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Blackboard Learn
- 1. Changing Default Views
- 2. Blackboard Learn Help (for Students)
- 2.1. Recording Audio in PowerPoint Presentations
- 2.2. YouTube Account Creation and Verify
- 2.3. Uploading and Sharing a YouTube Video
- 2.4. Uploading and Sharing videos longer than 15 minutes on YouTube
- 2.5. Finding Instructor Feedback
- 2.6. Viewing Test Results
- 2.7. Click here to access short videos that assist students in navigating Blackboard Learn
- 2.8. Blackboard SafeAssign for Students
- 2.9. Discussion Boards General Tutorials
- 2.10. Journals General Tutorials
- 2.11. Assignment Submission General Tutorials
- 3. Managing Content (For Instructors)
- 3.1. Creating Content Links
- 3.2. Add Test Student
- 3.3. Adding My Blackboard Profile
- 3.4. Embedding a YouTube Video in a Blackboard Course
- 3.5. Add Additional Exam Attempts and Exceptions
- 3.6. Add Additional Assignment Submissions
- 3.7. How to Post Your Syllabus
- 3.8. Using Blackboard Date Management
- 3.9. Adding Organization Users
- 4. Grade Center (For Instructors)
- 4.1. Posting Final Grades in Banner (for Blackboard Instructors)
- 4.2. Grading Notifications
- 4.3. Needs Grading- Grading Assignments, Uploading Feedback to Students, and Reviewing Feedback
- 4.4. Inline Grading
- 4.5. Edit Column Information
- 4.6. How to Show and Hide Gradebook Columns
- 4.7. Looking at a Specific Student's Grades without Exposing the Grades of Other Students
- 4.8. Showing Grades in Multiple Columns
- 4.9. Grading Offline in Blackboard
- 4.10. Creating an average column that equally weights assignments
- 4.11. Viewing a Submitted Item After Being Graded
- 4.12. Manual Override of a Grade
- 4.13. Re-grading Blackboard Assessments
- 4.14. Viewing Submissions- Ignore or Clear Attempt
- 5. Managing Tests (for Instructors)
- 6. Instructional Designers Only
- 7. Collaborate Ultra
1. Changing Default Views
1.1. Categorize Course List by Term
You can categorize your course list by term in the 'My Courses' window under the My Institution tab or 'Course List' under the Courses Tab.
1. Click on the gear in the My Courses or Course List header.
2. A "Personalize: <Name of List> will appear. Under 1. Terms, Check 'Group By Term'. You can also choose which terms you want shown and to show/ expand term.
2. In Section 2. Edit Course List, You san customize your Course details and order.
To the left of the course, an up/down arrow will appear; drag the course up or down.
You can also change what information of each course will appear by selecting or deselecting choices.
3. Click the blue Submit button to save settings. Click on arrow to expand or hide the course term list.
1.2. Change Notification Settings
2. Blackboard Learn Help (for Students)
2.1. Recording Audio in PowerPoint Presentations
Instructions for Recording Audio Lectures with PowerPoint Presentations
Preliminary Microphone check (if necessary): From your computer’s Start Menu, choose Control Panel and then from there choose “Sound.” In the Sound window, click on the “Recording” tab to display the microphones that are active on your computer. There should be a volume displayed to the right side of active microphones. When you speak out loud as you would if you were recording your presentation, at least one of the microphone volumes should pick up your voice and the levels should jump for that microphone to let you know that microphone is working. Make sure the working microphone is set as the default (it will have a green checkmark). If it is not, click to select the working microphone and then click the “Set Default” button. PowerPoint will use the default microphone.
1. After building the PowerPoint slides for your presentation, you’re ready to record the audio. Begin by starting on the first slide.
2. Along the tabs at the top, choose the “Slide Show” tab to display that ribbon.
3. Choose “Record Slide Show” from the Slide Show tab ribbon.
4. A “Record Slide Show” dialogue box will appear:
- Make sure the “Slide and animation timings” checkbox is checked if you have animations on your slides
- Make sure the “Narrations and laser pointer” checkbox is checked to record your audio
5. Next, click the “Start Recording” button to begin recording your presentation.
6. During recording, you’ll see the recorder controls at the top of the presentation. With these you can pause the recording, or stop and start over.
7. Also during the recording, mouse clicks or the right arrow key will advance the slides. When the slide advances, the timer will reset and PowerPoint will automatically begin recording the audio for that next slide.
8. When you are finished recording, click the X on the Recorder controls to stop recording.
9. Once the show is recorded, if you desire to go back and re-record any of the slides, you can simply double-click on that slide to edit it.
-- Draw a box over the audio icon in the bottom, right corner of the slide to select it.
-- Delete that icon to remove that slide’s audio.
-- To re-record, choose the Insert tab on the top menu, and then click the drop-down arrow on the Audio button.
-- From the drop-down menu, choose “Record Audio”. This will bring up a “Record Audio” control box.
-- Click the red, record circle to re-record the audio for that slide, and click OK when completed. This will place another audio icon in the center of the slide, which you can move down to the corner.
10. Once your presentation with audio is complete, you can choose “Save As”, and then in the file type drop down box you can choose “.WMV” and your computer will make it into a video file. The computer will need some time to do this, but the Windows media file (.wmv) the computer creates can then be uploaded to YouTube and shared.
11. Uploading your Video to YouTube: (Adapted from the CUW Helpspot Knowledge Base)
1. Go to http://www.youtube.com/
2. In the upper right hand corner of the screen, click "sign in" if you are not already signed in
3. Sign in using your YouTube username or email. If you already have a Google account, you can log into YouTube using that account.
4. In the upper part of the screen, click "upload"
5. Select a file or multiple files from your computer and upload them
6. If you need to share this video, you cannot set your video to "private." In general, choose “Unlisted.” Unlisted videos can only be viewed by going straight to the video's URL (address) and will not come up in internet searches. Public videos can be searched for on Google or YouTube by looking for words in either your title, description, category, or tags.
7. If you wish to record your video from YouTube, you can record your video here at the uploads screen
8. During and after upload, you can give your video a title, description, and tags as well as select a thumbnail for the video
9. Select a category. You will most likely use "education" if you are uploading CUW class videos
10. It is suggested to leave the License as Standard YouTube License
11. Use Advanced Settings to allow or disallow comments, voting, ratings, video responses, mobile device viewing, and embedding. You do not need to adjust these settings, however the default is "enabled" for all of these features.
12. You can click the "share" button on either the uploading page or when you're viewing the video from YouTube
13. Your video can always be found by signing into YouTube, selecting "My Channel", click on the videos tab, and clicking on the video (Once you have the video on the screen and ready to play, a share button for the video will be visible just below the video - usually next to "Like" and "Add to"
Once you have the URL/Address of the video you can paste it wherever your instructor has designated submission
2.2. YouTube Account Creation and Verify
Creating and Verifying a YouTube Account
Verifying a YouTube Account: (Click here for Uploading and Sharing Videos)
1. Create a Google account. This can be a Gmail account or a YouTube Account
2. In order to upload videos longer than 15 minutes, you will need to Verify this account. To do this, log in to YouTube
3. Next, go to the YouTube Account Settings By clicking on the avatar in the upper left, then click the settings gear
4. Under the account settings, find and click on the link to View additional features under Your Account
5. Next, under the Unlimited Uploads feature, click the “Enable” button.
6. Make sure the SMS Verification option is checked, then enter your mobile phone number and click Submit. YouTube will now send you a text with a verification code. Enter that verification code into the box on the next screen.
7. Your account should now be verified. You can confirm this by going back to steps 1-4 and when you get to the Additional Features page, it should look like this:
2.3. Uploading and Sharing a YouTube Video
Uploading and Sharing a YouTube Video
1. Once your account is verified (if necessary), go to http://www.youtube.com/ (For additional information about YouTube Accounts click here.)
2. In the upper right hand corner of the screen, click "sign in" if you are not already signed in.
3. Sign in using your YouTube username or email. If you already have a Google account, you can log into YouTube using that account.
4. In the upper part of the screen, click the movie button with the + in the middle. Choose 'Upload Video' from the drop down menu.
5. Select a file or multiple files from your computer and upload them or use the click and drag method.
6. During and after upload, you can give your video a title, description, and tags as well as select a thumbnail for the video:
7. If you need to share this video, you have three options.
- Setting your video to "Private" will require you to obtain a Gmail address for those with whom you want to share it, and you will need to list those people. No one else other than those you list can access your video.
- The easiest way to share the video is to set your video to “Unlisted”. Unlisted videos cannot be searched for on Google or YouTube, but can be viewed by anyone that has the link. You’ll be able to share that link by emailing it, or pasting it into a place where others can access it, like in a Word Document or on a Discussion Board. While this method makes it possible for someone to find your video, it is very unlikely, and this way does not require you to obtain and list the Gmail address of people with whom you want to share.
- Setting a video to “Public” means anyone can search for and find your video on Google or YouTube by looking for specific words in either your title, description, category, or tags.
8. Below the Share options, you can add your video to a playlist by clicking on '+Add to Playlist'. If you don't have any previously created playlists, you can create a new one here. Check the box to the left of the name to add the video to the specified list.
9. Use Advanced Settings to allow or disallow comments, voting, ratings, video responses, mobile device viewing, and embeding. You do not need to adjust these settings, however the default is "enabled" for all of these features.
10. Once you have completed all the changed settings, click on the blue 'Done' button in the upper right corner to save all changes. If you need to go back and edit, click on the 'Return to Editing' button that replaced the blue 'done' button.
11. You can click the "share" button to view the sharing links. Once you have the URL/Address of the video you can copy and paste this link to where your instructor has designated the submission.
12. After you leave the page, your video can always be found by signing into YouTube, selecting "My Channel", click on 'Uploads' (or Customize Channel), and clicking on the video (Once you have the video on the screen and ready to play, a share button for the video will be visible just below the video.
2.4. Uploading and Sharing videos longer than 15 minutes on YouTube
Verifying a YouTube Account and Uploading and Sharing videos
Verifying a YouTube Account
1. Create a Google account. This can be a Gmail account or a YouTube Account
2. In order to upload videos longer than 15 minutes, you will need to Verify this account. To do this, log in to YouTube
3. Next, go to the YouTube Account Settings
4. Under the account settings, find and click on the link to View additional features
5. Next, under the Longer Videos feature, click the "Enable" button.
6. Make sure the SMS Verification option is checked, then enter your mobile phone number and click Submit. YouTube will now send you a text with a verification code. Enter that verification code into the box on the next screen.
7. Your account should now be verified. You can confirm this by going back to steps 1-4 and when you get to the Additional Features page, it should look like this:
(If you need further help on the verification step, please see our tutorial: http://youtu.be/w1Ro6r5Lo6U)
Uploading and Sharing a YouTube Video
1. Once your account is verified (if necessary), go to http://www.youtube.com/
2. In the upper right hand corner of the screen, click "sign in" if you are not already signed in
3. Sign in using your YouTube username or email. If you already have a Google account, you can log into YouTube using that account.
4. In the upper part of the screen, click "upload"
5. Select a file or multiple files from your computer and upload them
6. If you wish to record your video directly on YouTube, you can use your webcam and record your video right here at the uploads screen:
7. During and after upload, you can give your video a title, description, and tags as well as select a thumbnail for the video
8. The easiest way to share the video is to set your video to "Unlisted". Unlisted videos cannot be searched for on Google or YouTube, but can be viewed by anyone that has the link. You'll be able to share that link by emailing it, or pasting it into a place where others can access it, like in a Word Document or on a Discussion Board. While this method makes it possible for someone to find your video but it is very unlikely.
Setting a video to "Public" means anyone can search for and find your video on Google or Youtube by looking for words in either your title, description, category, or tags.
Setting your video to "Private" will require you to obtain a Gmail address for those with whom you want to share it, and you will need to list those people. No one else other than those you list can access your video.
9. Select a category. You will most likely use "education" if you are uploading CUW class videos
10. It is suggested to leave the License as Standard Youtube License
11. Use Advanced Settings to allow or disallow comments, voting, ratings, video responses, mobile device viewing, and embeding. You do not need to adjust these settings, however the default is "enabled" for all of these features.
(To edit these settings later, first click the pencil icon under your video to get to the "info and settings" screen. Once there, find the security dropdown and choose your desired settings.
12. Open the "share" button and copy the shortened web address in the share window. You can do this on either the uploading page or when you're viewing the video from YouTube.
13. Your video can always be found by signing into YouTube, selecting "My Channel", click on the videos tab, and clicking on the video (Once you have the video on the screen and ready to play, a share button for the video will be visible just below the video - usually next to "Like" and "Add too". Once you have the URL/Address of the video you can paste it wherever your instructor has designated submission
2.5. Finding Instructor Feedback
One More Thing! (if you're still having trouble viewing instructor feedback, continue with the next video...)
2.6. Viewing Test Results
You can review your exam results either by going through the test link in the content area or view in My Grades. Please see attached file for more information.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Blackbaord Supprt:
For face to face courses: Celt@cuw.edu or 262-243-2358 (toll free 1-888-377-7447, option 2)
For online courses: BlackboardSupport@cuw.edu or 262-243-4327 (toll free 1-888-377-7447), option 1
2.7. Click here to access short videos that assist students in navigating Blackboard Learn
Below are 4 common help videos from Blackboard Learn.
Blackboard has over 20 help videos for students. To access them, copy and paste this URL into a new browser window: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLontYaReEU1seUE3ACG3sEc3zR7Br7URU
How to take a test
How to submit an assignment
How to use the discussion board
How to check your grades
2.8. Blackboard SafeAssign for Students
2.9. Discussion Boards General Tutorials
Click on the text below to view more information about Discussion Boards!
General Information about Discussion Boards
Subscribing to a Discussion Board
Copy and Pasting from Microsoft Word
Have a different question about Discussion Boards? Feel free to contact blackboardsupport@cuw.edu and we are happy to assist.
2.10. Journals General Tutorials
Click on the text below to view more information about Journals:
General Information about Journals
Comment and Delete Journal Entries
Have a different question about Journals? Feel free to contact blackboardsupport@cuw.edu and we are happy to assist.
2.11. Assignment Submission General Tutorials
Click on the text below to view more information about Assignment Submisions (a.k.a. Dropboxes)
General Information about Assignment Submissions
Have a different question about Assignment? Feel free to contact blackboardsupport@cuw.edu and we are happy to assist.
3. Managing Content (For Instructors)
3.1. Creating Content Links
At times you may wish to add content to two folders in a course. However, some items in Learn you cannot duplicate in two places or you may not wish to so you don't have to make edits in two places. This is where content links come in. Content links allow instructors to create links quickly to other areas of a course. This video demonstrates how to add content links to your course.
3.2. Add Test Student
3.3. Adding My Blackboard Profile
About Profiles
A profile is not the same as your user account.
- A user account is a reflection of your student registration information at your institution. You can edit your user account information by editing your personal information.
- A profile is a reflection of how you want to present yourself to your peers, classmates, instructors, and employers. In your Blackboard profile, you decide what you want to be called, what your academic interests are, and anything else you want to share.
Profiles are stored in the Blackboard cloud—not at your institution. This means that you can keep your profile through your academic and professional life. If you enroll at a different institution or join the workforce, you can maintain your academic relationships and networks using the same profile.
With the profiles update, you can now share your profile with employers.
About the Updated Profile
With the update, you can carry your educational identity outside the institution and share it with not only your peers, but also employers. Learn profiles are now connected to profiles on MyEdu—a site dedicated to helping students achieve their goals and position them for career success. To learn more, see myedu.com.
When you access your profile for the first time or first time after the update, you are asked to connect to or create a MyEdu account. If you do not want to connect your profile to MyEdu, select I am employed by in the drop-down list on the Let's get started! page.
Do You Have the Updates?
When you access the topics listed in the following table, you are viewing information in the student section of Blackboard Help. When you are finished, select the instructor role in the drop-down list at the top of the page to return to viewing instructor topics.
| Updated Profiles | Profiles Not Updated |
|---|---|
| If you see a Blackboard + MyEdu welcome screen or a profile page that allows you to add work experience, you have the profiles updates installed. For information that applies to your system and students using profiles, see Profiles Updated. | If you see a profile page with an area for posts, you have profiles without the updates. For information that applies to your system and students using profiles, see Profiles Not Updated. |
|
|
|
3.4. Embedding a YouTube Video in a Blackboard Course
While the current "YouTube embed" tool is broken in Concordia's version of Blackboard, here is a work-around that uses YouTube directly. The result is the same, it just takes a few more steps. You will need a YouTube Account, or a Gmail account (both free) in order to use this option in Blackboard. If you have not already done so, you will want to create one of these accounts before watching the video below (a step by step list is included below the video).
- Find the Video on YouTube
- Find the SHARE option under the video on the right
- Choose the EMBED option which should be the first option
- Highlight and copy the embed code on the right side of the screen
- Go to Blackboard and open the item where you want to embed the video
- On the toolbar locate the item on the toolbar that has the letters HTML on it
- Click on it and a box appears
- paste the embed code in the box and click ok
- Click SUBMIT to embed the video into Blackboard
3.5. Add Additional Exam Attempts and Exceptions
3.6. Add Additional Assignment Submissions
3.7. How to Post Your Syllabus
To post your syllabus, complete the following steps:
- Click the Instructor Materials link on the left hand navigation panel within the course
- Open the syllabus attachment
- Make any necessary updates to the instructor contact information
- Save the document as a .pdf on your computer
- Click on Course Info/Q&A link on the left hand navigation panel in course
- Click Create Thread button
- In the subject line type Course Syllabus
- Scroll down page and find Attachments section
- Click Browse My Computer button
- Find the syllabus saved as a .pdf (done in step 4)
- Click Open
- Click Submit
(Please see attachment below)
3.8. Using Blackboard Date Management
3.9. Adding Organization Users
4. Grade Center (For Instructors)
4.1. Posting Final Grades in Banner (for Blackboard Instructors)
After entering your course grades in the Learning Management System, you also need to enter the final grade to the Banner system for the official academic transcript.
To accomplish this see the tip sheet posted below.
If you have any questions, please contact Online Support or CELT team (for face to face courses)
4.2. Grading Notifications
There are multiple ways you can find Assignments that need to be graded.
On Blackboard Main Page:
A. Notification area:
1. In the upper right corner next to your name, click on the down arrow. Then click on the Alarm Clock .
2. A page will open with all course updates. Click on 'Open' to open the attempt, 'Grade' to view and grade attempt, and 'Dismiss' to remove item from this list.
NOTE: Items in the notification area will disappear after a period of time or after you have completed the task. To view dismissed tasks (graded assignments), go to the 'Needs Grading' in the course (see below) or directly to the Grade Center.
In the Course:
A. 'Needs Grading'
1. When in the course, click on 'Grade Center' then 'Needs Grading'
2. A list of items that needs to be graded will appear. Click on the students name to grade.
3. You can also choose to grade all submissions. Hover over an 'Item Name.' A drop-down menu will appear. Choose the grading option.
B. Grade through Gradebook:
1. Go to 'Grade Center' choose 'Full Grade Center' (or choose an available category below)
2. After the Grade Center opens, a yellow exclamation point will appear in a grade column to identify all submissions ungraded.
3. Hover mouse over the assignment to be graded. a Drop menu will appear. Click on 'Attempt <Date>' to view and Grade.
NOTE: To view items after being graded, go to Grade Center, click on 'Full Grade Center'. You can view attempts by doing going to the column and view attempt in the drop down menu (see #3 above).
4.3. Needs Grading- Grading Assignments, Uploading Feedback to Students, and Reviewing Feedback
4.4. Inline Grading
You can view, comment, and grade student-submitted assignment files without leaving the Grade Assignment page. When you view a document submitted in an assignment, that document is converted to a format that is viewable inside the web browser. Supported document types that can be converted are Word (DOC, DOCX), PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX), Excel (XLS, XLSX), and PDF (PDF). The converted document is displayed in a viewer on the Grade Assignment page. Formatting and embedded images of the original document are preserved in the conversion.
Click Comment in the inline viewer toolbar to expand the annotation tools. Select an annotation tool and comment, edit, highlight and draw in the document. Right-click on an annotation to remove it.
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Zoom out. Make the content of the file appear smaller. This button is also available to students when they review their submission. |
 |
Zoom in. Make the content of the file appear larger. This button is also available to students when they review their submission. |
 |
Expand the list of annotation tools. |
 |
Download a copy of the file. If annotations have been made, you have the option to download a copy in the original format or download a PDF version that includes the annotations. This button is also available to students when they review their submission. |
 |
Move back a page. This button is also available to students when they review their submission. |
 |
Move forward a page. This button is also available to students when they review their submission. |
 |
View all annotations. |
 |
Add a comment to a specific point in the document. |
 |
Add a comment to a selected area in the document. |
 |
Add a comment to selected text in the document. |
 |
Draw in the document using a pencil tool. |
 |
Highlight selected text in the document. |
 |
Add text to the document. |
 |
Strike out text in the document. |
Inline Grading
From the Inline grading sidebar you can:
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Expand assignment details to show the information from the assignment content item.
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Select additional attempts from a drop-down list. Click the attempt to load the submission in the inline viewer and update the sidebar with the appropriate attempt-related data.
-
Type a grade for the attempt.
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View the grading rubric associated with the assignment.
-
Show grading notes displays where you can add private notes, not visible to the student as feedback.
-
Download the originally submitted file. If more than one file was submitted for the attempt, all files are available here.
-
Type feedback the student can see. Files can be attached to the feedback, and the Feedback field can be expanded to take advantage of the full Content Editor capabilities.
Source and for more information: https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_SP_10_and_SP_11/Instructor/070_Assignments/003_Grading_Assignments/Inline_Grading_For_Assignments
4.5. Edit Column Information
This page shows how to edit information in a grade column, which includes:
- Primary Display- Changing view of grade (percentage to score)
- Score by Attempts- Change amount of attempts that are scored
- Add Due Date- Create an End Date of submitting an assignment or test
- Other options for student view
1. Open the Full Grade Center to view all grade book columns.
2. Click on the down arrow to the right of the column name you want to edit. It will give you this menu:
2. To change column information, click on 'Edit Column Information:'
3. In Section 1, you can edit general information about the submission:
- Grade Center Name- Change the column name in Grade Center (does not change assignment name)
- Primary Display- Shows the main column information. You can manually override the grades in the column on the main Grade Center screen
- Secondary Display- Shows another category (in paranthesis.) This information is automatically updated if the Primary Display is edited.
- Scores Attempts Using- Last Graded, Highest, Lowest, First Graded, or Average
- Points Possible- Change the value of the submission. It will regrade and calculate all submissions before the change (NOTE: Percentages/Points might be incorrect after changing)
- Associated Rubrics- You may attach Rubrics
4. In Section 2, you can change the Due Date.
5. In Section 3, you can edit additional items including student viewing.
- For 'Show Column to Students', you can have the option to hide this column if it needs to be set up differently. To add a a column to show a different format (Percentage, Score, etc.) please see the How to Add a Grade Center Column page.
6. Click Submit when finished. The Grade Center will be updated. If you chose a Secondary display, it will be shown in parenthesis next to the Primary Display in the column
An example with Secondary Display added (Main: Percentage, Secondary: Points):
The small orange triangle represents I have manually changed (override) the grade.
4.6. How to Show and Hide Gradebook Columns
You may want to hide a column in your gradebook from students in order to release grades to everyone at once. This is very easy to accomplish in Blackboard. Here's how...
4.7. Looking at a Specific Student's Grades without Exposing the Grades of Other Students
In the event you wish to work face-to-face with a student using your instructor account and need to look at their individual grades without exposing other students' grades, follow these instructions.
- Create a Smart View in the Gradebook that shows all users but only basic information
- Add this Smart View as a Favorite for Quick Access
- Access the new Smart View
- Click the Action Menu (grey down arrow) on the desired student
- Click the hide others option
- In the Filters Ribbon on the Top, Switch your view to "Full Grade Center" or other desired view
This will give you a student-only roster view that links (in a round-about way) to an individual student's view of the Full Gradebook or other Smart View.
This approach requires the Smart View to be setup in advance of the student's visit.
4.8. Showing Grades in Multiple Columns
In Blackboard, you can show grades in multiple columns. This will help show different information from the original format (Percentage, Points, Letter Grade, etc.)
1. Open the Full Grade Center:
2. On the top menu bar, click on 'Create Calculated Column', and choose 'Total Column.'
3. In section 1, you can edit general information about the submission:
- Column Name- Main name in the Grade Center
- Grade Center Name- If you want to have a different column name, enter it here. If not, leave it blank.
- Primary Display- Shows the main column information. [You can't manually override this grade; you must change the information from the main column]
- Secondary Display- Shows another category (in paranthesis.) [This information is automatically updated if the Primary Display from the main column is edited.]
4. In section 3, Select the Column(s) you want this data in this column to come from. In 'Include in Total', choose Selected Comoumns and Categories. In columns to select, click on the item you want to use and click on the right arrow by the 'Selected Columns' window to add.
5. In Section 4, Choose 'no' for 'Include this column in Grade Center Calculations.' Also, you may choose to have this column viewable to students.
6. Click submit to finish. The column will appear at the right side of the gradebook.
7. You may move the column to a different position. In the example above, I would like to move it over one so it's next to the relationship column, 'This is a Test.'
In the toolbar above the gradebook, click on 'Manage' and choose 'Column Organization.'
8. The list shows the order of the current columns in the gradebook. click and drag on the arrow cross by the left of the name and move to the new position. Click Submit when finished.
Before:
After:
9. After moving, the gradebook will be updated.
4.9. Grading Offline in Blackboard
A common task that instructors want to achieve in an LMS is to download all the assignments from a dropbox and grade them offline. Here's a quick tutorial on how to accomplish this in blackboard.
4.10. Creating an average column that equally weights assignments
Often we have a set of assignments that we want to equally weight but have different point values assigned to them. The video below will explain how to acheive this using categories and average columns.
4.11. Viewing a Submitted Item After Being Graded
You can view and edit a previously submitted item in the Grade Center.
1, Go to Full Grade Center.
2. Go to the column you want to review or change the grade click on the down arrow to the right of the cell information. Click on "Attempt..."
3. The item will open and you will see the details. You can now review the item or regrade. Click submit when finished. The Grade Center item will automatically be updated.
4.12. Manual Override of a Grade
In Blackboard, you can quickly override a grade:
1. On the left side of the course home page under Course Management., click on 'Grade Center' to expand menu. Click on 'Full Grade Center.'
2. Click over the grade you want to change. It will turn into an text box.
3. After changing the grade, press enter. An orange triangle will appear in the top left to show the grade has been manually overridden.
To Revert the Grade:
1. Go to the grade in Grade Center, click on the down arrow to expand the menu. Click on the Attempt that you want to revert the grade..
3. Once the assignment opens, Click on Test Information to expand information.
4. Click on 'Revert' a warning will pop up confirming the change. Click OK.
The Test information will show that it is the original grade.
4.13. Re-grading Blackboard Assessments
1. In the Full Grade Center, choose "Tests"
2. Go to the column for the test you want to edit and pull down the option arrow to the right of the column name.
3. Choose "Edit Test"
The "Test Canvas" window will open:
4. To give full points to all students for one question, click on the points window on the right side of the question panel.
The "Points" bar will open.
5. Click on the option to give "Full Credit"
6. A pop-up box will warn you that this will affect all students' submissions; click on "OK"
7. The click on the "Submit and Re-grade" button.
8. When you reopen any student's submission for that test you will note that the point area now says "X out of X points (Full credit)," even though the student's wrong answer is still noted.
Created by the OCDE
MCB 3/4/2015
4.14. Viewing Submissions- Ignore or Clear Attempt
5. Managing Tests (for Instructors)
5.1. Add Test exceptions for student or group
This tutorial will show you how to create an assessment for students who need a different time allowance for a test than the rest of the class. The most common scenario is for a student or students who have registered with the Accessibility Resource Center and have requested that they be given extra time to take a test.
1. Edit the Test Options
In order to use the Test Availability Exceptions tool, your test must be deployed in a content area first so you can view and edit the test options. Once this is done, locate the test inside the course and edit the test options using the dropdown menu.
2. Add a user or group exception
Scroll down to the 3rd step when viewing the test options, titled "Test Availability Exceptions". Click on the option "Add User or Group".
3. Select the specific student(s) or groups
Here you will see the names of your students in a list – click the checkbox next to the name of the student(s) or group in question. You can also use the search field towards the top to look for a specific name. Click "submit" at the bottom of the page once you are done.
4. Describe the exception
At this point you are able to edit options such as number of attempts, date availability, timer, auto submit, and force completion. In order to allow the student in question extra time for the test, edit the date availability and/or the timer. Again, these options count as exceptions to the test options set for the rest of the students in the course. Click on the blue Submit button to activate the exception.
5.2. Setting Test Availability Exceptions (Accommodations)
To provide students with alternative test settings (dates, time, or submission options) on timed tests, such as when accommodations are needed,
follow the steps below.
Created by the OCDE
MCB 2015
5.3. Edit Test Options- Setup and Feedback
Test Availability Options
When you deploy a test, you can set or change the availability and feedback options. To make changes to the options, access its contextual menu in the content area and click Edit the Test Options.
The following table provides descriptions of the test and availability options.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Make the Link Available | You can set this to available, and then use the Display After and Display Until fields to limit the amount of time the link appears. |
| Add a New Announcement for this Test | You can create an announcement for a test. The announcement includes the date and states, "An assessment has been made available in [Course area that includes the link to the assessment]."
If an announcement was previously posted using this feature, the date and time of the most recent announcement appears. |
| Multiple Attempts | You can allow students to take a test multiple times. The status of multiple attempts appears to students at the top of the test. Select Allow Unlimited Attempts to allow students to take it as many times as they want. Select Number of Attempts and provide the amount of attempts.
With multiple attempts for a test, you can also select which attempt's score to use in the Grade Center from the Score attempts using drop-down list.
|
| Force Completion | If you select Force Completion, students must complete the test when they launch it. Students may only access the test ONE TIME. The Save function is available for students to save the questions as they work through them, but they may not exit and reenter the test. In the instructions, Force Completion is noted and explained to students. If you do not enable Force Completion, students may save their progress, navigate away, and return to complete the test.
If students accidentally close their browsers, leave the test page, or lose power or their internet connections, they cannot continue. They must contact you to allow them to start over with a new attempt. You may want to reserve the Force Completion option for when students are on campus taking a proctored test and connected to an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi. If issues occur, an instructor can be available to reset the test. Alternatively, use the Set Timer options to reduce receiving emails from panicked students who accidentally left a test with Force Completion enabled. |
| Set Timer | Set a time limit for finishing a test. Type the amount of time in the hours and minutes boxes. During a timed test, the time elapsed is displayed to students. As students approach the time limit, a one-minute warning appears.
When an attempt is complete, student completion time is available in the Test Information section. If a student saves and exits the test, the timer continues. For example, if he begins the test on Tuesday, saves and exits it, then completes it on Thursday, his completion time will be 48 hours. If you set the timer, turn on Auto-Submit to automatically save and submit a test when time expires. Without enabling auto-submit, students have the option to continue after time expires. Tests are flagged as submitted after the timer expired. You have the option to adjust the grade based on the time. You may find it advantageous to use the Set Timer options and not the Force Completion option. For example, if a student loses his internet connection for 10 minutes on a timed test, at least he can access the test again and continue. If you enabled the Forced Completion option, he cannot access the test again and must contact you to reset the test. |
| Display After | Optionally, select the date and time when the test will become available to students. You can control availability through the Make the Link Available option without setting specific dates. |
| Display Until | Optionally, select the date and time the test will be made unavailable to students. |
| Password | You can require and type a password for students to use to access a test. Passwords have a limit of 15 characters and are case sensitive. |
| Test Availability Exceptions | For existing availability settings, you can make exceptions for individual students or groups. Use exceptions to provide an accommodation to a student or for technology and language differences.
For a test with one attempt, you can allow more attempts for a student who is blind and using screen reader technology for the first time.
If the settings exist for a test, you can create the following exceptions:
|
| Due Date | If you use grading periods in the Grade Center, set a due date to easily include that test in a grading period and on the calendar in the My Blackboard menu.
Due Date and Late SubmissionsTo prevent late submissions, you can select the check box for Do not allow students to start the Test if the due date has passed. Students receive a message after the due date, notifying them that the test can no longer be completed. When you allow late submissions, they are clearly marked on the following pages:
|
Self-Assessment Options
By default, a deployed test is included in Grade Center calculations. However, you may allow students to take tests for review or practice without impacting Grade Center calculations.
You can turn the test into a self-assessment by hiding students' scores in the Grade Center. This allows students to take tests to reinforce learning without feeling pressure about a score affecting their total grades. Select the appropriate options in the Show Test Results and Feedback to Students section so they are able to see how they did. If you select all options, students will see the answers they selected and which ones are correct.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Include this Test in Grade Center Score Calculations | You can include this test in Grade Center calculations. If the test is not included, the score does not affect any Grade Center calculations. |
| Hide Results for this Test Completely from Instructor and the Grade Center | You can hide this test score from you and exclude it from Grade Center calculations. The display in the Grade Center will read Complete/Incomplete and N/A or zero appears on the Grade Details page. You cannot see students' answers to questions. Students are able to view their own scores.
Selecting this option makes Include this Column in Other Grade Center Calculations and Show Statistics (average and median) for this Column to Students in My Grades unavailable when editing column information in the Grade Center. |
Feedback Options
In the Show Results and Feedback to Students section, you can set which results and feedback are available to students after they complete a test. You can set one or two rules using the drop-down lists. You cannot choose some rules in combination. After you select a rule in the first drop-down list, some may not appear in the second drop-down list.
If conflicts in rules occur, the most permissive settings for that user or group of users is granted. For example, students will receive the greatest number of attempts and longest availability time.
The following image shows the two default options applied to tests: After Submission and Score. If you make no changes in this section, students see their overall test scores and the scores earned for each individual question after they submit their tests. Select more options to determine what else they see, such as the correct answers or your feedback.
Students can always see their overall test scores. You cannot change that option from this page. If you do not want them to see their scores yet, access the Grade Center column's contextual menu and hide the column from students. However, when you hide a test column from students, they see nothing about the test in My Grades. When they access the test in the content area, they receive a message stating when they submitted the test. No scores appear.
The following table provides descriptions of the test feedback options. Click the images to enlarge them in your browser. Use your browser's back function to return to the topic.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| When | You must make a selection. Set when appropriate test results and feedback are shown to students:
|
| Score | Show the score earned for each test question. This is a default option for tests only. Clear the check box if you do not want to show scores for individual questions. |
| Answers | You can allow students to see information about their answers:
Example 1: Show more feedback When students access their tests, they see their overall scores, each question's score, and all answer options. They see their submitted answers marked as correct or incorrect, and any feedback provided.
Example 2: Show less feedback to discourage cheating If students are taking a test at different times, you can make a limited amount of feedback available until all students submit the test. For the first rule, select After Submission in the first drop-down list and clear the check box for Score. Make no other selections. After submitting their tests, students can only see their overall test scores.
For the second rule, select After Due Date, and select options to show more results and feedback. You can create an announcement to notify students that additional feedback is available to view. |
| Feedback | Show instructor-generated feedback for each question. This option appears only for tests. |
| Show Incorrect Questions | Show the questions a student answered incorrectly or partially incorrectly. This option appears only for tests. You might consider only showing incorrect questions when allowing multiple attempts so that students can focus their studying on those areas.
|
One-time View for Results and Feedback
In the Show Test Results and Feedback to Students section, you can select One-time View. After students submit their tests, the results and feedback options you selected are in effect for students to view ONCE. However, students can always view the overall test scores they earned. Immediately after a student navigates away from the test, any other options you chose are restricted. You can apply a second rule to allow students to view newly selected options at a later time. The second rule is not combined with the one-time view rule, but is applied separately.
The ability to select different options for each rule allows you to show some test results and feedback initially, and then more later.
Rule #1: Select One-time View and Show Incorrect Questions. Select no other options so that while other students are still allowed to take the test, no one can share the correct answers.
Rule #2: Select all of the following options:
- After Due Date
- Score
- All Answers
- Correct
- Submitted
- Feedback
After the due date, students see their scores along with all answer options. They also see their submitted answers marked as correct or incorrect and any instructor feedback.
Test Presentation
The following table describes the options for presenting questions in tests.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| All at Once | Present the entire assessment on one screen. Students scroll through all the questions and can move up and down from question to question. When selected, you may not choose Prohibit Backtracking. |
| One at a Time | Displays one question at a time. The screen includes navigation tools to move between questions. The Submit function only appears on the last page of the assessment. You may also select Prohibit Backtracking and Randomize Questions. |
| Prohibit Backtracking | Prevents students from going back to questions they have already answered. If you do not allow backtracking, questions are presented one at a time and the <<, <, and >> functions do not appear to users during the test. |
| Randomize Questions |
Display questions in a random order each time the assessment is taken. If you include references to the question numbers as they appear on the Test Canvas, do not use this option because the random order changes the question numbering. |
5.4. Test Feedback Options Illustrated
5.5. Review Test Information
Blackboard can display information of attempted tests and quizzes. Information includes Date/Time stamp, view student's time log, and can clear an attempt.
You can view all attempts in a list or by student.
To view a student's attempt:
1. On the left side of the course home page under Course Management., click on 'Grade Center' to expand menu. Click on 'Full Grade Center.'
2. Hover mouse over student's grade. Click on the drop down menu and click on the attempt you want to review.
3. Once the assignment opens, Click on Test Information to expand information. You can review, edit or delete attempts.
To view a summary of all attempts for an item:
1. After going to Grade Center, open the drop down menu for the column and click 'View All Attempts.'
2. Here you can view all attempts for the item. If you hover over the grade, a down arrow menu will appear. You can view or delete an individual attempt.
5.6. Grading Tests
Tests that you need to grade are accessed from the Needs Grading page or from the Grade Center. To learn more, see About the Grade Center and About the Needs Grading Page.
You have the options to grade tests anonymously, to grade all responses to a specific question, and to give full credit for all responses to a question. You can also delete questions from a test or clear a test attempt to allow a student to retake a test.
How to Access Test Attempts From the Needs Grading Page
For courses with many enrolled students and gradable items, the Needs Grading page can help you determine which tests need grading first. For example, you can sort by the due date to ensure your final tests are graded before your institution's deadline.
If you have a designated turnaround schedule set for all gradable items, the Needs Grading page allows you to customize the view of items with a needs grading status. You can sort and filter the list and grade the most urgent tests first.
To access the Needs Grading page:
- On the Left task bar, expand the Grade Center section.
- Select Needs Grading. The total number of items to grade appears on the Needs Grading page.
To filter and sort attempts:
- Use the Filter drop-down lists to narrow the list of items to grade by Category, Item, User, and Date Submitted. For example, make selections in both the Category and User drop-down lists to display tests submitted by a particular user.
- Click Go. The filtered items appear on the Needs Grading page.
- Click a column heading or the caret to sort the tests. For example, sort the tests by Item Name.
- On the action bar, click Grade All to begin grading test attempts.
- The filtered test attempts are placed in a queue for easy navigation among items. Test attempts appear on the Grade Test page in the order you sorted and filtered them on the Needs Grading page.
How to Access Test Attempts From the Grade Center
The Grade Center shows all gradable items. The number of items may influence how you organize your time for grading tasks. You may also find it beneficial to view a student's previous grades as you grade.
To access the Grade Center:
- On the Left task bar, expand the Grade Center section.
- Select Full Grade Center or the Tests smart view, if available, to access test attempts.
To grade a single test:
- Locate the cell for a student's test containing an exclamation mark.
- Access the cell's contextual menu and select Attempt. The Grade Test page appears.
To grade all attempts for a particular test:
- Access the test column's contextual menu.
- Select Grade Attempts. The Grade Test page appears.
About the Grade Test Page
Access the Grade Test page from the Needs Grading page or the Grade Center. You can navigate among users and attempts, view rubrics, grade anonymously, and view information about a test.
On the action bar, you can perform the following actions:
- Click Hide User Names to grade attempts anonymously, if needed. Click Show User Names to display user information.
- Click View Rubric to view the rubrics you associated with a test's column in the Grade Center. To learn more, see Rubrics.
- Click Jump to and select another attempt to view or grade.
Expand the Test Information link to view the following information:
- Status: Shows the status of the test—Needs Grading, In Progress, or Completed.
- Score: The score awarded for the test. If the test needs grading, this number is blank.
- Time Elapsed: If you chose the Set Timer option, the time a student spent taking the test is recorded and appears here.
- Started Date: The date the student began.
- Submitted Date: The date the student submitted the test for grading.
- Instructions: Any instructions associated with the test.
- Clear Attempt: Clears the current test attempt. Use when you want to give a student another chance to start over on a test. For example, if a student started a test that forced completion and a technical issue prevented him from finishing, you could allow him to retake the test.
- Submit Attempt: This function overrides an In Progress test attempt and submits it for grading.
If a test is listed as in progress, either you or the student taking it must submit the test for you to grade it.
How to Use the Grade Test Page
You access the Grade Test page from the Needs Grading page or the Grade Center.
- On the Grade Test page, type a score for each question. You can overwrite scores for questions graded automatically.
- Optionally, if you associated a rubric with Essay, Short Answer, or File Response questions, click View Rubric to grade the question using the rubric. To learn more, see Rubrics.
- Optionally, add Response Feedback specific to the individual question. The Response Feedback box only appears for certain question types, such as Essays.
- Optionally, type comments in the Feedback to User box. Optionally, use the content editor functions to format the text and include files, images, links, multimedia, and mashups.
- Optionally, type comments in the Grading Notes box. This text is not seen by students.
- Click Save and Exit to return to the Full Grade Center, the Needs Grading page, or the Grade Details page, depending on where grading began.
-OR-
Click Save and Next to display the next user, when available.
-OR-
Use the arrows on the action bar to display the previous or next user, when available.
How to Grade Tests Anonymously
You can choose to grade tests anonymously to ensure an impartial evaluation of student work. Grading anonymously allows you to remain objective and not unduly influenced by a student's behavior or previous performance. This practice can also contribute to the student-instructor relationship because students are assured that grading was unbiased.
When grading anonymously, all identifying information is hidden and assessment attempts appear in random order. Each student is assigned a number, such as Student 8.
To grade anonymously from the Needs Grading page:
- Access a test attempt's contextual menu.
- Select Grade Anonymously. The Grade Test page appears.
To grade anonymously from the Grade Center:
- Access the test column heading's contextual menu.
- Select Grade Anonymously. The Grade Test page appears.
To grade anonymously from the Grade Test page:
- On the action bar, click Hide User Names.
- Click OK. If grading was in progress, any unsaved changes to the open attempt are lost. The Grade Test page refreshes and all identifying information is hidden.
How to Grade Tests by Question
For each test, you can choose to grade all responses to a specific question. This allows you to move from test to test, viewing and scoring the same question for each student. Grading this way can save time as you concentrate only on the answers for a single question. You can see how all students responded, providing immediate feedback about how the group performed on that particular question. Also, grading by question is useful when you want to revisit a question that requires a score adjustment for all or many students.
At the same time, you can grade questions anonymously. All test attempts remain in needs grading status until you have graded all of the responses for all questions.
- In the Grade Center, access a test column's contextual menu and select Grade Questions.
–OR-
On the Needs Grading page, access a test's contextual menu and select Grade by Question.
- On the Grade Questions page, you can filter the questions by status: Graded, Needs Grading, or In Progress. You may also select the check box for Grade Responses Anonymously, if needed.
- For each question, click the number in the Responses column.
- On the Grade Responses page, expand the Question Information link to view the question. If you did not previously select anonymous grading, click Hide User Names on the action bar. Click OK in the pop-up window to verify the action.
- Click Edit next to the score for a user.
- Type a grade in the Score box. Optionally, add Response Feedback specific to the individual question. The feedback box only appears for certain question types, such as Essays. Optionally, use the content editor functions to format the text and add files, images, links, multimedia, and mashups. Click Submit.
- Optionally, if you associated a rubric with Essay, Short Answer, or File Response questions, click View Rubric to grade the question using the rubric. To learn more, see Rubrics.
- When you have graded all student responses, click Back to Questions to return to the Grade Questions page.
How to Give or Remove Full Credit
You can Give Full Credit for all test submissions for the question you are viewing. Subsequent submissions are given full credit as well. After giving full credit, you can Remove Full Credit to revert to the automatic grade or to a previously entered manual grade.
- In the Grade Center, access a test column heading's contextual menu and select Grade Questions.
–OR-
On the Needs Grading page, access a test's contextual menu and select Grade by Question.
- On the Grade Questions page, you can filter the questions by status: Graded, Needs Grading, or In Progress. You may also select the check box for Grade Responses Anonymously, if needed.
- For each question, click the number in the Responses column.
- On the Grade Responses page, expand the Question Information link to view the question.
- Click Give Full Credit to assign full credit for the question.
- If you already assigned full credit and you want to remove it, click Remove Full Credit. The question reverts to the automatic grade or a previously entered manual grade.
- Click Back to Questions to return to the Grade Questions page.
Source and more information: https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_SP_12_and_SP_13/Instructor/100_Tests_Surveys_Pools/190_Grading_Tests
5.7. Clearing a Test Attempt
This tutorial will show you how to clear or reset a test attempt for a student in Blackboard Learn.
6. Instructional Designers Only
6.1. Course Design Previewer Content Permissions
Course Design Previewers might not have specific access to content throught the Master course. Instructional designers can add read only rights to course previewers:
1. Enter the selected Masters course. In the left task bar under Course Management, Open content collection and click on the course that you are in.
2. The main window will show all the content of the course. Click on Permissions on the right side next to an item . (NOTE: You will need to change permission to each item in the list; there is no bulk change. The imported folder will have permissions set; it is only for new content.)
3. When in permissions, Click on 'Select Specific Users by Place' then 'Course.'
4. The settings window will appear. In section 1, chose ONLY the course you are currently are working in.
In Section 2, choose 'Course Design Preview.'
In Section 3, 'Read' should only be checked.
5. Click Submit. The list of permissions will include the new group permission. On this screen, you can confirm that this group only has Read-only rights.
7. Collaborate Ultra
7.1. Collaborate Ultra for Moderators/Instructors
Here is information about Collaborate Ultra for Instructors or Moderators: https://help.blackboard.com/Collaborate/Ultra/Moderator
Additional information for CUW/CUAA instructors: http://celt.cuw.edu/blackboard-collaborate-ultra-resources/
If you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact Blackboard Support:
For Face to Face/ Blended Learning Courses: 262-243-2358 (celtsupport@cuw.edu)
For Online/ Pre-College Courses: 262-243-4327, opt. 1 (blackboardsupport@cuw.edu)
7.2. Collaborate Ultra for Participants
Information for Collaborate Ultra for Participants: https://help.blackboard.com/Collaborate/Ultra/Participant
If you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact Blackboard Support:
For Face to Face/ Blended Learning Courses: 262-243-2358 (celtsupport@cuw.edu)
For Online/ Pre-College Courses: 262-243-4327, opt. 1 (blackboardsupport@cuw.edu)