FAQs Assessment and Gradebook
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FAQs: Assessment & Gradebook
These FAQs address issues dealing with Blackboard's assessment and gradebook features. If you have a question that is not addressed here please check the Assessment and Gradebook Guides, or e-mail your question tobb-admin@newcastle.edu.au
General
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Creating and Modifying Tests
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Assignment Manager
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How do I add an assignment? |
Gradebook
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Q. What's the difference between a test and a survey?
A test:
- can be used to check the knowledge and skill level of students
- allows instructors to give feedback
- records grades for individual users
- allows instructors to record results in the gradebook
- can allocate point values associated with each question
Tests are more appropriate for evaluations where student answers need to be recorded.
A survey:
- records answers anonymously
- a checkmark appears in the gradebook next to the name of the user who has completed the survey
- cannot include random blocks of questions
Surveys would be more useful for polls, such as end of course evaluations, and random checks of knowledge where each student's anonymity is necessary. Instructors may access a statistical analysis of Student answers.
Q. How do I electronically correct assignments submitted via the digital drop box, and return them to my students?
There is no way to directly modify a document submitted via the digital drop box. However, by right clicking on the underlined filename within the digital drop box before it is opened, then selecting the Save Target As… option the file can be saved in order to open and edit.
It is important when saving corrected files, that the file naming convention used identifies the student's name and that the file is the corrected version.
If you want to incorporate your own comments to assignments to be returned to students (submitted in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, or Adobe Acrobat format) check the guidelines.
Returning Corrected Assignments to Students
Once corrected, assignments may be returned to students either via:
1. Digital Drop Box
- within the
, select Digital Drop Box (within the "Couse Tools" area).
- select
, browse to locate the file, add title and comments as required, then 
.
- next, select
, select the recipient and file, then .
You will see an entry in the Digital Drop Box stating that the file was "Submitted on…", and indicates the file has been sent to the student's digital drop box for collection. 
2. E-mail
- from the , select Send E-mail (within the "Course Tools" area)
- select Single/ Select Users, click in the box next to the required student, add a subject and message for the e-mail, attach the file, then .
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Q. What problems might students encounter taking tests?
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Problem
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Tip
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Inactivity
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When taking a test or an exam, you are essentially just viewing one web page. This makes it appear as though the computer is inactive, and may be disconnected due to inactivity. One way to prevent disconnection is to set the e-mail program to check for new mail every 10 minutes or so. Another work-around is to break large assessment tasks into smaller ones so they can be completed quicker, or to advice students to open a second browser window an use it periodically to view a new site. This will generate activity, and reset the time-out clock. |
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Quitting by accident
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If power is lost, the window is accidentally closed or the browser crashes, students will need to contact their instructor to clear the attempt. |
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Double-clicking to access a test
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If a student double-clickson the link to a test, Blackboard reads the first click as an attempt to take the test and the second click as a second attempt, and will therefore block access. Students will need to contact their instructor. |
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Clicking the "Back" or "Forward" buttons
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The web browser's "Back" or "Forward" buttons should never been used within Blackboard, and particularly when taking a test. If these buttons are used, a student will be locked out of the test and won't be able to re-take it until the instructor clears their attempt. |
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Clicking outside the test area
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Clicking the course outside the test area (for example, on the "Announcements", "Course Information", etc)will cause the system to prematurely "Submit" the test before the student is finished |
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Resizing the browser window may erase data
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Be careful not to close or resize the window. Select a comfortable window size prior to clicking on the test link. In some browsers, resizing the test window will cause information entered up to that point to be erased. All answers will need to be re-entered. |
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Firewalls
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If operating behind a firewall, students may see an error message telling them that their system was configured to deny access to this URL. The solution is to take the test somewhere that doesn't have a firewall. |
When a test is interrupted a red exclamation mark will appear in the "Gradebook" for that item. Access can be cleared by clicking on the mark, then selecting Clear Attempt.
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Hint
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Students should be warned to take tests carefully. To avoid losing a test they should:
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Q. What problems might students encounter taking tests?
