Using Blackboard Ultra Gradebook

Owned by Clare Ferguson, created
Last updated: Feb 22, 2024 by ellen bell
3 min read

The Gradebook in Blackboard Ultra is a dynamic and interactive tool, allowing you to record data, calculate grades and monitor student progress.

In the Gradebook, you can manage individual student grades for assignments, tests, discussion posts and journals. You can also create grade columns for any activities or requirements you want to grade, such as lab tests and field trip activities.

Instructions

Accessing the Gradebook

To learn how to access the grade book you can use this page - Access the Gradebook. This page also explains the different views within the Gradebook and how to navigate between them.

Gradebook options

When you navigate to the Gradebook, you have some additional options.

List View options:

Screenshot 2024-02-02 at 09.00.57.png

  1. Allows you to toggle between ‘Grid view’ and ‘List view’.

  2. Allows you to toggle between your list of ‘Markable Items’ (Assessments) or your list of ‘Students’.

  3. Allows you to enter ‘Student Preview’ and see what your students can see. To check all grades are hidden, use this and you will see what the student will see.

Note that all columns have been hidden in the Gradebook in this image below.

Screenshot 2024-02-02 at 09.19.27.png

  1. Here you can:

    1. Search the Gradebook by submission receipt

    2. Upload your Gradebook (if you have worked offline)

    3. Download your Gradebook

    4. Edit your Gradebook settings.

 

Grid view options:

  1. Toggle between ‘List view’ and ‘Grid View’ and ‘Search’ for a specific student

  2. Here you can:

    1. Filter the Gradeboook (see below)

    2. Search the Gradebook by submission receipt

    3. Upload your Gradebook (if you have worked offline)

    4. Download your Gradebook

    5. Edit your Gradebook settings.

 

Gradebook filters:

Here you can filter the Gradebook by:

Students - look for a specific student

Groups - Similar to the old ‘Smart Views’ where you can simply filter by the preset groups in Ultra you have been tasked to mark

Markable item - filter by one specific assessment (Markable item)

Assessment Type - Formative or Summative

Assessment Category - You can set these on assignments when you are setting them up.

 

Grid View options

In the grid, you can select a student’s gradable item to open a menu with these options:

View — Go directly to the assignment submission and start grading.

Feedback — Enter feedback for overridden test/assignment grades and automatic zeros. 

Post — Post a grade that’s been assigned but not yet posted.

Add or edit exceptions — If an assignment is timed or has a due date, you can add exceptions here, as well as allow multiple attempts.

Add or edit exemptions — You can remove an assignment from being counted towards a student’s overall grade.

The student grid contains color-coded text:

  • Green — Posted grades

  • Red — Automatic zeros

  • Purple — New submissions

 

Ultra Gradebook- Reorder columns, delete columns and student preview

 

For more information on the Gradebook and some more advanced options you can go to .

 

Centre for Digital Learning Enhancement
ulster.ac.uk/learningengancement/cdle