How the Level Table's Average Using Fields Affect Mark Averages
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The Level Table's Average Using Type field determines how a mark should be processed when calculated based on an average setup. The mark can either be mapped to a numeric value or processed as an exempt or set mark.
To map a mark to a numeric value, set the Average Using Type field to Value and the Average Using Value field to the numeric value for the mark. This numeric value is used both to
- map a received mark to a value for average calculations, and
- assign a mark from a calculated average.
For exempt or set marks, the Average Using Value field is not used, and Average Using Type selections allow the mark to be treated as - a mark that indicates the student is exempt from the marking period,
- a failing mark,
- a passing mark, or
- a mark that indicates the student's average should also be set to the returned mark.
The examples that follow illustrate how the Average Using Type and Average Using Value fields determine the results of the calculation. For these examples, the course's Final mark is calculated from four marking period marks and two exam marks. The Final mark is defined on the Average Setup Page as shown:
Calculating the average for a course that receives marks that convert to numeric values
For this example, a numeric value from the Level Table is used to calculate the average. The Average Setup page's Average Uses Raw Gradebook Values checkbox is not selected, and all the marks received in this example are defined with the Level Table's Average Using Type field set to Value.
The calculation uses the Average Using Value assigned to the received mark. The average is calculated and, if mark substitution is not selected (determined by the Resulting Average for Regular Courses Is field on the Average Setup page), the first mark with an Average Using Value closest to the average is returned. For more information on how a mark is returned from the Level Table, refer to the Average Using Value field description on the Level Table Page.
Marking Period | MP (Type/Value) | Exm (Type/Value) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 89 (Value/89) | |
2 | 85 (Value/85) | 78 (Value/78) |
3 | 81 (Value/81) | |
4 | 83 (Value/83) | 74 (Value/74) |
((89 * 2) + (85 * 2) + (78 * 1) + (81 * 2) + (83 * 2) + (74 * 1)) / (2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 1)
828 / 10 = 82.8
If the Average Setup is defined to return a rounded average, the resulting average is 83. A mark of 83 is returned for the Final.
Calculating the average for a course that receives a set mark
If any of a course's received marks uses Set for its Average Using Type field, the calculation returns the received mark. If a student receives more than one mark that uses Set for its Average Using Type field, the first mark defined as Set in the level table is returned. In this example, the student received an incomplete mark for the fourth marking period.
Marking Period | MP (Type/Value) | Exm (Type/Value) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 89 (Value/89) | |
2 | 85 (Value/85) | 78 (Value/78) |
3 | 81 (Value/81) | |
4 | Inc (Set) |
The Final mark is set to Inc.
Calculating the average for a course that receives exempt marks
If a mark is defined with the Level Table's Average Using Type field set to Exempt, the Average Setup page's Handle Exempt Marks field determines how the exempt mark is processed. You can choose to issue an error or exclude the mark if an exempt mark is received for a mark type.
- If the Average Setup indicates that an error should be issued:
The example below assumes that the setup is defined to issue an error if an exempt mark is issued for the MP mark for marking period 3.
Marking Period | MP (Type/Value) | Exm (Type/Value) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 89 (Value/89) | |
2 | 85 (Value/85) | 78 (Value/78) |
3 | Med (Exempt) | |
4 | 83 (Value/83) | 74 (Value/74) |
No average is calculated for the course and an error is issued in the Average Calculation log file.
- If the Average Setup indicates to exclude exempt marks:
The example below assumes that the setup is defined to exclude the exempt mark for exam marks.
Marking Period | MP (Type/Value) | Exm (Type/Value) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 89 (Value/89) | |
2 | 85 (Value/85) | NR (Exempt) |
3 | 81 (Value/81) | |
4 | 83 (Value/83) | 74 (Value/74) |
((89 * 2) + (85 * 2) + (81 * 2) + (83 * 2) + (74 * 1)) / (2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1)
750 / 9 = 83.3333
If the Average Setup is defined to return a rounded average, the resulting average is 83. A mark of 83 is returned for the Final.
Calculating the average for a course that receives pass or fail marks
If all the marks received for a course are defined with the Level Table's Average Using Type field set to Passing Mark or Fail, the calculation uses 1.0 for passing marks and 0.0 for failing marks.
- If the calculated average is passing, the first mark with the Average Using field set to Passing Mark is returned.
- If the calculated average is failing, the first mark with the Average Using field set to Fail is returned.
Marking Period | MP (Type/Value) | Exm (Type/Value) |
|---|---|---|
1 | P (Passing Mark) | |
2 | P (Passing Mark) | F (Fail) |
3 | P (Passing Mark) | |
4 | F (Fail) | F (Fail) |
((1 * 2) + (1 * 2) + (0 * 1) + (1 * 2) + (0 * 2) + (0 * 2)) / (2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 1)
6 /10 =.60
If the Average Setup is defined to return a rounded average, the resulting average is 1. A passing mark is returned for the Final.