In Canvas, Grade Columns can only be created by creating an assignment.
Assignments Groups
Assignment Groups can be used to help categorize, organize, and manage assignments. Assignment Groups are required if a weighted total grade is used. Each Assignment Group will have a sub-total column displayed in the Gradebook.
Assignment Groups can be created by clicking the Assignments link on the Course Navigation Menu. Click the + Group button at the top right of the page. Once all the Assignment Groups have been created, the Assignment Group Weights can be added by clicking the Settings icon and selecting Assignment Groups Weight from the menu.
Assignments (Grade Columns)
In Canvas, Grade Columns can only be created by creating an Assignment. Assignments can be created on the Assignments Index Page, or directly in a Module.
To access the Assignment Index Page, click the Assignments link on the Course Navigation Menu. To add an assignment, click the + Assignment button at the top of the index page, or the + button on the Assignment Group header.
Complete the Assignment Creation page. Enter Points, select the Assignment Group, the Grade Display, and Submission Type. Select On Paper for the Submission Type to create a Grade Column in the Gradebook. “On Paper” indicates to students that they will need to hand in the assignment to the instructor in class. To create an Extra Credit column, enter 0 in the Points field.
Complete the Assign section. The default is to assign to “Everyone” in the course. Enter a Due Date. Select an Available From and Until date. The Available dates can be left blank if the assignment should be available to student for the duration of the course. The “Assign To” feature allows instructors to assign different (or longer) available and/or due dates to a specific student(s).
Gradebook
The Gradebook will contain a column for all graded assignments (including assignments, discussions, and quizzes), a sub-total column for each Assignment Group, and a Total column. Registered students will be list in alphabetical order. The Gradebook tool bar includes a Search field, Import, Export, and Settings buttons. The Gradebook can be exported into a Excel.
Gradebook Organization
The Gradebook in Canvas can be easily organized by dragging and dropping grade columns into the preferred location. Columns can be resized by clicking on the cell boarder then dragging it to the desired width. Instructors can sort on any column in the Gradebook by clicking on the column to sort ascending or descending. The Gradebook Settings icon provides options to arrange columns by Due Dates, by Points, or by Assignment Groups. The Total Column menu, accessed by clicking the down arrow to the right, allows instructors to Switch to Points from a percentage display, and Move to Front to display the total column first in the Gradebook. Gradebook has a Notes column that allows instructors to track extra information in the gradebook, which can be accessed by clicking the Settings icon, then selecting Show Notes Column. The Notes column is not visible to students.