Categories for Gradable Activities

The following article details the creation of categories for Assignments and Quizzes.

Please note that the course layout, steps, and screenshots shown below may differ slightly for your campus.

There are two types of categories in Brightspace; each with a separate function. In Gradable Activities, such as Assignments and Quizzes, categories can be used to sort items based on desired criteria such as unit, chapter, week, etc. In the Grade Book, categories are used to organize grade items and allow specified grade calculations. For setting up categories in the Grade Book, click here.

Create and Edit Categories for Gradable Activities

1. By default, there will be no categories in Assignments. Quizzes will be separated into Past, Current, and Future Quizzes depending on the activity’s availability settings. To edit or add a category, navigate to your Assignments or Quizzes area, and select Edit Categories.
   
    
2.  If there are categories already created, they will appear in the list. To add a category click Add Category.
   
    
3. In the small box that appears give the new category a name and click Create. The new category will now appear on the list.
   
    
4. To Edit the name of a category, click directly on the name in the list and adjust the text. Similarly, the Sort Order option can be adjusted by clicking directly on the number and entering the desired numerical order. For example 1 is listed at the top, 2 below that, and so on.
    
5. To delete a category, select the box to the left of the category name and click the trashcan icon. Click Yes in the small box that appears to confirm the delete action. Note that deleting a category does not delete the activities associated with it.
   
    
6. Click Close to be brought back to the gradable activity page. Note that if a category does not have at least one activity associated with it, it will not appear until one is added.
   
    

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Add Gradable Activities to Categories

1. To add a gradable activity to a category, navigate to the activity, click the chevron next to the title, and choose Edit from the contextual menu.
    
2. On the Edit page for Assignments, locate the “Submission & Completion” panel on the right side and click to expand. On the Edit page for Quizzes, this option will be “Attempts & Completion.”
   
    
3. Locate “Category” and click the drop-down to select the desired category.
   
    
4. Once you have made your selection, click Save and Close. The gradable activity will now appear below the selected category.
   
    

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If you need further assistance or have additional questions please contact:
SUNY Online Support Services Help Desk
1-844-673-6786 | sunyonlinehelp@suny.edu