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Note-This information only pertains to you if you are displaying course grades in the Running Total
and/or Running Weighted Total by percentage or letter.
What are Running Totals?
The Blackboard 7.1 Gradebook has two new columns, Running Total and Running Weighted
Total. These new columns do not include scores from assignments or tests that the students have
not taken or that have not been graded and give the student an indication of what his or her grade in
progress is during the semester when not all graded items have been completed.
When set to percent or letter, both these columns use the possible points only for items a student
has attempted (items where a score has been entered). This is then divided into the points they have
earned on these attempted items. For example, if a student has only done the first quiz and received
100 points out of 100 points possible, his or her running total will be an A.
Avoiding Grading Problems
This works well until the end of the semester, when items with no score entered (considered by the
Blackboard Gradebook as not attempted) are NOT calculated into the overall total, when instead,
they should be treated as zeros. This may incorrectly elevate students’ final grades.
For instance, let’s examine a course with six quizzes: At the end of the semester when grades are
being tallied, if a student gets an “A” on 4 quizzes, but misses 2 other quizzes, the Running Total
Column will be erroneously set to display an “A” and will not consider and calculate quizzes not
taken because no score has been entered for these two quizzes.
To avoid this problem, when ready, the Running Total and Running Weighted Total Column should simply be set to calculate a normal “Total.” See the following step-by-step procedures.
Changing the Running Total to Total
1. Go to the Control Panel of
each course you’re teaching this semester
2. Click on Gradebook
3. Click on the name Running
Total
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| 4. Click on Item Information |
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5. Change “Exempt items that have not been graded” to No
6. Click Submit
7. Click OK
8. Click OK (second time)
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Changing the Running Weighted Total to Weighted Total
Note-This information only pertains to you if you are weighting course grades.
1. Go to the Control Panel of
each course you’re teaching this semester
2. Click on Gradebook
3. Click on the name Running Weighted Total
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| 4. Click on Item Information |
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5. Change “Exempt items that have not been graded” to No
6. Click Submit
7. Click OK
8. Click OK (second time)
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