Creating an Assignment in Blackboard

These instructions will show how to create an assignment drop box in Blackboard.  SafeAssign is an optional tool for checking student submissions for

Creating an Assignment

Image of the Assessments Menu with Assessments highlighted and with instructions indicating to click on Assessments.  The menu is open, with Assignment outlined with a red circle, and instructions to select Assignment

Log into your Blackboard course, and go to the content area you would like to add the assigment to.  At the top of the page, click on the Create Assessment button and choose Assignment.

Setting up Assignment Information

Image of the Assignment Information section with the following annotations: 1.Name and Color: Enter a name for the assignment here, and use the color selector to change the color of the assignment link.2.Instructions: Enter a description for the assignment using the provided textbox.

Assignment Information allows you to enter a description for the assignment.

  1. Name and Color: Enter a name for the assignment here, and use the color selector to change the color of the assignment link.
  2. Instructions: Enter a description for the assignment using the provided textbox.

Attaching Files to the Assignment

Image of Assignment Files with the Browse My Computer and Browse Course buttons.

Assignment Files allows you to attach a file to the assignment, for example assignment guidelines or a sample assignment.  To attach a file, click on the Browse Local Files to attach a file from your computer, or click Browse Course Files to attach a file that has already been added to the course content collection. Users can also drag a file from their computer into this area to upload a file.

Setting up the Assignment Due Date

Setting up the Assignment Due Date

Due Dates allows users to set a due date for the assignment.  To set a due date, check the box and use the date and time pickers to set the due date.  The due date will be recorded in the students' To Do module, and will create a calendar entry for the student.  If students submit an assignment past the due date, the system will mark it as late.

Setting up Grading Information

Image of the Grading section with the following annotations: 1.Name and Color: Enter a name for the assignment here, and use the color selector to change the color of the assignment link.2.Instructions: Enter a description for the assignment using the provided textbox.

The Grading section allows you to specify the point value for the assignment.

  1. Points Possible: Enter the point value for the assignment.  If you are setting up the assignment for extra credit, enter 0.
  2. Associated Rubrics: If you have created an interactive rubric, click the Add Rubric button to add the rubric to the assignment.
  3. Submission Details: Click on Submission Details to expand this section to set up parameters related to the submission of the assignment
  4. Grading Options: Click on Grading Options to enable options related to anonymous grading and delegated grading.
  5. Display of Grades: Click on Display of Grades to determine how grades will be displayed to students.

Setting up Assignment Submission Details

Setting up Assignment Submission Details

After clicking on Submission Details, the screen will expand to show the following options:

  1. Assignment Type: Choose the type of assignment submission (Individual Submission, Group Submission, or Portfolio Submission)
  2. Number of Attempts: Select the number of attempts to allow students to make (Single Attempt, Multiple Attempts, Unlimited Attempts).
  3. Maximum Attempts: If you selected multiple attempts, enter the maximum number of allowed attempts here.
  4. Score Attempts Using: If you selected multiple or unlimited attempts, select the desired option for reporting graded attempts to students (Last Graded Attempt, Highest Attempt, Lowest Attempt, First Graded Attempt, or Average of Graded Attempts).
  5. Plagiarism tools: Check the box for the option labeled Check Submissions for plagiarism using Safe Assign to check students for plagiarism.
  6. Allow students to view Safe Assign Originality Report for their attempts: Check this checkbox to make the safe assign report visible to student.
  7. Exclude Submissions: Check this option to exclude student papers from SafeAssign's databases.

Assigning the Assignment to Groups

Image of the Assignment Submission section of the assignment options showing Assignment Type and Groups to Select with the following annotations: 1.Select the Group Submission option under Assignment Type.2.Items to Select: Select the groups from the left column you wish to assign the assignment to.3.Click the right-facing arrow button to select the groups and move them into the Selected Items column:4.Selected Items: Groups to which the assignment has been assigned will appear here.

To assign the assignment to groups:

  1. Select the Group Submission option under Assignment Type.
  2. Items to Select: Select the groups from the left column you wish to assign the assignment to.
  3. Click the right-facing arrow button to select the groups and move them into the Selected Items column:
  4. Selected Items: Groups to which the assignment has been assigned will appear here.

