Final Grade Calculation Options Checklist (Brightspace)

Introduction:

As the semester wraps up, final grades can be impacted by a variety of factors—missing submissions, bonus items, or ungraded content. This quick checklist will guide you through the recommended Calculation Options to ensure accuracy and consistency in your Brightspace grade center.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. 1.Log into Brightspace and access your course.
   • Go to the Class Progress tab on the navigation bar and select Grades from the drop-down menu.
2. 2. From the Enter Grades tab, click the Settings icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner.
3. 3. Click on the Calculation Options tab.
4. 4.Set Final Grade to Release
   • Under Final Grade Released, select:
     • Calculated Final Grade
     • (Optional): Check Automatically release final grade
5. 5.Adjust Grade Calculations
   • Under Grade Calculations, set the following:
   • Ungraded Items:
     • Treat ungraded items as 0 (Recommended if you’re using bonus or non-mandatory items)
   • Automatic Zero for Missing Submissions:
     • Enable this setting (Helps prevent grade inflation from unsubmitted work)
6. WARNING: Enabling “Automatic Zero for Missing Submissions” will automatically assign a zero to any assignment without a submission. However, manually graded items (such as in-class work or offline activities) must still be marked manually.
   If these items are left unchecked or ungraded, they will count as a zero, which may cause student grades to appear lower than intended.
   • Auto Update:
     • Keep this enabled (Ensures grades update in real time as changes are made)
7. 6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save to apply your changes.

Troubleshooting Tips:

• • Grades look inflated or inaccurate?
  • Double-check if “Drop ungraded items” is selected—it may be excluding missing work from the calculation.
• • Final grades aren’t releasing to students?
  • Ensure you’ve selected “Calculated Final Grade” and either released it manually or enabled auto-release.
• • Bonus items affecting total grade?
  • ​​​​​​​Confirm bonus items are correctly labeled as Bonus and that they are not weighted into the final total unless intended.

Additional Resources:

• • Manage final grades | D2L Brightspace Community
• • Video: Troubleshooting final grades | D2L Brightspace Community
• • Recordings from Past Brightspace Training Sessions | UTRGV COLTT
• • (Sign-in to Panopto) From Setup to Scores: Using Brightspace Grades | UTRGV COLTT

FAQ Section:

• • Q: Why treat ungraded items as zero?
  • ​​​​​​​A: This prevents missing assignments from being ignored in the final grade, ensuring students aren’t getting higher grades than they've earned.
• • Q: Can I switch to Adjusted Final Grade instead?
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A: Yes! If you prefer to override grades manually, go to Calculation Options and select Adjusted Final Grade as the one to release.
• • Q: Will students see their final grade automatically?
  • ​​​​​​​A: Only if you've selected “Automatically release final grade” under the Calculation Options tab. Otherwise, you'll need to release it manually.