WebCT Help

My Grades reports F for my Course Grade, but my average is much higher

Calm down.  There's a simple explanation!

At the beginning of the course (or at least way before the end of the course), I program the formula for the course grade into WebCT.  That includes every test and other other item required in the course.  So until you take all the required items, the course grade will not be very high. 

In other words, the course grade you see is what you would get in the course if you stopped right now (didn't take any more tests or exams or anything) and walked away from the course.

This entry in the gradebook is only useful or accurate AT THE VERY END of the course, when you have completed EVERYTHING.

What is "Pts to A" in My Grades?  Why is it negative?

This entry is "Points to an A" and gives the number of points you still need to earn in the course to get an A for the course grade.  This is useful near the end of the course because it will give you an idea of how well you need to do on the final exam or last test (or whatever remains) to achieve an A.  Or it tells you whether an A is even possible given the number of points yet available in the course.

Why is it negative?

First, check to see if it really is negative.  If the item states "Out of -93" or "Out of -57.5" or something like that, then don't worry about it.  That's not your value, that's the number of points below a perfect score you can have to still get an A and this value is the same for everyone in the course.  Look at the other number, the one in the right column with all your other scores.  THAT's the number of points needed yet to get an A.

If your Pts to A value really is negative, then congratulations!  That means you've exceeded the minimum number of points needed to get an A in the course!  Go celebrate!

My grade is 90%, which is an A, but WebCT states that I have B

This might occur when WebCT "rounds up" to fit only two digits in the grading grid in My Grades.  For example, you might have 44.5 out of 50 on a test.  WebCT will report "45" and then you assume that you have 90% . . . when in reality you have only 89%.  To verify the actual score, go back to the online test page and click on "View all scores" at the top of that page.

My total points don't seem to add up correctly

This might occur when WebCT "rounds up" to fit only two digits in each spot for tests and quizzes in the grading grid in My Grades.  However, when WebCT calculates a total, it doesn't use the "rounded up" scores—it instead uses the individual ACTUAL scores.

To verify the actual score for each item, go back to the online test page and click on "View all scores" at the top of that page. Add those up (use the highest score for each item) and compare that to what WebCT reports for your total.

Another reason that points don't seem to add up is because you may be adding things that aren't part of your score. For example, although the Student Understanding is required, you don't earn any points toward your course total. The points are reported, so that you and I know that you answered "I understand" to each item, but the points are not credited toward your course grade.

Also, rememember that for A&P 1 lecture courses, clicker points do not add directly to your score. Your clicker total is converted to Participation Points only after all the lectures for a semester are over.

In some courses, clicker points, extra-extra credit, and other points are not reported—or reported but not linked to the total—until the end of the course.