to different levels of importance a professor may assign to coursework. Each assignment group is worth a specific percentage of the total grade. In the Weighted Grade Scheme Image below, there are four weighted groups. Each group makes up a portion of the total value of the overall grade. The Total Value of the gradebook is 100% and should not exceed 100%.

A weighted grade system calculates grade items as a percentage of a final grade total of 100%. The maximum points you assign to individual grade items can be any value, but their contribution towards the assignment Group they belong to and the final grade is the percentage value assigned to the group. Graded items in a Group count as a percentage of that Group, not of the final grade. The total percentage earned in the group is the portion of the total grade. For example, if you have a group worth 10% of the final grade with two equally weighted grade items, the weight of each item is 50%, its contribution to the group.

Since it's a group weight and not an individual grade item’s weight that counts toward the final grade, the final grade is inaccurate until all the items in the category have a grade.

Best Practices When Using Weighted Grades

A best practice to consider when using a weighted grade in the Canvas LMS is to not exceed a total overall weight of 100%.

Be sure to explain to students how the weighted grade is distributed in your course. Point out that the course is not based on total points, or a Sum/Average grade.
Weight important assignment groups, like tests and projects, more heavily than less important assignment groups, like homework.
Do not use Extra Credit as a grade recovery tool or to help a student on the cusp of a letter grade to "level up" to a higher letter grade.
Ways to Add Extra Credit
- Add points to an individual assignment, quiz or discussion question.
- Add points to the total score at the end of the semester via the override column in the gradebook. This column has to be turned on. Link to: How do I override a student's final grade in the Gradebook?
- It is not recommended to increase the total weight of the grade book above 100%. But if you decide to calculate the extra credit value into the weighted total, you can assign a percentage to a group in addition to the main groups.
- For example: Extra credit can be added as a Group that is assigned an additional 5%, which would change the Total Weight to 105%.
  - Students are graded on a ten point scale based out of the 100%.
  - Any additional points earned from extra credit will apply but will not exceed 105%.

How Can I Weight Items within an Individual Group?

Equal Distribution of the weighted percentage for a Group
- When assigning the point values of assignments within a specific weighted group if you want all the assignments to be weighted equally across the group, assign the same number of points for each assignment. This will distribute the weight equally across all items.
Weights within Weighted Groups
- If you do not want the assignments within a group to be equally weighted, assign lower or higher point values based on the importance of the graded items within the group.

Add Groups & Assign Weighted Percentages

The weighted grade should be turned on for each course every semester. It does not automatically roll over. In order for a weight to be applied to each group, there must be at least one assignment, discussion, or quiz listed in one of the weighted groups for the instructor to edit the weight for the group. If there are no weighted groups, those should be created. If you do not have at least one item listed in one of the groups, the system will not allow you to edit or add the weighted percentage for any of the groups. You will also not be able to edit already existing groups if no content is assigned to at least one of the weighted groups.

Instructions: Add Groups

Navigate to your Canvas Course
Click the Assignments link from the left navigation menu.

3. Click the + Group button (top right of screen) to create an Assignment Group.

4. The Add Assignment Group window will display. Enter the name for the Assignment Group. Click the Save button. (Repeat this step until you have created all the assignment groups for the course.) You can also edit the names of the Groups or Percentages at this step.

5. After clicking the Save button do not navigate away from the Assignments page. You will be able to assign the weighted percentages to each of the groups you just created. Follow the next set of instructions below to add the weights to each group.

Instructions: Turn on the Weighted Grade

If you navigated away from the Assignments page, click on the Assignments link in the white navigation menu to the left of the screen to return to the Assignments page.

2. Click the three dots located to the right of the green +Assignment button. Then select Assignment Groups Weight from the drop-down menu.

3. The Assignments Group Weight window will display. Select the box for Weight final grade based on assignment groups, then enter a percentage for each of the assignment groups.

4. Add the percentages to the Groups. This will weight the overall grade in the course. Do not exceed a 100% total weight.

5. Click the Save button before navigating away from the page.

If you are unable to add the percentages, e.g., the cursor will not move in the boxes or you are unable to type the numbers in the boxes, it is because there has to be at least one content item that has a numerical value (assignment, quiz, discussion, etc.), in one of the Groups for the system to recognize the weights.
As a reminder, if you are attempting to edit the Weighted Group names or Percentages in a course that already has content, or adding a new Group, be sure to drag or place the correct content items into the correct Groups. If there is a Group in the course titled: "Imported Assignments", the content in this group will need to be put into the appropriate weighted group. If the assignments in the Imported Assignments group is not needed, delete the content.

Link to guide: How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?

Link to guide: How do I override a student's final grade in the Gradebook?

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