Step-By-Step
Grading an Assignment.
(Text version)

1. Instructors and TAs can access all of the files submitted by students using the Assignment function. To view, download, grade and respond to files submitted by students:

• Log in to the Blackboard site as usual:
• Go to Control Panel / Gradebook. This will display the Gradebook Spreadsheet.
• When the Assignment was created a column was added to the Gradebook using the name of the Assignment.
• Notice that any student that has submitted an assignment has an exclamation point (!) listed in the spreadsheet cell under the Assignment column.
  
• Click on the name of the Assignment at the top of the spreadsheet column. This will display the Items Options menu for the Assignment.

2. If you want to download the items submitted by students to your computer:

• Click on the "Item Download" link. This will display the Download Assignment form for that Assignment.
• The names of all of the students will be listed in the table under section #1. If the student has submitted the assignment a checkbox will appear to the left of the name. Checkmark the box of the student that you want to download the submitted files. You can checkmark more than one student, or use the "Check All" or "Check Ungraded" links.
• Click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page. A receipt will be displayed telling you that the items have been exported. To download them to your computer click on the "Download Assignments Now" link. This will open your computer's file download dialogue box. Click on the "Save" button. This will open your computer's "Save As" dialogue box. Use the dropdown box to locate the directory or folder you want to download the file. The file being downloaded is a ZIP file that contains all of the submitted files from all of the students you checkmarked. You can, if you want, change the name of the zip file. Finally, click on the "Save" button. The zip file will be downloaded and saved in the directory or folder you have chosen.
• To unzip the file either click on the "open" button displayed after downloading or locate the zip file on your computer and double click its name. This will open up your computer's zip utility (either WinZip or Snagit). Select all of the files in the zip file and extract them to a directory or folder on your hard drive.
• You can now open the files from your hard drive and evaluate them.
  
• One of the very good features of this function is that the files names all have the name of the assignment and the username of the student appended as a prefix to each of the files. This eliminates the possibility of multiple files with the same file name. You will always know who submitted the file and which assignment it was submitted for. Note that in addition to the submitted files the student comments were also downloaded and appear as a Text file.
  
• One of the very bad features of this function is that Blackboard does not keep track of which items have been downloaded to your computer. As more students submit their assignments more checkboxes appear.

3. To assign a grade for an Assignment:

• Before assigning a grade it is a good idea to check the Gradebook Item information. Go to Control Panel / Gradebook. Click on the name of the Assignment at the top of the spreadsheet column. This will display the Items Options menu for the Assignment. Click on the "Item Information" link. This will display the Add/Modify Gradebook item.
• Use the dropdown box under "Display As" to chose the type of grade display. Grades can be displayed in the spreadsheet and in the student's view as either: "Complete/Incomplete" (displayed as a checkmark or no checkmark), "Score" (displayed as any number from 0 to 99,999), "Percentage" (displayed as a percentage from 0% to 100%), "Letter" (displayed as "F" through "A+") or "Text" (displayed as any text or numbers up to 30 characters).
• If you want the students to be able to view their grade for this item select the "Yes" radio button next to "Make item visible to students". If you do not want the students to be able to see their grade for this item, select the "No" radio button. This function can be modified at any time.
• If you want this item to be included in the gradebook score calculations, select the "Yes" radio button next to " Include item in gradebook score calculations". If you do not want this item to be included in the gradebook score calculations, select the "No" radio button. If you are using the "Total" or Weighted Total" column to calculate a final grade and are displaying a "running" grade based on graded items to date, this function should be set to "No" until all of the students grades have been recorded for the item.
• Click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page. A receipt will be displayed telling you that the item has been updated. Click "OK" to return to the Items Options menu.
  
• Click on the "Item Grade List" link. This will display the View Item Grades form. You can enter a grade for each student in the box marked Grade based on the "Display As" you previously selected.
• When yo are finished grading click on the "Submit" button. A receipt will be displayed telling you that the grades have been updated. Click on the "OK" button to return to the Gradebook Spreadsheet. The grades are now posted under the Assignment named column.

4. To send comments back to the student or to send a file to the student:

• Go to Control Panel / Gradebook. This will display the gradebook spreadsheet.
• Click on the grade (or exclamation point) located in the cell of the Assignments gradebook column for the student you want to send back information. This will display the Modify Grade page for that student for that Assignment. Click on the "View" button to the far right. This will display or give access to all of the information the student submitted for the assignment.
• If you want to send the student comments regarding the assignment, type in the comments in the box marked "Comments" in section #3 feedback to student.
• If you want to send the student a file (for instance a corrected paper) click on the "Browse" button. This will display your computer's file locater dialogue box. Using the dropdown box on the top of the file locator, locate the directory and folder that contains the file you want to send to the instructor. Click on the name of the file then click on the "Open" button on the file locator. The locator dialogue box will disappear and the path to the file will be located in the box next to the "Browse" button.
• If you have more than one file to send click on the "Add Another File" button. This will allow you to add addition comments and a "Browse" button to add an additional file.
  
• The comment box and "browse" button under section #4 Instructor Notes, allows you to add comments and files to yourself regarding this students assignments. The student will not see these comments nor have access to that file.
• Click on the "Submit" button. A receipt will be displayed telling you that the assignment has been updated.

5. To remove files stored in the Assignment:

• Before you remove any files in the assignment make sure that you have downloaded them to your computer.
• Go to Control Panel / Gradebook. Click on the name of the Assignment at the top of the spreadsheet column. This will display the Items Options menu for the Assignment. Click on the "Item File Cleanup" link. This will display the Delete Assignment Files form.
• Listed here are 1. All of the files submitted by the student, 2. Any items sent by the instructor to the student, 3. Any items sent by the instructor to themselves regarding the assignment.
• Checkmark any items you want to delete. You can also use the check item links above to checkmark certain types of files.
• Click on the "Delete" button at the bottom of the page. A warning will be displayed. Click "OK" and the items are deleted.
  
• Deleting files submitted to the instructor means that you will no longer be able to access those files from Blackboard. You cannot re-download them after you have deleted them. The student however still has a copy on their Assignment page. Student comments to the instructor are not deleted
• Deleting files sent by the instructor to the student means that student and instructor cannot access those files from Blackboard. Comments sent to the student by the instructor are not deleted.
• Deleting files sent to the instructor by the instructor means that the instructor will not be able to access those files through Blackboard.
  
• Deleting any of the files located in the Delete Assignment Files form will not affect the current status of any grade having been assigned to that student.
  
• When the student's account is removed from the course site at the end of the semester, the student's grade and all files associated with any Assignment submitted by that student are deleted.
  

6. If you want to allow a student to re-submit an Assignment you can clear that student's first attempt. To clear a student's first submittal:

• Go to Control Panel / Gradebook. This will display the gradebook spreadsheet.
• Click on the grade (or exclamation point) located in the cell of the Assignments gradebook column for the student you want to send back information. This will display the Modify Grade page for that student for that Assignment. Click on the "View" button to the far right. This will display or give access to all of the information the student submitted for the assignment.
• Click on the "Clear Attempt" button. A warning will be displayed. Click on "OK". The student can now re-submit the assignment. Note that the student's grade and any previously submitted material for that assignment are deleted.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this Step-By-Step procedure contact the Tufts Blackboard Administrator at: nhirsig@tufts.edu