Outline - ASU



Technical Assistance:

• Website: (ASU Help Desk is in the upper right corner)

• Email Help Desk:

• Help Desk Phone: 480.965.6500 (24/7 support)

• Blackboard manual: Control Panel | Manual

Instruction

1. Navigating Grade Center

• Grade Center resembles a spreadsheet

• Arrow keys can be used to move from cell to cell

• Left pane frozen so you can see names as you scroll to the right

• Row hovering over is highlighted in gray

• Students all displayed on one page (no longer 25 per page)

• Contextual menus for columns and cells

2. Manage

The Manage menu contains several functions:

• Upload/download grades – you can download grades into an Excel spreadsheet; this is the best (and only) way to print the entire Grade Center

• Categories – categories aid you in setting up your weighted grades and gathering different areas of your grade center for reports

• Smart Views – Smart Views are views of the Grade Center based on a variety of student criteria. They enable Instructors to create certain views of the Grade Center—based on performance criteria for gradable items such as Assessments or Assignments—that quickly track Students’ progress.

• Grading Periods – Grading Periods are user created segments that can help manage the Grade Center. They can be defined as Sections, Terms, Semesters, Quarters, Years, and so on, and can have date ranges that further define them. Grading Periods are not created by default. If desired, they must be defined by Instructors.

• Grading Schemas – A Grading Schema is a diagram based on percentage ranges that matches scores to specific grade displays.

• Organize Grade Center - The Organize Grade Center page aids in configuring the Grade Center display. The Grade Center display can be customized to:

o Freeze or unfreeze columns. If a column is frozen, when scrolling through the Grade Center view, that column will remain stationary

o Hide or show columns

o Associate Categories with grade center columns

o Associate Grading Periods with grade center column

• Show/Hide Users – allows you to show or hide users enrolled in the shell

3. Assignments, Safe Assignments, Discussion Boards and Tests with Grade Center

Grade Center columns are automatically added for these items

4. Enter Grades in Cells

Control Panel | Grade Center (under Assessment area on right-hand side) | click on a cell | type in grade | press Enter on keyboard | the cursor moves down to the next student | enter the grade, and so on

Note: be sure to keep a moderate pace – if you enter the grades too quickly, only part of the number will appear in the cell.

5. Add Grade Column

Usually Grade Columns are added automatically when an assignment, test, safe assignment or discussion board are added in a Content Area. Sometimes it is necessary to create a manual grade column for items like Extra Credit or physical projects that are not uploaded digitally.

Control Panel | Grade Center | Add Grade Column at the top of the page | enter Name | enter Grade Center Display Name (optional) | enter Description (optional) | choose Primary and Secondary Display (optional) | choose Category | enter Points Possible | assign a Due Date (optional; though you should assign one to all or none) | choose options | click Submit

6. Viewing an Attempt

Control Panel | Grade Center | hover over a cell | click the drop-down menu icon and choose Grade Details | in the Actions column choose View Attempt | you will be able to open or save the document

7. Enter a Grade:

While in the View Attempt screen, you can enter the grade for the assignment in the Grade field | enter feedback to the user in the Comments field | if you commented in their file, you can upload that document by clicking Browse | under the Instructor Notes section, enter notes for you (the student cannot see these) | click Submit

For Tests:

Blackboard will display the test information along with each question and the student’s answer. The points received for each question are editable so partial credit can be given. Essay questions will not be automatically scored – you must grade those items.

8. Modify a Grade/Adding Grading Notes

Control Panel | Grade Center | hover over a cell | click the drop-down menu icon and choose Grade Details | in the Actions column choose Modify Attempt | enter Grade | type notes in Feedback to User | type notes in Grading Notes | click Save

Note: when modifying a grade, to maintain the original Feedback to User, place your cursor at the end of the text and begin typing. If you replace the comments with an updated comment, the original comments to the student will be erased from their view.

9. Navigating to Next Assignment in Grade Details View

• When grading assignments, there is no need to exit the Grade Details View to access another student’s assignment.

• Instead, click the right or left black arrow next to User field in the upper right corner of the screen. This will take you to the next or previous student for the same assignment.

• You can do the same with the Column field, navigating to the next or previous assignment.

• You can also click the drop-down field and choose a name or assignment from the list, then click Go.

10. Add a Category

Categories, much like Content Areas, should represent your terminology. If you use the term Exams instead of Tests, create an Exams category. If you use the term Assignments instead of Homework, then create that category. And so on.

Control Panel | Grade Center | Manage | Categories | you can add a new category by clicking Add Category button | enter Name | click Submit

11. Change the Grade Scale (A+, A, A-, etc.)

Control Panel | Grade Center | Manage | Grading Schemas | next to Letter click Modify

o If you change the ranges, note that the numbers must overlap (i.e. – A+ is 97 to 100, the next grade must include 97 in its range)

o Faculty Center uses: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, E

o Can use any percentages you wish, but no additional letters or different (i.e. – A=90 to 100, B=80 to 90, etc.)

