Blackboard Assignments for Formative Assessment

Posted on by digitaleducation

How one configures Blackboard assignments for formative assessments will vary depending on local needs. This guidance provides a generalised set of principles and steps that may need modification and adaptation, depending on the specific requirements of the assessment.

Creating the submission point:

  1. Navigate to the Blackboard course.
  2. Locate and select the Unit Assessment learning module, expanding its contents.
  3. Select any of the dividing lines between items in the Unit Assessment learning module to open a pop-up menu.
  4. Select Create to open the Create Item menu on the right side of the screen.
  5. Select Assignment. This will create a new Blackboard Assignment in the Unit Assessment learning module.
  6. Give the assignment a name.
  7. Select the cog icon in the top right of the screen to open the Assignment Settings menu.
  8. You should consider the following:
    1. Does your course require a due date?
    2. Are you marking this assignment as “Formative” to students?
    3. Set the number of attempts as desired
    4. Set the marking schema as required
    5. Add a description
  9. Once configured to your needs, select Save.

Managing visibility and Release Conditions

  1. Select Hidden from students in the top right of the screen to open a dropdown menu.
  2. If you want to make the assignment visible to students immediately, select Visible to students.
  3. To set rules on when or how the assignment becomes available to students, select Release conditions.
    1. Select the pencil icon to change the name of the rule.
    2. Choose between All members to set a rule that affects all students on the course, or Specific members or groups to choose either individual students or groups of students.
    3. Choose Date/time to add Access from and Access until dates and times.
    4. Choose Performance to set prerequisite attainment in another assessment as the condition for students to access this assessment. For example, students must gain 50% or higher in “Practice Assignment” to access this assessment.
    5. Multiple Release Conditions rules can be set if desired by selecting Add new rule. If you have finished configuring access, select Save.