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Problem
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Tip
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Inactivity
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When taking a test or an exam, you are essentially just viewing one web page. This makes it appear as though the computer is inactive, and may be disconnected due to inactivity. One way to prevent disconnection is to set the e-mail program to check for new mail every 10 minutes or so. Another work-around is to break large assessment tasks into smaller ones so they can be completed quicker, or to advice students to open a second browser window an use it periodically to view a new site. This will generate activity, and reset the time-out clock. |
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Quitting by accident
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If power is lost, the window is accidentally closed or the browser crashes, students will need to contact their instructor to clear the attempt. |
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Double-clicking to access a test
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If a student double-clickson the link to a test, Blackboard reads the first click as an attempt to take the test and the second click as a second attempt, and will therefore block access. Students will need to contact their instructor. |
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Clicking the "Back" or "Forward" buttons
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The web browser's "Back" or "Forward" buttons should never been used within Blackboard, and particularly when taking a test. If these buttons are used, a student will be locked out of the test and won't be able to re-take it until the instructor clears their attempt. |
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Clicking outside the test area
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Clicking the course outside the test area (for example, on the "Announcements", "Course Information", etc)will cause the system to prematurely "Submit" the test before the student is finished |
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Resizing the browser window may erase data
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Be careful not to close or resize the window. Select a comfortable window size prior to clicking on the test link. In some browsers, resizing the test window will cause information entered up to that point to be erased. All answers will need to be re-entered. |
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Firewalls
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If operating behind a firewall, students may see an error message telling them that their system was configured to deny access to this URL. The solution is to take the test somewhere that doesn't have a firewall. |
When a test is interrupted a red exclamation mark will appear in the "Gradebook" for that item. Access can be cleared by clicking on the mark, then selecting Clear Attempt.
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Hint
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Students should be warned to take tests carefully. To avoid losing a test they should:
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Q. Any other suggestions when using Blackboard's test manager?
"Test drive" your tests
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Prior to making a test "Available" to students, ensure you take each of the tests yourself to ensure that questions and answers are correctly identified, typographical errors are eliminated, passwords are tested, and perfect scores are verified.
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Provide a "practice" test
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Relieve much of the fear and frustration a student may experience the first time they take a test in Blackboard by requiring all students to take a "practice" test prior to taking a "graded" test in Blackboard. The practice test also confirms that students can login to Blackboard, access the correct course site, navigate within the course site, follow your instructions for taking a test, and successfully interact and submit the test. The "practice" test should be short, be password protected (if you intend password protecting your tests), and include the same question types used in the "graded" test (eg. true/false, multiple choice, etc). As a suggestion, make the"practice" test available to students at least one week prior to giving a "graded" test, and allow students to take the test multiple times. After all students have submitted the "practice" test, the test can be made "Unavailable", thereby removing its associated column from the "Gradebook". |
Ensure students are aware of some of the common problems encountered taking Blackboard tests
| Check the FAQ: Assessment & Gradebook:What problems might students encounter taking tests? |
Preventing cheating on tests
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One way to make cheating a little more difficult is to use the "Pool Manager" to create questions, and then use the "Assessment Manager" to randomly draw questions from the Pool created. That way no two students will be taking the exact same exam and the questions won't appear in the same order. Your students will have as many questions as you decide on their tests, randomly selected from the questions you entered into the pool. Instructors should also be aware that information from any web page, including Blackboard tests, can be copied and pasted into other applications, such as e-mail and word processors. The best way to prevent this from happening is to only make the test available for a specific time period. One of the ways to make it more difficult for students to print an entire test is to set up the test so that it shows students one question at a time (versus all at once). You can also set it to “prohibit backtracking”. This means that after they move on from one question, they are not allowed to go back to a previous question. Also consider password protecting your tests to prevent students who miss the specified test availability time from accessing it without your permission.
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Q. What types of questions can be created in the Test Manager?
- Multiple Choice - users choose one answer by selecting a radio button
- True/False - instructors may type the question and designate correct answer
- Multiple Answer - allows users to choose more than one answer to a question
- Ordering - requires users to put answers in the correct order
- Matching - provides two columns for users to match appropriately
- Fill in the Blank - answers are evaluated on an exact text match
- Short Answer/ Essay - users are allowed to type, or cut and paste an answer into a text field. Answers must be graded manually
- Random Block - use a random selection of questions from another Test or Pool for each student
- From a Question Pool or Assessment - allows instructor to add previously created questions to an assessment
- Upload Questions - allows instructors to import files containing questions into an Assessment. The file may include Essay, Ordering, Matching, Fill in the Blank, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False questions, or any combination of these.
