1. The Basics: Using the Grade Center in Blackboard Learn 9.1 Hallie Ray, Distance Learning Course Designer Preston Chick, Distance Learning Technician August, 2016

2. Goals: this workshop will provide CNM faculty with the tools to  Locate Grade Center help  Navigate My Grades, the student’s grade view  Navigate to the Full Grade Center and to particular users and items  Set “External Grade” correctly  Interpret Grade Center icons  Use Last Access dates for course management  Send Email to selected student(s)  Create or Delete a Simple Column  Sort items by grade center columns  Manually Enter or Override a grade  Explore Grade History  Hide items in GC and MG views  Find and Show Hidden columns  Reorder Columns  Edit Column Information  Choose which Attempt’s grade to use in calculating the course grade  Grade from Needs Grading view  Grade submitted files using Inline Grading  Assign Grades to Categories  Drop the lowest grade in a category  Create a simple Weighted Grade Column  Export course grades to a local spreadsheet

3. Getting Grade Center Help Help.Blackboard.com We use Release 9.1.201410.160373 https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Grade In a well-designed, school-developed Master course, the grade center should be ready to go without significant editing Or contact your friendly, neighborhood DL Staff

4. Computer resources Never use Internet Explorer/Edge Chrome, Firefox, and Safari usually work well But have at least one other browser to use in case something “acts up.” Collaborate Ultra likes Chrome best Clear your browser’s cache if anything displays incorrectly PC: Control Shift Delete Mac: Command Shift Delete or Google for instructions iPads 2 and higher can use free Bb Grader App

5. The Students’ View CNM’s DL Classroom menu has a My Grades button under Course Communication—don’t delete it! My Grades view ≠ Grade Center view

6. Student Preview tool A good practice: Regularly check your students’ view of My Grades in every course and section Use the buttons in the upper right: “Eyeball” to go to Student Preview Exit Preview to return to Instructor mode

7. The student view: My Grades The instructor will not see this unless using Student View The student’s default view reflects the order of columns in the instructor’s Grade Center. Good practice: Keep an orderly Grade Center Delete unneeded/duplicated columns

8. Multiple Totals? Every time the course is copied, a new Total column is added Delete extra and unused columns

9. Resetting the External Grade “External Grade” is not currently used by CNM but you’ll usually have one with that “green checkmark.” This column cannot be deleted You cannot remove the green checkmark, but you can move it to another column Note: this may be set to nearly any column

10. What else the student sees Due dates Comments Rubric(s) used Some of the following depend on the instructor’s settings Submitted work or tests Graded work or tests

11. Students viewing graded tests Depending on instructor’s settings, student may be able to access the graded work with score, answers, comments, etc. To review tests, students must click the NAME of the test and in the next window the SCORE for that test.

12. Viewing completed assignments By clicking on the name of a graded assignment, students can View their original submission and files View instructor comments View markup of inline graded documents View instructor-uploaded files View rubrics This view closely resembles the Instructor’s Assignment Grading window

13. Students’ views of graded assignment In My Grades—shows grade Click on the speech bubble for comment, “Feedback to Learner”

14. Deeper view of graded assignment Upon clicking the assignment’s name in My Grades

15. And yet another view Clicking the uploaded file shows inline grading

16. My Grades display options Student viewing options are All, Graded, Upcoming (not yet submitted), and Submitted (but not yet graded) Student ordering options are Course order Last activity (submissions or grading) Due date

17. Icon Legend User Unavailable Column Not Visible to Users Completed (e.g., survey) Needs Grading Override Attempt in Progress External Grade Grade Exempted for this User Error Not Participating (e.g., student is not in that Group) Anonymous Grading enabled Students do not have the Icon Legend, but do have pop-ups explaining symbols.

