Creating assignments in Blackboard can be a valuable tool to help students to complete their work. It allows instructors to easily track student progress and provide feedback. Assignments can include multiple file types and can be graded or graded.
This guide will help teachers of all levels get started with the basics of creating an assignment in Blackboard, including creating the assignment description, adding assignment files, and configuring gradebook settings. .
What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a learning management system (LMS) that provides a platform for educators to create and manage course content, communicate with students, and assess student progress. It is often used in higher education institutions to facilitate online and hybrid courses, as well as traditional face-to-face courses.
Blackboard provides a range of tools and features, such as the ability to upload and distribute course materials, create and grade assignments, facilitate discussions, and conduct online assessments.
Many schools and universities use Blackboard as their primary LMS, and students and faculty can access it through a web browser or through a mobile app.
How to create an assignment in Blackboard
With the steps below, instructors can quickly and easily create assignments so students can complete their courses.
1. Log in to your Blackboard account
To create an assignment in Blackboard, you must first sign in to your Blackboard account. Enter your username and password, then click the ‘Login’ button. Once logged in, you should see the course menu on the left side of the page.
Click on the course for which you want to create an assignment. Once the course is open, you should see the “Assignments” tab at the top of the page. Click on it to open the Missions page. From here you can view and create assignments.
2. Create a new assignment
After logging into Blackboard, you will be redirected to the home page. From there, select the course in which you want to create an assignment.
On the course page, locate the Course Tools menu on the left side and select Assignments from the drop-down menu.
On the next page, click the Create Assignment button. This will open the Assignment Details page. Here you can enter the assignment’s title, description, instructions, and due date. You can also choose to attach files to the assignment and set the points associated with it.
Enter a title and description
The title should be descriptive and give the student an idea of what the assignment is about. The description should provide more details about the assignment, such as the topics covered, the format of the assignment, and any other relevant information.
Additionally, you can provide students with a rubric on how their assignment will be graded. Adding this information will give students the necessary information they need to understand how to complete the assignment.
Implementation of scoring criteria
After creating your assignment, it’s time to set up the grading criteria. Click on the “Grading Rubrics” tab, where you can configure the criteria you will use to grade each submission.
You can assign point values to each criterion, as well as provide feedback to guide your students in their submissions. You can also decide whether or not to make the column public to students, so they know what to expect when they submit their work.
Optionally add attachments
Once you have filled in the basic details of your assignment, you can optionally add attachments. It’s a great way to provide additional resources or examples that your students can use to complete the assignment.
All you have to do is click on the “Browse my computer” button and select the file(s) you want to upload. You can upload any type of file, such as images, videos, audio, documents or presentations.
Set a due date
This should be the date students are due to submit their work. You can also set a due time, which is the time of day the assignment is due. You can also choose to let students submit their work after the deadline.
3. Click “Submit” to post the assignment
After adding all the details of your assignment, you can now click “Submit” to publish it. This will take your assignment from a draft and make it visible to your students so they can start working on it.
It is important to verify that you have added all necessary information and uploaded the file (if using one) before clicking submit.
Blackboard Hacks for Teachers
In this section, we will discuss eight (8) hacks for Blackboard learning management system for teachers. With these hacks, teachers can become more efficient and confident users of Blackboard to create the best possible learning environment for their students.
1. Use the Grade Center to easily track student performance
Blackboard’s Grade Center is one of the best tools for tracking student performance. The Grade Center lets you track grades and performance in real time and set up automated grade notifications to give students instant feedback.
You can even customize the view to make it easier to compare student performance by assignment or overall average. The Grade Center is a great way to stay organized and keep track of all student data in one place.
2. Use the discussion forum to foster student engagement
Discussion forums are one of the most effective tools for fostering student engagement and learning. They are a great way to build a community of learners and help each other understand the material. Encourage your students to use the discussion forum to ask questions and exchange comments. It’s a great way to facilitate a class discussion and can help spark new ideas and perspectives.
Additionally, you can use discussion boards to assign projects or tasks that students can then collaborate on virtually. This can be a helpful way to keep students engaged and motivated in their learning.
3. Leverage the Content Library to store course materials
One of the most overlooked features of the Blackboard learning management system is its content library. This feature allows teachers to store course materials in an organized way, making them easier to find and access. Using the Content Library can save time and effort by giving teachers quick access to files, documents, videos, and other course materials.
It also allows educators to share course materials with others, allowing them to collaborate more easily. Storing materials in the Content Library also helps ensure course materials are up-to-date, as teachers can easily update materials as needed.
4. Use the announcement feature to remind students of upcoming assignments
With this feature, you can easily create and post announcements for your students to remind them of upcoming assignments. You can customize ads to appear on specific dates and times, and you can also adjust visibility settings for each ad.
This feature is especially useful for instructors who teach multiple classes, as it allows them to quickly post the same announcement to multiple classes. Additionally, you can even post announcements on the course homepage, which will be the first thing students see when they log in.
5. Use the calendar feature to easily organize homework
This feature allows teachers to easily organize homework, view due dates, and easily plan the entire term. Using the calendar feature makes it easy to view upcoming tasks and plan activities accordingly. It also helps students stay on top of their assignments by providing a visual course timeline.
Teachers can even set up automatic email reminders for their students to make sure assignments and tests don’t fall through the cracks. This feature is a great way to make sure everyone stays on track and all tasks are completed on time.
6. Incorporate quizzes to assess student learning
Quizzes can help you quickly and effectively assess the level of understanding of the material you are teaching. You can create quizzes with multiple question types, including true/false, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank.
You can also configure grading settings, such as giving partial credit for partially correct answers, allowing multiple attempts, and more. Quizzes are an easy way to provide meaningful feedback to students and can help you track their progress.
7. Take advantage of collaboration features for virtual learning
With the ability to set up discussion boards, chat rooms, and other types of communication tools, educators can create a virtual learning environment that encourages student participation and collaboration.
Teachers can also assign tasks to students in an online workspace and provide real-time feedback. By taking advantage of these features, teachers can ensure that their students are engaged and actively participating in their online lessons.
8. Integrate Blackboard with other learning management systems
One of the best hacks for teachers using Blackboard is to integrate it with other learning management systems. This will make it easier to access a range of content and allow you to organize your course materials more efficiently.
Additionally, Blackboard’s integration with other systems will allow you to take advantage of features such as course customization, single sign-on, and user authentication.
Conclusion
All in all, Blackboard can be a great learning management system for teachers. With a few tricks and hacks, it can be used to its full potential and help engage students.
Additionally, it can be used to easily create and distribute course materials, while providing streamlined communication between teachers and students. With the right approaches and guidance, teachers can get the most out of Blackboard and use its features to create an effective online learning environment.