Brightspace: Using the Grades Setup Wizard

Overview

This article will go over the Grades Setup Wizard tool in Brightspace.

Instructions

Note: It is strongly encouraged for faculty to setup their Grade Book using the Setup Wizard tool. 

1. From your course, in the blue Course Navigation bar, select Grades.
2. From the top menu bar, select Setup Wizard.

Note: The first time you enter the Grades area, you will automatically be sent directly to the Setup Wizard.

3. The first page of the Setup Wizard will show you the current settings for your Grade Book. Select the blue button Start at the bottom of the page to continue.
4. There are three available Grading Systems: Weighted, Points, and Formula. Select your preferred Grading System. Click the blue button Continue.

For more information on the different types of Grading Systems, click here.

Note: It is strongly recommended that users do not select the Formula option. If you are interested in the Formula option, please contact the Service Desk for further information.

5. Select how you want your Final Grade to be released, using either the Calculated Final Grade or the Adjusted Final Grade, and whether that release will be automatically released to the users. Click the blue button Continue.
6. Select how you want ungraded items to be handled.

• Selecting Drop ungraded items will not include an ungraded item in the grade calculation. This will produce a "running total" in the final grade column. Note: This requires that any item that has not been turned in will need to have a zero added manually in the grade book.
• Selecting Treat ungraded items as zero will automatically treat any items without an inputted grade as a zero. Note: It is recommended that, if choosing this option, faculty either hide their final grade column(s) to students until closer to the end of the term, or that students be alerted that their final grade is not accurate until the end of the term.
• It is recommended that users keep the default option of automatically keep their final grade updated. 

7. Select your Default Grade scheme. The default option is set to percentage; you may select any of the available grade schemes by clicking on the radio button in the Default Scheme column. When you have selected your Grade Scheme, click the blue button Continue. 

8. Select how many decimal places to display in your course; it must be an integer between 0 and 5. 
9. The final step is the Student View Display options. 

• The Grade Details section allows you to customize how a student's grade is displayed; any or all options may be checked. Selecting a points grade will show the points associated with a grade item. Selecting the Grade scheme symbol will display the letter grade or the associated symbol associated with your selected Grade Scheme.
• Select how many decimal places to display for students; it must be an integer between 0 and 5. 
• If you are using a text grade item in your grade book, you can adjust how much text is viewable, up to 50 characters. Anything longer will be cut off. 
• The Final Grade Calculation option lets you choose whether students can see how the final grade is calculated. 

10. Select the blue button Continue. 
11. The final page lets you review your selections. Select the blue button Finish to save your changes.