• What are Grade Items?
• Get started with Grade Items
• Which Grade Items can I use?
• How do I create a Grade Item of the type Numeric or Selectbox?

Grade Items are the columns of your Gradebook, or in other words, the items in your grade list. When you create an assignment, quiz, or discussion and indicate that it will be graded through the Gradebook, a Grade Item is automatically created in the Gradebook and linked to the respective assignment, quiz, or online discussion.

The Gradebook also automatically includes a Grade Item for calculating the final grade.

However, you can also create Grade Items manually, for example, if:

• you want to start building the Gradebook in a way that aligns with the structure in Osiris (as recommended in the article How do I use Grades in my course);
• you want to grade something in your Gradebook that is not linked to an assignment, quiz, or online discussion;
• you want to perform a calculation based on a subset of student results, such as a (weighted) sum of two or more scores.

If you want to grade an activity that students perform during a class, such as a presentation, use the various Submission options in Assignments. This way, you can also grade these types of activities using a grade item in the Grade Book.

After you have completed setting up the Gradebook for the first time with the Grade book Setup wizard, you can create Grade Items, which can be grouped into grade categories as desired.

When creating Grade Items, it can be important to know which Grading System is set up in your environment. This is configured during the Setup process, and you can also find this setting by clicking on Grades > Settings (top right).

There are six different types of Grade items. In most cases, the first three Grade items listed below can be used, and the other three are not necessary.

Grade Items of the following two types can be linked to an assessment tool (assignment, quiz, discussion) and will be the most commonly used. They are used in the calculation of the final grade. They can also be added as standalone Grade Items for additional assessment components:

• Numeric: Assess students by assigning a value from a certain total number of points.
• Selectbox: You can assess students with a Grade Scheme of scale, for example Pass/Fail; or any other Scheme you want to use.
  For the Selectbox-type, we recommend avoiding the use of (an assignment with) a rubric that includes points. This is because the number of points the student receives for the item (overall grade) is determined by the value selected from the Grade Scheme, not by the points scored in the rubric. The points scored in the rubric may then differ from the score in the Gradebook, which can be confusing.

The following Grade Item type cannot be linked to an assessment tool (assignment, quiz, discussion), but it can be used to calculate a grade. If you have set the Formula Grading System for your Gradebook, this is also the Grade Item type used to calculate the final score.

• Formula: This type of Grade Item allows you to calculate a grade using a formula based on scores students have achieved in other Grade Items. In the formula, you can specify whether and how much a score contributes to the final result.

The following Grade Items cannot be linked to an assessment and do not contribute to students' final scores. 

• Text: This type allows you to add comments that do not count towards students' final grades. Instead this grade item, you can use general feedback also.
• Pass/Fail: With this Grade Item, students receive either 0 points or the maximum number of points set for the Grade Item. From the selected Grade Scheme, it only displays the descriptions of the lowest and highest values. These Grade Items cannot be linked to assignments, quizzes, or discussions. Instead, use the Selectbox Grade Item combined with a Pass/Fail Grade Scheme.
• Calculated: This type allows you to sum up multiple Grade Items, optionally weighted if you are using the Weighted Grading System. The same result can be achieved by linking a category to your Grade Items.

The two most commonly used types of Grade Items have a similar creation process. The difference lies in a few specific fields, which are highlighted in the instructions below. How to create a Grade Item of the formula type can be found in How do I create a Formula Grade Item?

First, navigate to Grades > Manage Grades. Then select New and click on Item. The following screen will appear:

Click on the Grade Item Type you want to create. The different types are explained above under Which Grade Item types can I use?

1. Enter a clear name for the Grade Item.
2. Optional: Select a Grade Category (to group Grade Items), or click New Category to add a new category.

1. Enter Maximum Points: Specify the maximum number of points a student can score for this item.
2. Optional: Select Can Exceed if you want students' scores to exceed the maximum points for this item. This option is not available for Grade Items of the type Selectbox.
3. Optional: Select Bonus if this Grade Item is a bonus item. Bonus items are not part of the maximum points a student can achieve for a category or final score but are added to the calculated (final) score. Note that when awarding bonus points, students cannot exceed the maximum score unless you have selected Can Exceed for the Grade Item that calculates the final score.
4. Select the desired Grade Scheme.

1. Optional: Add a Rubric to the Grade Item if desired, but do NOT do this if you intend to link the Grade Item to an assignment, quiz, or discussion. In such cases, add the rubric directly to the assignment itself.
2. Optional: Adjust the Display Options as needed by clicking on Show Display Options. Then, under "Student View" or "Managing View" (for instructors), check Override display options for this item to customize what is displayed.
3. Finally, click Save and Close, and you’re done.