This guide will provide an overview of group assignment options in Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. More information about creating groups and group assignments can be found in the Ultra Course Groups chapter.
Collaborative learning offers many benefits to students, such as developing collaborative skills, task management, and communication skills. Students also benefit from greater retention of learning content, and working with diverse students helps to foster a sense of inclusion and a sense of belonging for students.
Overview of Group Assessments
In Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View, instructors can assign assessments to groups for students to complete as a group. Assignments, Tests, and Discussion Boards can all be created as group assignments.
In order for an assessment to function as a group assessment, student groups must be created and assigned to the assessment in question. If you have single students and student groups working on the same assignment, instructors must create a "group of one student" for students completing the assignment together.
Group Assignments and Tests
Assignments and tests can be assigned as group work within Blackboard Learn Ultra Course View. Within a Group Assignment, students can add content, save drafts, or use the course conversations feature to collaborate with group members.
If one or more students have accommodations within an assigned group, the accommodation would apply to all students within that group.
Only one student may submit work on behalf of the group for a group assignment or test. Students are given a warning when they attempt to submit that they are submitting on behalf of the entire group.
Students can be graded as a group and assigned the same score across the board, or instructors can modify individual members' grades.
Only assignments that have no attempts can be assigned to groups. Assignments with student attempts cannot be assigned as group assignments.
Group Discussion Boards
Discussion Boards can be assigned to course groups, where students can discuss assigned discussions within their groups. Group discussions offer the benefit of allowing students to interact in smaller groups and can be less intimidating and overwhelming than full class discussions.
Group discussion boards are only visible for the groups they are assigned to. Students assigned to groups will be able to see group discussion boards when they are available.
One interactions have occurred in group discussions, students cannot be removed or reassigned in groups.
Grading can be enabled for group discussion boards at any time. If grading is removed, student grades will be deleted, but student posts will remain.