12. Download/Upload Grades

Control Panel | Grade Center | Manage | Download | choose the data type | choose Tab as your delimiter | click Submit | then Download | save to your computer

o The downloaded file will be an .xls (for tab delimited)

o When you save it, do not change the file type to an Excel Workbook; you must keep it in the Unicode text (txt) format as Blackboard will not accept .xls format when you upload it

o Do not change student information or assignment names as Blackboard will not load your data properly – it must stay the same except for the score you entered

13. Organize Grade Center

• Freeze panes

Manage | Organize Grade Center | click and drag the gray bar that states Everything above this bar is a frozen column below the items you want frozen | as you drag, a thick, black line shows you where the row will sit when you let go of the mouse

• Change the Order of Columns

You can change the order of your columns simply by clicking and dragging them up or down in the list (like you do for freeze panes)

• Show/Hide

Manage | Organize Grade Center | click the check box next to the columns you want to show or hide | hover over the Show/Hide menu in the top action bar | choose either Show or Hide Selected Columns

• Associate a Category or Grading Period with a column

Manage | Organize Grade Center | click the check box next to the columns you want to effect | hover over the Modify Category or Modify Grade Period | choose the item you want to associate with the column from the list

• Save Your Changes

When you are finished in Organize Grade Center, you must click Submit to save your changes

14. Email – you can email from the Grade Center

Grade Center | click the check box next to the individual you want to email or select all by clicking the checkmark next to Last Name | hover over Email button on action bar | choose email option from list | type your Subject and Message | click Submit (copy is sent to your inbox)

15. Grade History

The Grade History page in the Grace Center acts like a log file that records all of the changes that occur to grades with in a course. The Grade History page displays all the data for grade submissions within a set date range. It is possible to manipulate the view and export the information.

• Download

Download | choose Tab (for Excel format) | choose Yes or No to include Comments | click Submit | click Download button | choose location to save your file | click Ok

• Clear All Grade History

Clear All Grade History | you will be prompted to confirm you want to complete this action | this cannot be undone so recommend downloading copy of history prior to clearing

• Disable Grade History

Clicking this button will turn off the Grade History | it will stop recording the history, but will not remove the previous history | when you click Enable Grade History, it will turn back on and resume recording Grade History from that moment forward

• Sort Data

Click on column heading to sort by that column | click again to change sorting to Ascending or Descending

16. Weight Grades

Control Panel | Grade Center | hover over Add Calculated Column | choose Weighted | enter Name | choose Display | choose Columns or Categories and click arrow to add to the Selected Columns box | enter number in Percentage field | choose equally or proportionately | choose Yes to Include in Grade Center Calculations | click Submit

Notes:

a) Equally: divides total points earned by total points possible to find an average.

b) Proportionately: adds percentage of each assignment together then divides them by total number of assignments

c) Internet Explorer 7 does not allow the setting for Equally or Proportionately to be set for each individual category. In other words, when you choose Equally for one category, it applies to all of them. Instead use either Safari or Firefox.

17. Extra Credit

• Extra Credit is managed by adding a Grade Column with zero possible points. When you include this column in the Total, it is supposed to include the points earned for those students who participate, but no penalize those who don’t.

• In Blackboard 8, when a Total column is created, it is typically set to include All Grade Columns. This causes the Total Calculated Column to ignore all columns with zero possible points.

Create Extra Credit Column:

Click Add Grade Column | choose options | enter 0 (zero) for value | include in total calculations | Submit

Create Subtotal Column:

Click Add Calculated Column | Total | for Include in Total, choose All Grade Columns | choose Yes for Calculate as running total | choose remainder of options | click Submit

Create Total Column to Include Extra Credit:

Click Add Calculated Column | Total | for Include in Total, choose Selected Grade Columns, Calculated Columns and Categories | choose the Subtotal column and the Extra Credit column (click selection arrow to move to the Selected Columns box) | choose Yes for Calculate as running total | choose remainder of options | click Submit

Extra Credit with Weighted Grades:

Extra Credit cannot be used within the Weighted Grades column. Instead, set up your Weighted Grade Column (essentially your Subtotal), then create a Total Column that uses both the Weighted Column and the Extra Credit. You would create it like you do the Total Column above.

18. Exempt a Grade

Grade Center | hover over the grade you wish to exempt | click the contextual menu that appears over the cell | choose Exempt Grade | a blue box appears in place of the grade | if a grade was in the cell, it will remain and simply be hidden

o To remove exemption, follow the same steps | choose Clear Exemption from the menu | if the item was graded, the grade entered will reappear

19. Reports

Instructors can create printable Reports for their Courses and Students. For example, an Instructor can create a Report, like a progress report, that contains all of the grades from a particular marking period for a defined group of Students in a class, such as special-needs students or transfer students. This report can then be printed, and handed out to each student, parent or guardian. Reports print one student per page.

1. Grade Center | Reports | choose options

2. You can choose to include specific columns, or due dates, or a Grading Period

3. Example: you could choose to run a report for all users showing work from the Final Project (a Grading Period)

20. Grading Periods

Grading Periods can be defined as Terms, Semesters, Quarters, Years, and so on, and can have date ranges that further define them. Grading Periods are not created by default. If desired, they must be defined by the instructor. They can be used to:

1. View the performance of students in a certain grading period

2. Create a report that displays the performance for a grading period

3. Calculate a grade column for a grading period

Grade Center | Manage | Grading Periods | Add Grading Period

Example for Fall 2008:

o Name: Section 1 | Description: Chapters 1 through 5 | Dates: 8/25/08 through 9/19/08

o Name: Section 2 | Description: Chapters 6 through 11 | Dates: 9/22/08 through 10/17/08

o And so on

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