Advanced Blackboard: Gradebook

1. 1 Advanced Blackboard:Gradebook  JQ JohnsonDirector, Center for Educational Technologies University of Oregonjqj@darkwing.uoregon.edu 13 Jan 2006

2. 2 Basic gradebook � instructor view Edit gradebook through �Gradebook� table (Control Panel->Gradebook) Can enter grades and notes Other parts of blackboard that create gradebook columns: Creating an online assignment Creating an online quiz Can upload and download grades to excel

3. 3 Gradebook � student view Student sees his/her own grades only: Course Tools-> View Grades Also viewable on My UO->View Grades

4. 4 Add Gradebook items (Assessments) Click Add Item Type Item Name Select Category (no appropriate category? Create your own in Gradebook Settings->Manage Gradebook Categories) Enter nominal Points Possible Select Display As for grades (�Score� is often best) Set �available�, �include in calculation� as appropriate Click Submit, then OK

5. 5 Assessment columns All columns have attributes How displayed (if at all) Included in calculation of totals? Points possible (nominal max possible; not 0) Weight (if weighted) Detailed statistics Access column attributes via column header in gradebook All cells store either a number (score) or a string. Display As Score Complete/incomplete Percentage Letter grade Text etc. Display As controls both input and output

6. 6 Entering grades Access cells By clicking on them individually Via column header Click the name of item on the top of the column Click 'Item Grade List� Type each student�s score into corresponding box (Use Tab key to move from cell to cell) Enter scores As numbers (raw scores) As percentages (of pts possible) if output set to percentage As letters (translated to score using pts possible)

7. 7 Notes columns Columns can also hold text. Useful for Notes to instructor and GTFs(set column to invisible) Notes to student Setup Include in score calculations: No Display as: Text Make item available to users: No Beware: is �B+� a letter grade or a text note (with score of 0)? It all depends.

8. 8 Online quizzes Quizzes consist of: A set of questions A link to the questions in a content area A gradebook column that holds all answers and computes overall score Create link (and maybe questions) with Add: Test Many options for question type and mode of presentation When student takes quiz, multiple choice questions are automatically scored and grades entered Surveys are similar, but record only aggregate data and whether student completed it

9. 9 Assignments Create a homework assignment in a content area using Add: Assignment (pulldown list) Student accesses this link and uploads Word document (or whatever) as attachment Instructor views uploaded document in gradebook, assigns grade, maybe adds comments Student sees comments in View Grades or by returning to the assignment link N.B.: use this tool instead of �digital dropbox�

10. 10 Grading rubrics Simplest is to sum raw scores into Total All columns have a score, e.g. percent converted back to score; complete/incomplete unchecked if score is blank Only �include in calculation� columns are included �Points Possible� also summed Weighted columns By item By category Use �Points Possible� to indicate full credit for assessment. Assign percentage weight for item or category in total Special challenges: �drop the lowest score� Extra credit

11. 11 Example rubric and gradebook #1 SyllabusYour grade will be computed by combining scores in the following overall categories for a total of 200 points: Gradebook 4 columns in gradebook, all included in totals No weighting Points possible set to 60, 20, 120, 0 Hide Weighted Total column Set display of columns to �score�. Maybe set Total to �letter� or add a separate �Final Grade� column not included in calculation

12. 12 Example rubric and gradebook #2 SyllabusAll grades will be given as letters (A-F). Your final grade will be based on the following: Gradebook 3 columns in gradebook, all included in totals Points possible for each set to 100 Weight by item, with weights set to 30%, 20%, 50% Hide Total column Set display of columns to �letter� Enter grades as letters Extra credit, if any, as part of participation

13. 13 Grading gotchas Instead of displaying as percentage, consider points possible = 100 then display as score Enter letters only in columns set to display as letter (new version of Bb enforces this) Always set a non-zero points possible if Using weighting Entering or displaying grades as anything except �score� Beware rounding. Score of 89.5 displays as �89.5�, �90%�, or �B+�

14. 14 More gotchas: weighted grades Once you enable weighted grades, you can�t disable Weights must always sum to 100% No obvious way to do extra credit If weighting by category, then all items in a category have same weight � the specified weight is for category as a whole

15. 15 More gotchas: management No way to freeze the first column, so confusing if you have many columns If you accidentally click the triangle at top of a column gradebook will be sorted by that Be especially careful if multiple people (GTFs) will be entering grades

16. 16 Uploading and downloading gradebooks Download from blackboard to .csv file View result using Excel Useful for Complex grade manipulations Backup Upload of final grades to Banner Upload from Excel file (saved as .csv) Must use blackboard format � edited copy of downloaded file! Blackboard prompts for which column and rows to import, and where to put them in gradebook