18. The Instructor View Control Panel Grade Center Needs Grading Full Grade Center Assignments Tests Shortcut arrow “ Smart Views ” Assignments and Tests are default categories Custom views: Advanced Training session

19. Needs Grading Objective Tests are auto-graded unless they are submitted late Assignments and Essay/Short Answer test questions need your input May sort using any column header Contact DL for any problems students who drop with ungraded work can get “stuck” in Needs Grading

20. FAQ: I dropped Irving and now… I dropped Irving for non-participation, and now I need to prove it…but he’s gone! Contact ITS or DL (we can refer the matter to ITS) Include Course, number, section, CRN Include Student’s name and username (first part of CNM Email address) ITS can re-enable the student long enough for you to capture his/her grades to substantiate your dropping them

21. Full Grade Center view  Use Scroll Bars to navigate through the spreadsheet  Change browsers if they don’t show up properly  MacOS: Apple menu > Sys Pref > Gen Pref > Always show scroll bars  Hint for mobile use: turn on the Screen Reader Mode

22. Full Grade Center view  Can control  Number of rows shown  Sorting on any column

23. Using Last Access for Course Management This is not “Participation*,” just access to Bb Hint: Hide Student ID and Availability Columns for less clutter * Federal guidelines require submission of work, posting to a Discussion, etc. Check with your Associate Dean for more information

24. Sending Email from the Grade Center Uses CNM Email Works even if Email is “turned off” in the course Choose recipient(s) using checkbox(es) Multiple users will be blind-copied But use generic language in the message NOT: Suzie and Irving, you are failing… YES: You are receiving this Email because you are failing… Example: Send an Email to everyone who hasn’t logged into Bb by Day 3, or who did poorly (or well!) on Test 1.

25. Manual Entry Column Creation Bb automatically creates columns for graded work: Don’t duplicate these Assignments Tests/Quizzes/Exams Graded Discussions, Blogs, Wikis, etc. You must create columns for manual entry of grades for things not graded in Bb Required data items Name of the item Point Value of the item Point value may be 0 (e.g., extra credit items)

26. Manual Grade Entry: Created Column Mouse over the cell Click the cell Type grade into cell Hit Enter/Return after each entry. Bb will save, and move you to the next cell in the column.

27. To Override grades Click into the particular student’s cell for that grade Delete the old grade (-- is automatically deleted) Type the new grade Submit using Enter/Return key Confirm it Grade overrides indicated by the orange “hat”

28. All changes appear in the Grade History From cell menu choose View Grade Details Next, click Grade History

29. Grade Archaeology (Digging into history) By default you’ll see the last two changes. Choose View Complete History if there is a link

30. It’s all there: When, Who and What

31. Categories: for grade calculations Automatically assigned to default categories Bb deployed Assignments and Tests Graded Discussions, Blogs, Wikis Manual entry columns may be assigned categories when created or edited. By default they are No Category. Why categories? Calculated columns Dropping lowest grades Custom categories can be created—see Advanced GC training!

32. To Hide, or Not to Hide… Don’t HIDE. DELETE instead. Hide from Students (on/off) vs. Hide Column Still counts in totals, etc. Still visible to students Don’t HIDE Columns from yourself! Exception: Hide Student Availability and Student ID columns—these are not useful at CNM!

33. Column Deletion Deleting a Column Click Action Arrow for the column Choose Delete User-created and Calculated columns can be deleted Columns associated with Bb- graded work cannot be deleted Best practice: Delete any unused columns

34. Avoiding Ghost Columns Deleting any Bb graded work (Test, Assignment, etc.) should delete its GC column If deleting graded work and you get a pop-up asking you whether you wish to delete the grade center column, select YES!!! Do not choose the “save grades” option unless you mean to do this Rarely, you’ll end up with stuck columns which I call “ghost columns.” That’s one of the few cases where it’s OK to hide the column…they should go away when the course is copied to a future term.

35. Oh, no…you already hid things… “I didn’t know what to do with that stuff so I chose Hide Column…” Horror stories: Hundreds (no exaggeration) of hidden columns, still visible to students Huge grading efforts “lost” among hidden columns Cryptic assignments or tests added by publisher content—some instructors don’t even know it’s there!

