Weighted Grades & Assignment Groups

Weighted Grades & Assignment Groups

How-to-Guides
All graded work including graded Discussions, graded Quizzes and Assignments will be on the Assignment Page (Index). If your grading scheme is based on points (not percentage) and unweighted, all of these items can be in one group. If you would like to organize your assignments by type, apply a rule, or apply grade weighting you can create Assignment Groups and move the assignments into the appropriate group. 
Related Topics: Canvas Gradebook, Canvas

Applying weights to groups of assignments

Faculty often want to weight their grades

  • Assignments - 30%
  • Quizzes - 30%
  • Class Participation - 20%
  • Final Exam - 20%

Canvas will do the math for you using Assignment Groups Weight. To access this feature, go to Assignments on the Course Navigation Menu [1]. Here you'll add Assignment Groups by selecting the +Group button [2] (by default, you will have an Assignment group already available).

assignments on course navigation with arrow pointing to + group button

 

Give the new assignment group a name [3]. You can add as many assignment groups as you want to weight.

When all the groups are created, select More Options [⋮] [4] and Assignment Groups Weight [5] from the drop-down menu.

 

 

 

Group Name for new weighted groups
assignment groups weight option in Canvas

Check the box for Weight final grade based on assignment groups [6]. This will open up the list of Assignment Groups where you can enter their weights. 

Canvas keeps a running total [7] so you can ensure that your weighted scores add up to 100%.

 

assignment group weights

 

The Assignment Group weights will be visible now in the Assignments section.

When you create any graded item in Canvas (assignment, quiz, discussion) for which you want the grade weighted, be sure to add it to the appropriate Assignment Group by selecting the group from the Assignment Group [8] drop-down menu.

assignment group weights
adding an assignment to an assignment group when creating the assignment

The Assignment Groups and their weights will appear in the second to last column in the Gradebook.

assignment group weights in the canvas gradebook

 

Applying Rules to Groups of Assignments

Once you have added assignments to an assignment group, you can create rules for that assignment group. Assignment group rules determine how Canvas handles any exceptions you want to create for grade calculations such as dropping the lowest or highest scores.

Note: We suggest setting up these rules during the latter part of the term to prevent Canvas dropping the first assignment students submit (as it will be the lowest score since it is the only scored item for a student).

On the Assignments page, select the More Options [⋮] [1] and Edit [2].

Indicate the number of lowest or highest scores you want to ignore in the assignment group [3]. You can also indicate any assignments you never want to be dropped for students [4].

 

 

 

dropping the lowest or highest scores in assignment groups

You will now have an indication on the Assignment Group that you have applied rules. Hovering on the rule text displays which rules you have set-up.

assignment group rules hover display

For further assistance, UO Online & Canvas Support are available.

  • In-Person: Room 68 PLC
  • By phone: (541) 346-1942
  • By email: uoonline@uoregon.edu
  • Submit a Service Portal Ticket (opens in a new tab). This form can also be accessed in Canvas from the Help button at the bottom of the Global Navigation Menu.