What is the difference between a weighted assignment or more points?

mr_herzogteach
New Member

What is the difference between a weighted assignment or more points?

Take two assignments:

 

#1 has 10 points and is weighted by 5 to give 50 points.

 

#2 has 50 points.

 

Is there a difference between the two?

3 Replies
JeffG9
PowerSchool Champion
PowerSchool Champion

@mr_herzogteachYes, there is a difference. In an assignment worth 50 points, you can give a grade from 0-50. In the Weighted assignment, you can only give a grade in increments of 5. For instance, I could give a kiddo a 48 on the assignment worth 50 points, but only an 8 (40), 9 (45), or 10 (50) on the weighted assignment. 

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mr_herzogteach
New Member

I think I understand that.

 

Follow-up: What's the benefit of using a weighted grade? Or, when/why would you do it?

JeffG9
PowerSchool Champion
PowerSchool Champion

@mr_herzogteach  In my opinion, there is never a need or use for a weighted single assignment. In a Total Points calculation, simply make and assignment worth how ever many points you believe it is worth. To be more concrete, using a standard "unit test" as a 100-point benchmark, if I am giving a quiz that I believe is half as important as a unit test, the quiz would be worth 50 points. If I assign an essay I believe to be twice as important as a unit test, I would make it worth 200 points.

 

There is also the option of setting up Category Weighting and letting the gradebook calculate the weighting for you. Something like:

 

Tests: 50%

Quizzes: 25%

Projects: 25%

 

Say then that a student gets these grades in each category:

 

Test 78%

Quizzes 100%

Project 86%

 

Final Grade: 85.5%

 

Hope that is helpful.

 

**Also--in an addendum to my previous post, depending on configuration, you may be able to give a grade like 1.5/10 on the weighted assignment. But again, why not just use the full range of 50 points for total control.**

 

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Full Disclosure: I do not work for PowerSchool