How do I create a Calculated Column?

  1. From the Teach tab, go to Grade Book in your Instructor Tools menu.
  2. Select Create Column.
  3. Choose Calculated from the pull down menu.
  4. Give Column a meaningful title or label.
  5. Click Save.

 How do I edit formulas for Calculated Columns?

TIP:   This formula creator is best suited for entering a formula all at once. The only editing allowed is to undo the last item you entered or to clear the entire formula. You cannot move back and forth between variables in the formula. Therefore, it is easiest to have the formula written out exactly as you want to enter it.

  1. Construct your formula on paper exactly as you want to enter it, complete with mathematical operators, nested arguments within parentheses, references to other data columns, and any of the available functions.
  2. To edit formulas from the Grades, Members, View All, or Custom View tab:Locate the calculated column whose formula you want to edit and click its  ActionLinks icon.
  3. Click Edit Column Formula
  4. Create the formula:
    • To enter a number, click that number's button.
    • To enter mathematical operators, click the + (add), - (subtract), * (multiply), or / (divide) buttons
    • To open a nested argument, click the Left Parenthesis button. Enter the argument.
    • To close the argument, click the Right Parenthesis button.
    • To insert a reference to a numeric column in order to use its value in your column formula, under Select a column to add to your formula, click the name of the column. The column name appears in the preview box.

Running totals are italicized and appear in parenthesis. After there is a value in the Final column, the formula is completed and appears in plain text like other Grade Book entries. A reference to an empty column is either treated as 0 in the formula, or is ignored.

To insert a function:

  1. At a valid point in the formula, click the function button.
  2. Enter the function's first argument.
  3. To enter another argument, click Enter Another Value (this provides the comma)
  4. To complete the function, click End Function.
  5. To clear the last entry, click Undo.
  6. To clear the entire formula, click Clear All.
  7. Click Save. 

Formula Example:

The final grade for your class is based on four quizzes named Quiz 1, Quiz 2, Quiz 3, and Quiz 4. All Students performed poorly on these quizzes so you want to add 15% to their final grades. Your formula for the final grade column could be created as follows:

  1. Click the SUM function.
  2. Under Select a column to add to your formula, click Quiz 1.
  3. Click Enter Another Value.
  4. Under Select a column to add to your formula, click Quiz 2.
  5. Click Enter Another Value.
  6. Under Select a column to add to your formula, click Quiz 3.
  7. Click End Function.Using the numerals and operators, enter *1.15. The completed formula appears in the preview box:
    SUM {[Quiz 1],[Quiz 2],[Quiz 3], }*1.15.
  8. Click Save.