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Q. Can I import questions and test banks from publishers, or those I have created myself?
Yes - instructors are able to import questions and test banks into Blackboard's Test Manager. The questions in the uploaded file must match a specific file structure and may include essay, ordering, matching, fill in the blank, multiple choice, multiple answer, and true/false questions, or any combination of these.
Respondus is a software tool enabling easy creation and management of quizzes, surveys and exams that can be created offline and published to Blackboard. The University of Newcastle has an institutional site licence for Respondus, and can be downloaded from theUniversity's Software Download site.
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Q. Can I copy questions from one test into another?
Yes. To do this:
- Click on , then select Test Manager (within the "Assessment" area).
- Select
to the right of the test to which the questions are to be added.
From the Add Question drop down list select From a Question Pool or Assessment, then 
- select the name of the test containing the questions to be copied from the top window, and the question types to be copied, then
. Select more than one test by holding down the <SHIFT> key.
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Q. Will students be able to go back and review previous questions if I use the "one question at a time" option?
The option to go back and review previous questions is one that the instructor can control when setting up the test.
- Click on , select the Content area where the test will be accessed, then
.
- Select the test,
, then 
.
- Select Modify the test options. Scroll down to Section 4: Test Presentation, and select the Prohibit Backtracking option to enable.
Q. Can my students preview a test?
No. Blackboard 6 does not allow students to login and preview a test, exit then log back in and attempt the test.
Instruct your students not to take or "preview" a test until they are actually ready to take it. If the students "preview" the test or begin taking the test and then log out (manually or by quitting out of the browser) Blackboard will not let them back in to take or finish the test. The students will receive a "Sorry…you already took this assessment on (date) and (time)" message. You may opt to clear the student's attempt in the gradebook and allow the student to retake the assessment.
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Suggestion
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| You can however, choose to allow multiple attempts on a test. This means that a student can take a test as many times as they would like. Blackboard retains the most recent score, not the highest score. This function is good for practice or review. |
Q. Should I set two one hour tests or four half-hour tests?
A single two hour session may be the most flexible option for students juggling their time and your development of integrated questions.
The catch is "what if the students are disconnected?" The longer you require students to be online for an uninterrupted period, the higher the risk that they will encounter a technical difficulty.
Just as you devise a "Plan B" for students unable to take a face-to-face test at a pre-determined time, have an alternative prepared for your online students.
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Suggestions
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Q. Can my students print a test?
Yes and No. Students can normally print a test if they are using Internet Explorer, but not if they are using Netscape. If a student prints out a test, then leaves Blackboard without actually answering any questions, the system will consider the test "taken" unless you have specified "Allow Multiple Attempts."
Blackboard considers a test has been attempted every time it is entered regardless if any questions have been answered. This means that if your student enters the test and prints out a copy in an attempt to look up the answers, they will not be able to retake the test unless you clear their attempt.
One work-around to prevent students from printing a test has been suggested by Wytheville Community College and involves adding some code to the last question in a test. This work-around has not been tested at Newcastle.
Q. Can I edit a test after it has been made available to students?
Yes. Blackboard 6 now allows instructors to make changes to tests after they have been made available to students, without erasing the scores of students who have already attempted the test.
To edit a test:
- Click on , select the Content area where the test is available from, and locate the test.
- Click , then Modify the Test.
- If students have already attempted the test you will be presented with a warning:
- Click
Continue, then Modify the test as necessary.
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Q. How is the timing of tests enforced?
It isn't. Students are notified one minute prior to the time limit, but are able to proceed and complete the test to their satisfaction. The exceeded time is noted in the gradebook. For students who submit the test on time a numeric score will be displayed. However, if the student does not make a submission within the allowed time, this will be indicated in the "Online Gradebook" by a red exclamation mark under "Score".
