The ‘New Assignment’ option allows you to add an assignment to the current subject. A maximum of 40 assignments may be defined for each subject.
The assignment description may be up to 32 characters. A sub-subject must be selected since it determines the method of grading to be used. If point grades (scores) are to be used, then enter the maximum point value of the assignment. Otherwise, the points field is ignored. The current date may be accepted or changed.
Each assignment is also given a weight. The weight is used to determine the portion the assignment is of the sub-subject grade. Suppose you give three assignments and decide that the first will count 30% of the sub-subject grade; the second 30% of the sub-subject grade; and the final 40% of the sub-subject grade. Suppose that point grading is used and the point value of the first test is 100, the second is also 100, and the third is 150. When you add the assignments, enter weights of 30, 30, and 40 (or 3, 3, and 4; or 6, 6, and 8; etc. The weights will be normalized to 100%). If Rex scores grades of 80/100, 60/100, and 120/150, then Rex’s grades are computed as the raw averages of 80%, 60%, and 80%; and the weighting of the assignments will produce a sub-subject grade of:
(80%*30%) + (60%*30%) + (80%*40%) = 74% (C)
The weights are only used when computing grades using the ‘Weighted Average’ method. See the section on ‘Grading Methods’ above.
Assignments may also be given a negative weight. Such assignments are treated as extra credit. Care should be given to selecting the weight since it is not averaged with the other weights. The weight should be given as a fraction of the sub-subject grade. For example, if an assignment can raise the sub-subject grade by at most 2%, then enter the weight as ‘-0.02’.
Once the assignment is defined, it will be added to the subject’s spreadsheet. Student grades may then be entered through the spreadsheet.
