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Author: Janice Florent

Technology Coordinator in the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development at Xavier University of Louisiana

About Janice Florent

Technology Coordinator in the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development at Xavier University of Louisiana

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Published on 1 Comment on Bb Tip #94: Turnitin – Rubrics

Turnitin recently announced two new rubric features. You can now import rubrics from Excel files. Previously you had to create the entire rubric inside Turnitin. Now you can create a rubric template in Excel and upload the template file into Turnitin. The rubric scoring values are added after you upload the template file.

The second new rubric feature is Grading Forms. Grading Forms are simplified rubrics that allow an instructor to give free-form feedback and scores for students across several criteria. Grading forms are easy to create and can be attached, modified, and shared just like Turnitin rubrics.

Want more information?

Turnitin - Import Rubric from Excel File [web page]
Turnitin - Grading Forms [web page]
Turnitin Instructor User Manual
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #93: Tips on Searching Bb Tips

Over the years I have attempted to post just-in-time tips to assist faculty with using Blackboard (Bb). Currently there are over ninety (90) Bb tips posted to the CAT Food blog. Finding a previous Bb tip might take a while if you search the tips going backward through each one. That said, I thought this would be a good time to post a tip about searching for Bb tips.

Just in case you missed it, there is a search box on the CAT Food blog page. Simply type a search term in the search box and click the Search button. For example, if you want to search the CAT Food blog to find out what may have been posted about web tools, enter "web tools" in the search box and click the Search button.

You can combine search operators with your search term in order to narrow your search results. If you are searching for words that appear together you should put the search string in quotes. Additionally, you can refine your search by including a plus sign (+) in front of a search term to indicate the search results must include that search term. Note: You need a space before the plus sign and no space after.

Go ahead, try searching for "web tools" both with and without quotes and compare the search results. Then enter "web tools" +integrate to see what search results are returned to you.

Want more information?

Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #92: Accessibility

Accessible course content may benefit everyone regardless of age, ability, or situation.

Awareness of some of the potential barriers and challenges students face can help you create an online learning environment that accommodates individuals with disabilities, adult learners, novice technology users and others in ways that benefit all users. The Creating Accessible Course Content document identifies some of the challenges students face and how you can use specific Blackboard tools and universal design techniques to help all learners master your course objectives.

Want more information?

Getting Started with Creating Accessible Course Content
University of Central Florida - Accessibility Tips
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #91: Turnitin – Grade Anything

Instructors and students can now submit any file type to Turnitin for checking originality, grading online or distributing work for peer review. Submission file types may include PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, images, html code—whatever file type your students use for their assignments, Turnitin will accept it.

Turnitin - Grade Anything

Traditionally, English instructors have used Turnitin to evaluate papers and essays for plagiarism, grammar/mechanics and other writing skills. Now, with Grade Anything, Turnitin has opened up the door for instructors in other disciplines to provide feedback and evaluate other assignment types--not just papers. This exciting new capability allows Turnitin to be used by a broader range of instructors: those who evaluate presentations or teach in disciplines such as science, math, economics, and visual arts.

No submission? No problem! Instructors can provide students with feedback using Turnitin even if there is no file submitted for the assignment, such as with a musical recital or dance performance.

Instructors in every discipline can now evaluate student learning and give rich, timely feedback regardless of the nature of the assignment.

Want more information?

Turnitin - Grade Anything
Turnitin Instructor User Manual
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

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Published on 1 Comment on Facilitating Online Discussions

Mia MacMeekin, who is an educator and lawyer, developed an Infographic with tips and best practices to facilitate online discussions. She writes:

The online discussion board has received differing reviews. Many believe it is a place that students simply write mini-papers, with little to no feedback. Others believe that it is a true learning tool for online courses.

Online Discussion Tips

You can read Mia MacMeekin’s Online Discussion Tips blog post on her An Ethical Island blog.

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #90: Grade Center – Understanding Weighted Grades

The Grade Center allows you to create weighted grade columns. There are several different ways to calculate weighted totals in the Grade Center.

Weighted Grade Calculation Example

For example, you can calculate a weighted total:

  • by item
  • by category
  • by weighted running total
  • when dropping the lowest score from a category
  • in categories with equally weighted items consisting of different point values
  • in categories with proportionally weighted items consisting of different point values

Want more information?

Understanding weighted grades
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

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Published on 2 Comments on Bb Tip #89: Grade Center – Weighting Grades

A weighted grade column is a calculated column that displays the calculated result of component parts (columns and/or categories); each part is worth some percentage of the total. You can create a weighted grade based on any column and/or category in the Grade Center. For example, you can create a weighted grade column that calculates the final grade for the course. Categories such as Test, Discussion, and Assignment would be given a certain percentage of the final grade along with the percentage for other grade columns (e.g. Mid-term, Final Exam).

Weighted Grade Pie Chart Example

Follow these steps to do it.