If a student exceeds the time limit, Blackboard accepts the submission, but notes the overage on the receipt that is displayed to the student:
| Time Elapsed: 1 hour, 5 minutes and 30 seconds out of 1 hour allowed |
The instructor must determine how to factor in the extra time used by the student, and the basis on which they will modify the results accordingly. If instructors penalize for extra time by deducting points for individual questions the "Update Grades" button must be selected.
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Hint
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Q. What are the risks and advantages of limiting tests to a single submission?
This page provides some points of view. It does not advocate single or multiple submissions. That choice is yours and will depend on the purpose of the test / survey.
First be clear about why you want a single submission. It may be something like:
- first impressions?
- minimise cheating on items which will contribute to the overall course grade?
- avoid "stacking" of surveys through multiple attempts?
A "single submission" will not stop ingenious students viewing and printing a test … even one with randomised questions. Without invigilation, neither does it guarantee that the person responding to the test is the enrolled student.
While there are risks associated with single submissions, as the instructor, you can clear "attempts" at tasks by individuals, or update marks on an item-by-item basis for an unintended submission if you choose to do so.
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Alternative
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Advantages
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Risks / Limitations
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Single Submission
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Multiple
submissions |
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Q. Is it possible to delay students seeing the correct answers to a test until the deadline passes?
Yes - it is possible to not reveal answers and feedback while an exam is in progress, but then to reveal these after students are finished, to check their answers and study for the future.
When you first make the test available, do not select any of the results or feedback options. When the student completes a test, they will only see their score (e.g., 45 out of 50 total points).
- Click on , select the Content area where the test will be accessed, then .
- Select the test, , then .
- Select Modify the test options. Scroll down to Section 3: Test Feedback, and select the Score only: option to enable, then .
Q. Can I add images and URLs to test and survey questions?
Yes. To add images and URLs to an existing test or survey:
- Click on , select the Test Manager or Survey Manager (within the "Assessment" area), then next to the required test or survey
- Click
, then select Add images, files and URLs to questions, then and :
Now when you add questions you will see the option of adding an image, file or URL to them. 
Q. I posted a test for my students to take, and several of them missed the deadline. I would like to make the test available again to the students who missed it.
Blackboard assessment tasks never really goes away, but the announcement for the test does. To make the task available once more:
- click on , then select Announcement (located within the "Contents" area).
- locate the announcement for the original dates of the assessment. Select
, and change the dates that the announcement is now available. All students will be able to see the announcement, but only the students who have not taken the assessment will have access.
Q. How do I add an assignment?
Assignments can be added to any of Blackboard's Content Areas.
- Go to the for the course, and select the required Content Area.
- Select
then . The Add Assignment screen will appear. Complete all the requested details, attaching any necessary files in Section 3, then .
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Q. Can I see who has responded to an anonymous survey?
While you can see whether a student has responded to a survey through the online gradebook, you can interpret very little from this information. Blackboard marks a viewing as a response - the student may have opened the survey then used the browser back button to leave without seeing more than the first screen.
The responses themselves are collated item-by-item. Each response is numbered so you can track patterns, but you cannot identify individuals making the responses unless they identify themselves in their response.
Multiple responses from one individual are not recorded, so "stacking" cannot occur. Only the most recent response from an individual is kept.
To view survey reports:
- Click on , then select Gradebook (within the "Assessment" section)
From the View Spreadsheet page, click on the name of the survey, then Item Detail. 
Item Grade List: indicates if a student has attempted the survey, and the date the attempt was made
Assessment Attempt Details: provides statistics on the number of class members that choose each answer alternative, as well as the average score for each question.
Q. Can anyone identify who has made anonymous contributions?
No. Anonymous postings are anonymous to all Blackboard users (including the system administrators).
The Blackboard system itself links anonymous contributions with login names, but does not display user IDs. These linkages ensure that
- individuals cannot "spam" an anonymous survey (only the most recent submission is retained)
- only the sender can edit / remove an anonymous posting in discussion forums that have been set up to allow the author to edit or remove messages.
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Suggestion
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Q. Can I see who has responded to an anonymous survey?
While you can see whether a student has responded to a survey through the online gradebook, you can interpret very little from this information. Blackboard marks a viewing as a response - the student may have opened the survey then used the browser back button to leave without seeing more than the first screen.
