Blackboard learn: Grade Center
If you are the type of learner who likes to watch how a task is completed before trying it yourself,
videos of each task in this packet are available at http://tinyurl.com/gc-videos.
This handout is designed to support skill-building as you work with Blackboard Learn. Check the boxes next to
steps when you have finished them. Demos and instructions for each Section will be provided by the
trainer.
If you need help at any time while you are in class, raise your hand and one of the teaching team members will
assist you.
Major navigation symbols: Expand menu options:
; Edit Mode on/off 
Activity 1: Getting Started with Grade Center View
Objective:
To Introduce you to how grading columns are created and the options available for customizing them. Also, you
will learn how to manage and organize columns.
Step 1:
- To get started, Locate the gray, Course Management Control Panel menu and click on the
Grade Center link.

- The Needs Grading link allows instructors to view and grade items, such as tests or
assignments that have been turned in by students. As for the other links or Smart View links,
they are filtered views of Grade Center data. Two are created automatically for a course,
Assignments and Tests.
- With the menu expanded, click on Full Grade Center.
Create a Gradable Column
Step 1
- Create Column and type ‘Participation’ in the Column Name,
which is a required field. Complete the remaining options under Column Information.

-
<span]>Select the Primary Display as ‘Score’ for a gradable
item.
-
Enter an amount in the Points Possible box.
Step 2
- Complete Dates, and enter a due date and time using the icons for calendar and time.
Step 3
Complete Options:
- Select “Include this Column in Grade Center Calculations”
to designate it as gradable.
- Select “Show this Column to Students.” It will
then appear in My Grades. (To change that later, click on the arrow symbol
next to the
column title and Select Edit Column Information.)
- Select the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
- Note: (As you hover over the column headings in the Grade Center, it will tell you if
the column is gradable or not).
Column Organization
Step 1
-
Under the Manage tab, Column Organization.

-
Drag and drop the Participation column above the previous
item.
-
Click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
-
View the changed position in the Grade Center.
Stretch Your Skill (Optional) – Grade Categories
Reason for completing this skill exercise: Grade categories
are a great way to organize similar column types, such as those for homework, quizzes, projects, etc. In
addition, they are useful for setting up filtered views of grade data or creating weighted grade columns.
Assigning Grade Categories
Step 1
- Hover over the down arrow to the right of the ‘Participation’
column heading, and Select Edit Column Information.
- Under Column Information, review the options under Category.
- Select Self and Peer. Using categories is helpful
when setting up views or running reports from the Grade Center. Submit.
Activity 2: Grade Values
Objective: Grade values allow letter, numeral, and
complete/not-complete scores to be given to students. Also, grade values can contain feedback, called
“Quick Comments” to elaborate on scores.
Add and Edit Grade Values
-
In the ‘Participation’ column, click on the ( - - ) symbols in the grade
box.
-
Enter a value from 1-50 into the edit window in the box.

-
Select Enter to move to the next student. Click outside the box to remove the edit
window.
Step 2
-
Edit and change one of the grade entries, by clicking on the actual number to show the edit window
again.
Add a quick comment to the grade
Step 1
-
Click on the down arrow symbol next to the grade.

-
Click on Quick Comment in the drop down box.
-
Add a comment for the grading and also to the student.
Stretch Your Skill (optional) – Create a Calculated Column.
Objective: Calculated columns give instructors the ability to
summarize a set of grades in a variety of ways: averaging, finding the maximum and minimum, totaling, and
applying weighted totals.
Step 1
- Under Create Calculated Column at the top of the Full Grade Center, Select Average
Column.

- Under Column Information, type Assessments and Assignments in the box for Column
Name.
- Select Percentage for the Primary Display.
Step 2
- Under Select Columns, the option for Selected Columns
and Categories.
- In the boxes that appear, select any assignments and tests that appear and click the right-facing arrow to
move them to the Selected Columns box.
- (Note: if you use categories, you can select a running total and it will add those items throughout the
semester.)
- Select the Submit button at the bottom of the
screen.
Activity 3: Grade Center Views
Objective: Smart Views are focused or filtered views of Grade
Center information, which allow an instructor to have a wide variety of options on how data is accessed and
viewed.
Step 1
- Under the Manage tab, select Smart Views. When Smart
Views opens, select the Create Smart View button.

Step 2
- Under Smart View Information, type ‘ View User’ followed by a user
in your group (for example, Wl_learn002), in the Name box.
- Selet the Favorite option. (This moves the view to the Control
Panel).
Step 3
- Under Selection Criteria, on different options under Type of View to see
the changes under Select Criteria.
- Select User under Type of View and then one
of your students under Select Criteria. Leave the filter results to All Columns.
- Select the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
- Click OK in the lower right of the screen.
Step 4
- Click on the Full Grade Center.
- To view the Grade Center using the Smart View, Filter in
the upper right of the screen and use the drop down arrow for Current View to select the
new view.