Modifying Grading Options

Image of the Grading Options section showing the following items: 1.Enable Anonymous Grading: Check this option to hide usernames when grading students' attempts. After checking this option, users will be given the option to disable grading on a specific date, or after all items have been graded.2.Enable Delegated Grading: Check this box to enable delegated grading, which allows instructors to assign users to grade students' attempts.3.Show: Use this dropdown menu to show All Possible Graders, All Assigned Graders, and All Unassigned Graders.4.Grader: A list of all eligible graderes will appear here. 5.Submissions to Grade: Use the dropdown menu next to each grader to assign grading responsibilities. Graders can be assigned to All Submissions, a Random Selection of graded attempts, or specific student Groups. 6.View Settings: Check the checkbox to allow the grader to view other graders' scores, feedback, and notes.  This option is checked by default for users with a role of Instructor.7.Reconcile Grades: a +/- icon will indicate that the user has permission to reconcile items graded by other users.

Note regarding the Delegated Grading feature: Users with TA or instructor access to your course can already grade assignments, use delegated grading only if you wish to assign grading responsibilities to multiple other instructors or TAs, and if you wish to approve provisional grades before being posted to the grade center.

To modify grading options, click on the link labeled Grading Options:

  1. Enable Anonymous Grading: Check this option to hide usernames when grading students' attempts. After checking this option, users will be given the option to disable grading on a specific date, or after all items have been graded.
  2. Enable Delegated Grading: Check this box to enable delegated grading, which allows instructors to assign users to grade students' attempts.
  3. Show: Use this dropdown menu to show All Possible Graders, All Assigned Graders, and All Unassigned Graders.
  4. Grader: A list of all eligible graderes will appear here.
  5. Submissions to Grade: Use the dropdown menu next to each grader to assign grading responsibilities. Graders can be assigned to All Submissions, a Random Selection of graded attempts, or specific student Groups.
  6. View Settings: Check the checkbox to allow the grader to view other graders' scores, feedback, and notes.  This option is checked by default for users with a role of Instructor.
  7. Reconcile Grades: a +/- icon will indicate that the user has permission to reconcile items graded by other users.  Instructor users have this permission by default, while the ability to reconcile grades must be assigned to other users with Grade Center access (e.g. TA's, graders).

For more information on Delegated Grading, please review the following guides:

Modifying Grade Display Options

Image of the Display of Grades section expanded to show the following items: 1.Display Grade As: Primary: Use the dropdown menu to show how grades are displayed to students and in the Grade Center:  The available options are Score, Percentage, Letter, Text or Complete/Incomplete.2.Display Grade As: Secondary: Use the dropdown menu to show a secondary grade display in the Grade Center.  The secondary display is not shown to students.  The available options are Score, Percentage, Letter, Text, or Complete/Incomplete.3.Include in Grade Center Grading Calculations: Check this box to include assignment scores in the Grade Center calculations.4.Show to Students in My Grades: Check this box to show the results to students. Uncheck this box to hide the results from students.5.Show Statistics (average and median) for this item to Students in My Grades: Check this box to show the average and median grades to students.

Clicking on the item labeled Display of Grades allows you to change how the results are displayed to students:

  1. Display Grade As: Primary: Use the dropdown menu to show how grades are displayed to students and in the Grade Center:  The available options are Score, Percentage, Letter, Text or Complete/Incomplete.
  2. Display Grade As: Secondary: Use the dropdown menu to show a secondary grade display in the Grade Center.  The secondary display is not shown to students.  The available options are Score, Percentage, Letter, Text, or Complete/Incomplete.
  3. Include in Grade Center Grading Calculations: Check this box to include assignment scores in the Grade Center calculations.
  4. Show to Students in My Grades: Check this box to show the results to students. Uncheck this box to hide the results from students.
  5. Show Statistics (average and median) for this item to Students in My Grades: Check this box to show the average and median grades to students.

Setting up the Assignment Availability

Image of the Availability section showing the following annotations: 1.Make the Assignment Available: Check this box to make the assignment visible to students.2.Limit Availability: Check the boxes and use the date and time selectors to limit the availability of the dropbox.3.Track Number of Views: Check this box to enable statistics tracking on the item.4.When finished, click the Submit button to create the assignment.

The Availability section allows you to edit the assignment's visibility to students.

  1. Make the Assignment Available: Check this box to make the assignment visible to students.
  2. Limit Availability: Check the boxes and use the date and time selectors to limit the availability of the dropbox.
  3. Track Number of Views: Check this box to enable statistics tracking on the item.
  4. When finished, click the Submit button to create the assignment.

If you have an assignment setup for your course, you might want to provide the following link that gives students step-by-step instructions on how to make an assignment submission. http://utlv.screenstepslive.com/s/student/m/23191/l/237264-submitting-an-assignment