To add a weighted column to the Grade Center:

  1. Go to the [Control Panel] of the course you want to add a weighted column. Click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it.
  2. Click on [Full Grade Center].
  3. Move the mouse over the [Add Calculated Column] button and select [Weighted] from the drop down menu.
  4. Enter a name that describes what the weighted grade column is in the Name field. Grade Center display name and description are optional.
  5. Select how you would like the results of the weighted grade to be shown by clicking on the pull down arrow and selecting primary display from the list. Secondary display is optional and will only be shown in the Grade Center.
  6. In the select columns section, choose which grade columns and/or categories will be used in the calculation of the weighted grade by clicking on the grade column or category and then clicking on the respective arrow to move the column/category over to the selected columns area.
  7. Enter the weight percentage to be applied to each column/category you selected. The total weight must equal 100%.
  8. When selecting a category you can choose to weigh columns equally or proportionally and whether to drop grades in the category or to use the highest or lowest grade in the category.
  9. Choose whether to calculate the weighted grade as a running total which would include only the columns that have been graded in the calculation.
  10. In the options section you should indicate whether you want to include this weighted grade column in grade center calculations, show the weighted grade column in My Grades, and show statistics for the weighted grade column in My Grades. My Grades is what is shown to your students when they go into your course.
  11. Click [Submit] when you are finished entering all your information and selecting the options. The weighted grade column will be added as the last column in the Grade Center.

Want more information?

Step-by-step instructions are available [pdf]
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

Published on Leave a comment on Bb Tip #88: Test/Survey Design and Deployment Enhancements

The Blackboard Learn SP13 upgrade gave us a number of exciting new features, including enhancements to Test and Surveys. The Test and Surveys enhancement gives you more control over the design and gives you flexibility over the delivery of assessments.

Grade Center Color Coding

The enhancements to Test and Surveys are:

  • Adding questions to a test/survey – When creating/editing a test/survey you can add new questions exactly where you want them on the canvas by clicking the plus sign before or after another question and then choose a question type.
  • Test/survey availability exceptions – New settings have been added to Test and Survey Options pages to allow you to select one or more groups of students and make a number of exceptions to the already established availability settings. For example if you have a student with a disability that needs additional time to take a test, you can set an exception to give that student extra time to complete the test. You can change these settings at any time, even after the test/survey has been attempted by some students.
  • Due date and late submissions – This new enhancement allows instructors to decide whether to allow students to take a test/survey after the due date has passed.
  • Test/survey results and feedback – After students complete a test/survey, results and feedback are available to them. By setting up rules, you can set the release of progressive feedback to keep test results secure and prevent cheating.

Important: When setting an availability end date for a test, instructors should be aware that students will not be able to view their exam results and feedback in the content area where the test was deployed because after the availability end date, the exam is no longer available to them in that content area. After the availability end date, students can view their test results and feedback using the "My Grades" Tool.

Want more information?

View short video: Test/Survey Enhancements [2:07]

Help for Students:

  • View test results/feedback when availability end date has past [pdf].
  • View Respondus LockDown Browser (RLDB) test results/feedback when availability end date has past [pdf].

What’s new in Bb Learn SP13?
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

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Published on 1 Comment on Bb Tip #87: Grade Center – Color Coding

You can create rules to apply color to the cells in the Grade Center. Creating color rules in the Grade Center provides visual indicators to help you interpret information quickly. For example, you can use yellow to highlight graded items with failing scores so students and columns that require attention are prominent. Also, you can assign colors to the following grading statuses: In Progress, Needs Grading, or Exempt.

By default, color coding is not enabled in the Grade Center, and to use color coding you need to enable it. After you define and save the color rules, the color coding applies to all Grade Center views.

Follow these steps to do it.

To add color coding to the Grade Center:

  1. Go to the [Control Panel] of the course you want to add color coding to. Click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it.
  2. Click on [Full Grade Center].
  3. On the action bar, point to [Manage] menu, and then select [Grading Color Codes].
  4. On the Grading Color Codes page, select the check box for Enable Grading Color Codes.
  5. In the Color Coding Options section: For each Grading Status, click the down pointing arrows icon in the Background Color column to access the Swatch Color box.
  6. In the Swatch Color box, select a color and click [Apply] to save it.
  7. In the Grade Ranges section: Click [Add Criteria] to create a color rule.
  8. In the Criteria drop-down, select Between, More Than, or Less Than.
  9. Type a percentage in the box or boxes.
  10. For Background Color and Text, click the down pointing arrows icon to access the Swatch Color box. Select a color and click [Apply] to save it.
  11. Click [Add Criteria] to create an additional Grade Ranges field.
  12. Click [Submit] when done.

Want more information?

Step-by-step instructions are available [Video] [web page].
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.

4

Published on 4 Comments on Bb Tip #86: Grade Center – Calculated Column

In the Grade Center, an Instructor can calculate grades by combining multiple Grade Center columns to get performance results. Calculated columns can be used to:

  • Calculate total points
  • Calculate grade based on weight
  • Calculate an average grade
  • Calculate a minimum or maximum grade
  • Set criteria when creating Adaptive Release and Retention Center rules
A+ Grade

You can include a calculated column when creating another calculated column. For example, if you created a calculated column that weighs quiz grades, you can include the column when creating a final grade column.

A Total and Weighted Total column are automatically created in the Grade Center when new courses are created. You can rename, change the settings, determine which columns are included, or delete these default columns.

Follow these steps to do it.

To add a calculated column:

  1. Go to the [Control Panel] of the course you want to add a calculated column. Click on the [Grade Center] link to expand it.
  2. Click on [Full Grade Center].
  3. Roll your mouse over [Create Calculated Column] and click on the type of calculated column you want to create.
  4. Enter a name for the Calculated Column and then choose the appropriate options for the calculated column.
  5. Click [Submit] when done.

Want more information?

Step-by-step instructions are available [pdf].
Explore Blackboard’s On Demand Learning Center.
Try these Blackboard How-To documents.
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional blackboard information
or schedule a one-on-one session, email, or
call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418.