The responses themselves are collated item-by-item. Each response is numbered so you can track patterns, but you cannot identify individuals making the responses unless they identify themselves in their response.
Multiple responses from one individual are not recorded, so "stacking" cannot occur. Only the most recent response from an individual is kept.
To view survey reports:
- Click on , then select Gradebook (within the "Assessment" section)
From the View Spreadsheet page, click on the name of the survey, then Item Detail. Item Grade List: indicates if a student has attempted the survey, and the date the attempt was made
Assessment Attempt Details: provides statistics on the number of class members that choose each answer alternative, as well as the average score for each question.
Q. Can I add images and URLs to test and survey questions?
Yes. To add images and URLs to an existing test or survey:
- Click on , select the Test Manager or Survey Manager (within the "Assessment" area), then next to the required test or survey
- Click , then select Add images, files and URLs to questions, then and :
Now when you add questions you will see the option of adding an image, file or URL to them.
Q. How do I export the gradebook?
- Go to the for the course, and select Gradebook (within the "Assessment" section).
- Select
. A message will appear indicating that a file has been created and how to open in Microsoft Excel or similar. Select 
.
Q. Can I put letter grades in my gradebook?
Yes. In order to place a letter grade in the gradebook you will need to do the following:
- Go to the for the course, and select Gradebook (within the "ASSESSMENT" section).
- Select
.then Manage Display Options.
- select
. The Add / Modify Grade Display Options screen will appear:
Make the following selections:
- Name: enter a name for the new grade display option.
- Add Symbols and Values:
System-graded items with a grade of: Enter the numeric values of the range for each grade. The system will automatically treat the numbers within each range the same.
Manually-graded items entered as: Enter the symbol the Instructor will use to manually enter grades. Each symbol will correspond to the range in the System-graded items.
Will be calculated as: Enter a single numeric value for each symbol in the Manually-graded items column. The number in this row will be used in Gradebook calculations, such as for the final grade and grade weight.
: Click to add a row in the Add Symbols and Values Section.
: Click to remove a row in the Add Symbols and Values section.
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Hint
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Please note that since letter grades have a point value of zero they will not be averaged into the total grade of a student. Grade displays are case sensitive. An "A" and "a" will not represent the same grade in the Gradebook. |
Q. Do all assignments have to be included in the gradebook?
No. You can specify that certain assignments are not used in gradebook calculations. To do this:
- Go to the for the course, and select Gradebook (within the "ASSESSMENT" section).
- Click on the assignment name in the column heading, then Item Information. Select No for Include item in gradebook score calculations.
Q. My students completed an assessment task outside Blackboard. Can I use Blackboard's Gradebook to record the grades?
Yes. To record these grades, add the item/ assignment to your Blackboard gradebook:
- Go to the for the course, and select Gradebook (within the "Assessment" section).
- Select
, complete the item details, then .
- Click on the gradebook heading for the item, then select Item Grade List. You now will be able to enter grades for the students.
Q. Can I import grades from Excel and other space delimited format into the Blackboard gradebook?
It is possible, but first instructors need to download the existing Blackboard gradebook and modify the data in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. This helps ensure that students listed in the uploaded file match those in the gradebook (it's not advisable to create the spreadsheet from scratch as there is too much room for error). Only one column may be imported into the gradebook at a time.
To import a gradebook:
- Go to the for the course, and select Gradebook (within the "Assessment" section).
- Select
, click 
, select the file then .
Q. I can't download the gradebook in Netscape/Mozilla Firefox/Safari
Since the upgrade to Blackboard 6.2, downloading the gradebook using Netscape/Mozilla Firefox and Safari requires the following steps:
1. From your course Control Panel, click Gradebook
2. Click Download Grades
3. Select Comma or Tab and click Submit
4. You will see the Download button. Right click with your mouse on this button and select Open in New Window.
5. The file will display in a new browser window. Notice the file name in the address now has a .csv extension.
6. Select File > Save Page As > and save the page to your computer.
7. You should now be able to open the file in Excel.
Note: This problem does not occur in Internet Explorer.
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- Last modified: Friday, 27th January 2006
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