1. Log in to UTSOnline and go to your subject

Scroll down until you see Grade Centre in the left column. Select it, then select Full Grade Centre.

Troubleshooting: “I can’t see the left column” – it may be minimized. Click on the blue vertical bar on the left edge to make it appear.

In the Grade Centre you’ll see five columns that form part of the Grade Automation Process. They are automatically added to each subject. All five columns are hidden from students by default. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU NOT EDIT OR DELETE THESE COLUMNS, UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. 

A quick explanation:

SYS_WEIGHTED_TOTAL – This will calculate the final mark, based on the formula you set up. We’ll walk through setting up the formula in a bit. At the end of the session when you submit your grades, this column is entered into CASS. NB: you cannot edit this column directly.

SYS_GRADE – This letter grade is automatically displayed based on SYS_WEIGHTED_TOTAL where marks will be rounded up from 0.5. The letter grade schema will be automatically drawn from CASS, so you do not need to touch this column. NB: By default, this grade is calculated from simply adding the weighted assessments together, out of all possible marks (ie. 100). This means that if you have only marked one assessment task so far, the Sys_Grade will likely show a Fail until the rest of the grades are added.

SYS_EXCEPTION_GRADE – This column allows you to adjust the final letter grade in rare cases – the column will only accept pre-configured grades like ‘W’, ‘X’, or ‘Q’, to indicate incomplete grades (eg. from failing a hurdle task, or results pending). You have the option to leave an internal comment when you override the grade. NB: You are not able to change the numerical score or grade here (eg. from a 74-C to a 75-D). Use the SYS_OVERRIDE_MARK column for that, or change a component score.

SYS_MARK_OVERRIDE – This feature was released in Summer 2019. You can use this to manually adjust the final mark without needing to adjust the component marks (eg. 74-C to a 75-D). If you enter a mark here, it will ignore the SYS_WEIGHTED_TOTAL mark.

It’s time ensure each of your assessments has its own column. This is not technically part of the grades automation process, but a necessary prior step. Each assessment might have one column for an overall mark, or multiple component marks calculated into an overall assessment mark.

OPTIONAL: UTSOnline now integrates with REVIEW, so if you use REVIEW to mark, REVIEW can create columns in Blackboard and push the marks across. For instructions on how to set this up, consult the Configuring Review for Grades Submission guide.

IMPORTANT: It is strongly recommended that at least one set of assessment marks should be muted (hidden) from student view (typically a final exam or assignment).

NB. If you have already set up your subject in a previous session, these columns will be automatically rolled over – you will not need to set these up again. However, it’s a good idea to delete any previous columns you’re no longer using. If you find yourself blocked from deleting a column, lodge a Service Connect ticket and include the Column ID for deletion, which is available under ‘Quick Column Information’.

If you have new assessments or have not used Grade Centre before, instructions for setting up your columns can be found at: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Grade/Grade_Columns

To mute a column so that students don’t see it, follow the instructions at: https://help.online.uts.edu.au/information-for-staff/marking-and-grading/the-gradecentre/#manage-student-grade-availability

If you want to use a different grading schema for an individual assessment, follow the instructions at: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Grade/Customize_Grading_Interface/Grading_Schemas#associate-grading-schemas

IMPORTANT: Please remind your tutors and instructors not to change any of the column details.

To access the settings, click on the drop down arrow next to the SYS_WEIGHTED_TOTAL column header, then select Edit Column Information:



Instructions on how to set up weighted calculations can be found at: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Grade/Grading_Tasks/Calculate_Grades#about-weighted-columns

The weighted columns you include must add up to 100%.

IMPORTANT: You must change/make sure “Calculate Running Total” is set to “No”:

By default this is set to “Yes”. If it is set to Yes, the final mark will ignore any assessments that don’t have grades – which is a huge problem if students drop out, fail to submit an assignment, or if a marker forgot to enter it. Make sure that it’s set to ‘No’!

IMPORTANT: You must make sure “Primary Display” is set to “Percentage”:

This is set by default but if you change it to another value, the grade submitted will not be accepted.

Troubleshooting: “I can’t see the three columns”- you generally have to scroll right to fit them on screen, as they are positioned at the end. Look underneath all of your student rows for the horizontal scrollbar. It can be very fiddly.

IMPORTANT: You must change/make sure “Include this Column in Grade Centre Calculations” is set to “No” by editing the column.

By default this might be set to “Yes”. If it is set to Yes, this column will be included in other Total Columns which is a problem if this column mistakenly gets added as calculated column to other columns. Make sure that it’s set to ‘No’!

This can be done a) manually, by typing directly into the Grade Centre, or b) by downloading a Comma Separated Values spreadsheet (.csv) from UTS Online, filling that out and uploading it again. Instructions can be found at – https://help.online.uts.edu.au/information-for-staff/download-upload-grade-centre/