36. How to reveal Hidden columns Full Grade Center > Manage > Column Organization Click the check-box next to any light gray italicized (Hidden) item(s) Use the Show/Hide button at the top or bottom to “Show Selected Columns” Submit

37. Reordering Columns While we’re at Manage > Column Organization… Where do new columns show up? Right or Bottom… Use the left-margin sliders to move them to where they make sense to you And then they’ll make sense to your students as well

38. Edit Column Information For Bb created columns Reflects choices made when creating/deploying an assessment Includes a few more options For manual columns Returns you to the column creation page We’ll look at your options in the next slides

39. Column Name reflects the name of the item when created Avoid using symbols such as #, &, *, %, @, !, ;, even commas and periods!! Grade Center Name shows to Instructors, not to Students We recommend NOT using the Grade Center name—leave it blank Description is visible to students

40. Primary (grade) display is visible to students and is how you will enter your grades Secondary (grade) display is only visible to instructors For work with multiple attempts, Score attempts using… Categories can be used to calculate grades Point value is required (use 0 for extra credit columns) Rubric can be set here (optional) Due date can be set/changed here (optional)

41. Points Possible value is required Make it 0 for Extra Credit items On tests Mark extra credit questions as such INSIDE of the test Or may edit here by checking the box Rubrics may be added here or in the content area Rubric properties may be edited here, in the content area, or in Control Panel > Course Tools > Rubrics

42. Due Dates May set the Due Date here May be edited here, in the assessment, in the Calendar, or in Date Management Due date does not impact Availability (Display) to students Due dates may be set to prevent further Test attempts

43. Options Generally, usually, and most of the time: Accept the default settings! Don’t forget to Submit!

44. Calculated Columns Basics Four types available

45. Defaults for calculated columns Total: adds up raw points of every grade column but not other calculated columns Weighted Column: does nothing until you set it up Average: takes the straight, unweighted average of all grade columns But not other calculated columns

46. Select Columns and Categories Select Individual Columns and/or Select Categories Weight columns? Equally Proportionally Drop Grades? Be careful to choose Lowest!

47. Weighted Column Be sure values match your syllabus Choose the Columns and/or Categories If Categories: Choose weighting method in categories Drop grades as desired Assign values Submit

48. One more setting: Running Total The instructions are correct, but it’s easier to remember this way: Yes means you have to enter zeros for missing work No means students’ calculated grades will start at 0 and rise through the term

49. Needs Grading: Late Tests Objective tests: automatic, won’t show in Needs Grading Unless they’re late. Then they will show up to be submitted. THEN Bb will automatically grade them. v

50. Needs Grading: Essay questions and Assignments Click on User whose Attempt needs grading Or click the cell’s Action Arrow in the full grade center May choose either View Grade Details or Attempt ##/##/##

51. Needs Grading for Discussions, etc. Instructor chooses if/when Bb puts these into Needs Grading Default is to show after every 1 post Which can get annoying! Good practice: set to show only after student has made required posts such as 1 original + 2 replies  after every 3 posts

52. Inline Grading File types: doc(x),.ppt(x),.xls(x) and.pdf Comments Strikeouts Highlighting Drawing Remember: all CNM users can get FREE MS Office 365

53. Inline Grading tips Take advantage of expansion arrows for more “screen real estate” to make grading easier Inline Grading works only on MS Office files or.pdfs Not on.rtf,.jpg, or submissions typed directly into Bb You may require students to submit in particular formats, since they can now have Office 365 for free

54. Download your Grades Work Offline Choose to Download to import a spreadsheet to use in Excel/Numbers, or for back-up on your own computer

55. Download to your computer Click Download Choose Data desired (default values are fine) Submit Remember where on your computer you put it! Upload: covered in Grade Center Advanced training

56. Bonus: Color Coding your grade center See our new DL TV series!

57. Resources Blackboard Help Site We use Release 9.1.201410.160373 (October 2014 release) https://en- us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Grade https://en- us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Grade CNM’s Distance Learning Webpage (Faculty) Our new DL TV series! And of course, your DL Staff at DL@cnm.eduDL@cnm.edu

58. Questions?