Teaching with Blackboard

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• Adding Columns
• Entering Grades
• Editing Grades
• Downloading Grades
• Uploading Grades
• Grade Center Views
• Searching and Sorting
• Calculated Columns
• Submitting Final Grades
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Customizing Columns

• Adding a Column
• Modifying a Column
• Deleting a Column
• Freezing/Unfreezing Columns
• Hiding Columns
• Showing Columns
• Moving Columns
• Adding a Minimum/Maximum Column
• Adding an Average Column

Adding a Column

Note: All gradable items created for a course using such Blackboard tools as the Test Manager, Assignment Manager, SafeAssign and Discussion Board, if grading is enabled, automatically have a column created in the Grade Center.  For all other items, a Grade Center column must be created.

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click the Add Grade Column button.
   
4. Enter in an appropriate Column Name and Points Possible.  Keep in mind only items marked with a red asterisk are required.
   
   • Column Name: formal name for the column which will be displayed in the Grade Center if no Grade Center Display Name is entered.  The maximum field size is 15 characters.
   • Grade Center Display Name: this text will appear as the column heading in the Grade Center and can only be 15 characters long.  The Grade Center is the only area where this name is used.
   • Description: entering a description will aid faculty or other graders in identifying the column.
   • Primary Display: the format chosen is the only (if no Secondary Grade is selected) format displayed for this Grade Item in the Grade Center.  Often times, faculty will want to use the default selection of Score. 
   • Secondary Display: this selection displays the secondary format for this Grade Item in the Grade Center.  The Secondary Display is denoted by parentheses.  Most commonly, faculty use the Percentage display option.
   • Category: default categories appear in the listing.  If user defined categories are desired, they must be created before appearing in this listing.  The default choice for this option is No Category.
   • Points Possible: enter the number of points assigned to this Grade Center column.  Non-numeric entries are not accepted.
5. Enter a Due Date.
   
   • None – there will be no due date for the grade item.
   • Due On – specify the due date for the grade item including month, day, and year.
6. Set additional viewing and calculations for the column by selecting Yes or No for each option.
   
   • Include Column in Grade Center calculations – if Yes, the column scores are added to the total.
   • Show this Column in My Grades – if Yes, the column will appear in My Grades.
   • