Assessment code of practice in Blackboard
A following page outlines how Blackboard facilitates the latest Learning Enhancement’s Assessment Code of Practice (ACOP) outcomes, we’ve mapped the ACOP to Blackboard functionality and linked through from each support page to the relevant section of the code of practice.
ACOP section | ACOP definition | Blackboard functionality |
Course assessment design |
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| Assessment shapes how students learn and informs how educators teach. | N/A |
| Quality frameworks influencing assessment design.
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For each course, the university requires a statement of the overall assessment strategy and the assessment schedule for each year group.
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A range of different assessment methods and modes should be included across a course of study to offer all students various opportunities to demonstrate the extent of their learning and achievement of learning outcomes. | ||
| The University groups summative assessment into two distinct categories, or ‘elements’: examinations and/or coursework. Modules are allowed up to a maximum of two elements of assessment. | |
| Where more than one task is included within a given coursework element, these are termed coursework components. Components will be weighted to meet 100% of the overall coursework element. | |
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| A form of assessment which relies upon performance in one or more components of written or practical work e.g., through submission of exercises, seminar papers, reports, presentations, class tests, project or production of artefacts, design, etc. | Setting up an assignment dropbox Creating a Turnitin assignment dropbox |
| A class test sat during the semester formally sits within the coursework category, however, the class test may be viewed as an ‘exam’ if it is invigilated/proctored, time constrained and falls within the formal Examination period. Tests should not become the dominant form of assessment within a course. | |
| Where coursework and/or examination elements are divided into multiple components, a manually aggregated assessment mark will be uploaded to Banner under the respective element category. | |
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| All assessments contributing to the final award or to PSRB competencies will be pre-approved by an External Examiner. | Process for providing External Examiners A-code access to Blackboard, via A3M |
| General Programme Regulations can be found on the dedicated Learning Enhancement webpages. See also, extenuating circumstances procedures, and Academic Misconduct. | Adding Student declaration to your module Accommodating RARs, exceptions and exemptions in Blackboard assessment |
Reviewing assessment | ||
| Internal and external quality review of assessment. Process TBC* | TBC* |
Creating assignments |
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Accessibility and special arrangements. | ||
| University encourages inclusive, alternative assessment design and contingent approaches which facilitate reasonable adjustments. | Accommodating RARs, exceptions and exemptions in Blackboard assessment Changing item visibility in Blackboard using release conditions |
| Create and encourage collaborative learning opportunities through participation and interaction with staff and students | Peer review marking* |
Modules of any credit value will typically include no more than two elements of summative assessment. A single element of assessment may comprise more than one weighted component but will generate one overall element mark. | ||
| If a module is assessed wholly or mostly by group work, at least 30% of each student’s result should be based on their individual contribution. | |
Essential information will be made known to students through their programme of study and in advance of each assessment task. | ||
Students are expected to submit all components of assessment on time, as detailed in the handbook for each module. All coursework should be submitted through Blackboard Ultra, except where this is not practicable on account of the nature of the assignment. All assessments will from 2024/25 be submitted:
Programme teams must indicate that submission dates and times are in GMT UK time. | ||
| Assignment submission points (drop boxes) should be set up within their modules in Blackboard Ultra with an appropriate name e.g. Coursework # Title (##%), clear instructions and student declaration. | |
| If an assessment is practical in nature, marks and feedback must be recorded in Blackboard Ultra. Feedback should include the associated assessment rubric/marking criteria. | |
| Planned changes to assessment schedules will be approved via the CA3 process. | N/A |
Students will be given a clear indication of the maximum length of a piece of assessed work to help them manage their time and work effort. | ||
Marking rubrics will typically incorporate criteria relating to the structural and procedural expectations for a piece of coursework. | ||
A programme team, Department, School, or Faculty may deem it appropriate to video record assessments to support internal marking, moderation, and/or External Examiner oversight. | Staff guide to setting up a video submission dropbox Student guide to submitting video assignment | |
Marking of assignments | ||
Performance is generally recorded in percentage marks, but it may be recorded on a pass/fail basis. The pass mark in undergraduate modules is 40%. In postgraduate modules (level 7) it is 50%. | > Using rubrics for assessment >Adding a rubric to Blackboard Assignment dropbox | |
While anonymous marking is not always feasible for coursework, it is generally encouraged where appropriate and practicable. | ||
Each summative assessment event must be recorded in Blackboard Ultra within 20 working days of submission. |
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| Marks should be returned to all students within the cohort on the same date, and the release of marks should be delayed until all marks are populated. | |
| Digital feedback should be issued via Blackboard, students should receive an agreed set of general comments and a single mark following moderation. Marking criteria/rubrics will be made explicit in the module handbook and module Blackboard area. Making use of tools in Blackboard Ultra, different tools offer different efficiencies through functionality such as reusable comments (Turnitin Quickmarks), general feedback, digital annotation, audio and video feedback and rubric feedback | Marking and feedback of Blackboard assignments |
| Students should be encouraged to engage with the feedback process. Often this starts when students access their online feedback via the Blackboard Ultra gradebook. | Status of student's review of feedback Student's guide to viewing marking and feedback in Gradebook |
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Where academic misconduct is suspected, on the balance of probabilities, staff should refer the case for investigation | ||
The moderation of assessed work is a quality assurance process that ensures marking procedures remain transparent, consistent, and impartial. | ||
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Post-marking |
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Reassessment of coursework at levels 3 and 4 will typically involve the re-working of the original assessment task to enable students to reflect on and respond to feedback received. Typically, a new drop box should be made available to relevant students in Blackboard Ultra for resubmission purposes. | ||
Retention of Examination Scripts, Coursework and Feedback
| It is common practice to return coursework to students for feedback purposes. |
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Useful Links
Centre for Digital Learning Enhancement
ulster.ac.uk/learningengancement/cdle