Problem
The guide below outlines the steps for creating an assignment in Blackboard.
Environment
Blackboard (Faculty)
Resolution
1. Log into Blackboard and select your course.
2. From within the Course Menu, click on the content area where the assignment should be posted. This is where students will upload their submissions. Note: You can create a new content area for assignments or rename an existing area if you do not want to post assignments under Learning Materials.
3. Hover over the Assessments button and click on Assignment in the dropdown menu.
4. The Create Assignment form will open. Enter a name for the assignment and any necessary instructions. You can also attach supporting documents (such as a worksheet or rubric) and set a due date. Note: Adding a due date will mark any submissions posted after this date and time as late. You will still need to apply your lateness policy.
Note: Blackboard has a built-in Rubric tool to facilitate grading assignments. When used, the rubric is fully interactive and allows clicking levels of achievement, providing comments for each criteria, as well as posting a holistic comment. The Rubric tool can be found under the Grading section when creating an assignment.
5. Under Grading, enter the total possible points for this assignment. You can also add a rubric using Blackboard’s Rubric tool.
6. After setting the point value, select the Submission Details.
- Assignment type: Choose Individual Submission if you want all students to complete and submit the assignment. Choose Group Submission if you want to create different assignments for different groups to submit.
- Number of Attempts: Select Single, Multiple or Unlimited Attempts. If you select Multiple or Unlimited Attempts, you will have the option to select the maximum number of attempts (for Multiple Attempts only) and to choose which grade will be recorded in the Grade Center. Many instructors prefer to select Highest Grade for this option.
- Plagiarism Tools: Check this box to have Blackboard generate a SafeAssign originality report for the assignment. Check the boxes that follow if you would like to allow students to view their originality reports (recommended) and/or if you would like to exclude submissions from the database (recommended if you will be having students submit revisions or multiple attempts).
7. Skip the Grading Options section. Under Display of Grades, choose from the following:
- Display grade as: Select an option under Primary (Score, Letter, Percentage or Complete/Incomplete).
- Include in Grade Center grading calculations: Check this to have the assignment calculated into the student’s final grade.
- Show to students in My Grades: Check this to allow students to view their grades for this assignment.
- Show Statistics (average and median) for this item to Students in My Grades: Students will see the average and median score for all submissions if this box is checked. This will not allow access to other students’ grades or assignments, but rather the overall statistics for the assignment.
8. Set availability dates for the assignment (if needed), then click Submit to post the assignment.
Cause
The Assignment tool within Blackboard allows instructors to collect assignment submissions from students. Students will upload their submissions in the content area where the assignment was posted. Instructors download student submissions and provide feedback in the Grade Center. Using the Assignment tool allows faculty to annotate and grade documents without ever leaving Blackboard, or download all assignments in a single step to grade offline. This document outlines the steps for creating an assignment in Blackboard.