Needs Grading View
Step 1
- Select Needs Grading from the Grade Center area on
the Control Panel menu. (In this view you will see any assignments that need grading).

- Select Grade All Users in the drop down box next to the
Item Name.

Step 2
- The Grade Assignment page appears. Locate Assignment Details
on the right side of the screen, if the assignment had multiple attempts they would be listed
there.
- Locate the student’s submission in the middle of the screen
and see the submission text and/or attachments displayed.
- Locate the Attempt box the right which allows the
instructor to enter a grade for the assignment, and provide feedback either by typing in the text editor or
attaching files that contain additional feedback.

- For this tutorial, in the Grade field and a numeral score such as
‘30’. Entering the grade should open the Attempt box to display the text entry
field Feedback – Shown to User to add a note to for the grade. If not, on the expansion
arrow at the bottom of the Attempt box.
- Type something like ‘Good job!’.
- Click the green checkmark button to submit the
grade and the Submit button to save the feedback comment.
Note: If there were
multiple assignments turned in by several students, the submit button would say “Save and Next”
instead.
Tests View in Grade Center
Step 1
- In the Control Panel, under Grade Center, Select Tests
to view all tests. If there are multiple attempts allowed on a test or quiz, Blackboard will record
the latest attempt score.

Step 2
- To do this, the column heading and use the drop down arrow to find the Edit Column
Information.

Step 3
- Under Column Information find Score Attempts Using and change the select to
Highest Grade.

- Click Submit button to save your grade
column changes.
Stretch Your Skill (optional) – Rubrics
Objective: Rubrics in Blackboard are the same as in
traditional paper-based rubrics, they help students meet the requirements of an assignment and provide grading
guidelines.
Cretae a Rubric
Step 1
- In the Control Panel, under Course Tools, Rubrics.

- Select Create Rubric.
- Under Rubric Information, enter a name for the rubric.
- Under Rubric Detail, enter information into the Rubric Grid.
Columns and rows may be added. Weights and Levels of Achievement
may be edited.
- Select Submit from the bottom of the screen. (Rubrics
may be attached as you set up assignments, groups, and other tools that you need to grade).
Activity 4: Import/Export Grade Data
Objective: Some instructors prefer to use Microsoft Excel or
other spreadsheet software to input grades. Blackboard allows you to download your grade columns, input scores,
and then upload them back into the course.
Export Grade Center Data into Excel
Step 1
- Return to the Full Grade Center. Under Work Offline,
Select Download. This will open Download Grades.

Step 2
- Under Data, leave Full Grade Center selected.
- Under Options, use the default Tab as the Delimiter Type.
- Under Section 3, Save Location, Select My Computer.
- Select the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
- Click the Download button that appears and Select Open.
Add/Calculate Columns
Step 1
- Insert two columns in your spreadsheet to the right of one of the gradable
columns that was exported.
- Enter a title for each.

Step 2
- Fill the first column you inserted above with numeric values.
- Fill the second column with values calculated from the two numeric columns
to the left of this column.

Optional
- Experiment with Excel functions with this second column
Import Back In; Key Field Column
Step 1
-
When you are finished experimenting with your data in Excel, save your new spreadsheet,
using the default format (txt), give it a name, and save as a file on your computer where you can readily find
it – the Desktop is a good place.
Step 2
-
Return to Blackboard Learn and locate the Full Grade Center.
-
Under Work Offline, Upload.
-
Browse for the new file and attach it. Leave the delimiter type set to Auto.
-
Select the Submit button from the bottom of the screen.
Step 3
-
Blackboard Learn, using the Username column, compares the imported
file’s columns with existing Blackboard Learn columns, and reports its findings.
-
For any column found to match, there will be a check mark
.
-
For any column not found to match, there will be a check box to select to upload the new data.
-
Click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.

Review the changes to the Grade Center
Step 1
- Can you find the columns you just imported?
- Why are they located where they are? All newly uploaded grades will appear at the far right of the
Grade Center. Remember, you can use the Column Organization tool
to reorder the columns.
- Uploaded grades will default to be viewable by students in the My Grades area under
the Course menu.

-
If you have any difficulty with this process, Select Comma Delimited and save the file as a .csv file
extenion for your options in the download and upload process.
Step 2
-
Best practice is to edit newly-added grade columns by selecting the Edit Column Information
from the drop down arrow in the column header.

-
To use the new data in calculated columns or in scoring, change the Primary Display to Score
and enter a value for Points Possible.
-
You can also prevent students from seeing the column by No beside “Show this column
to students”.
Activity 5: Evaluation
Reason for completing this activity: In order for us to
improve our workshops in the future, your feedback is essential to this process. Please take the time to let us
know how we did today.
Please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation for the course. Tell us
what you found valuable and what could improve the workshop experience.
http://bit.ly/eval-sp2014
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