Assessment and Feedback – what’s changed in Ultra modules?

This article explores some of the main differences for assessment and feedback practice in Blackboard Ultra modules - in terms of tools, marking, feedback and management. 

Gradebook

The Gradebook allows staff to manage assessment and feedback activity (previously the Grade Centre). It is available as a fixed link from the top navigation bar. The Gradebook is customised by role – displaying coursework marks and feedback for students (previously My Marks). It is recommended to guide students to the Gradebook link to access their marks and feedback. Note, can also access via My Marks on Blackboard landing page left menu (which collates across all modules).

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Student view of the Gradebook (marks and feedback)

Student Preview

The Student Preview (top right) is useful for checking the student experience of assessment workflows. (Remember to Save when you Exit, to keep your_PreviewUser information, to keep progress across student and staff perspectives.) Assignment and Test are the two main Blackboard Ultra assessment tools. They can be used for formative or summative assessment practice, as can the Discussion and Journal tools (all available via ⊕ and Create). Formative activities can be embedded seamlessly within learning content.  

Blackboard Assignment

The Bb Assignment tool allows for a range of assessment and feedback options – including student group submission (integrates with Groups), media submission (with automatic inline Panopto integration), multiple attempts (draft submission), multiple files submission and peer review. Along with integrated marking Rubric, mark Schema, and anonymous, double, and delegated marking options. Note, at present there isn’t a ‘no marks’ rubric available, however this is on the Blackboard roadmap for future updates. Note, select Allow Class Conversations in group Assignment settings, if you would like to give students access to a group conversation and group Class Collaborate virtual classroom.

The Turnitin LTI assessment integration remains unchanged, and available via ⊕ > Content Market > Turnitin. The Turnitin Similarity functionality is also integrated and available from within the Bb Assignment tool settings.

Marking and Feedback Interface

The Blackboard integrated flexible marking and feedback interface (Assignments and Tests), provides improved and simplified workflows – so that marking and providing feedback is easier, from within one browser window.

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Digital annotation and media feedback recording

Feedback methods include a range of digital annotation options (Bb Annotate) and inline Rubric. Text and files (drag and drop or upload) can be added via the Overall Feedback window. There is also a new built-in Audio/Video Recording functionality (up to 5 minutes). This is an easy and secure way to provide personal media feedback to your students, and a welcome additional to the digital feedback options.

Dr Sarah Floyd, Reader in Higher Education Practice, Ulster University

‘I have found using the new Ultra Gradebook works well – my assignments were set up using the Bb Assignment dropbox and marked within the Gradebook. This allowed me to build up a comments bank, use the rubric and enable internal and external moderation with ease. In addition, making use of analytics gave me a very clear picture of how participants on my module were engaging with all elements. Overall, the new system is clear and helpful to use.’

Blackboard Test

The Blackboard Test works effectively to check student progress and shape teaching, for formative assessment, with multiple attempts and automatic marking and feedback options. It can also be used as a summative Test or Exam, with possible efficiencies of automatic marking and feedback and reusable questions, especially for large class sizes. In Ultra there are eleven question types available. Questions can be easily uploaded, copied or imported, and managed via the Question Banks link on the fixed right menu. 

Gradebook

The Gradebook can be viewed as a grid or list. One new concept is the functionality to Post marks and feedback to students, to make them available to them via the Gradebook. They are hidden until Posted. This is done individually or as a group, via the Gradebook or the coursework marking and feedback interface. Note, Posting isn’t easily undone, so ensure you are ready to Post to students before doing so. The equivalent functionality in Turnitin is the Feedback Release Date.

The Gradebook is discoverable, with Filter functionality (via grid view) and Search options. For the Blackboard Assignment and Test, there is Student Activity and Question Analysis options, that surface relevant data into dashboards for possible insights that could help with review processes. Accommodations (reasonable adjustments) can be set at a module level for individual students via the Class Register, which apply for all assessments, making this easier to manage. Exceptions and Exemptions can also be set via the Gradebook.

Author

Fiona McCloy is an Instructional Design Consultant in the Centre for Digital Learning Enhancement at Ulster University.

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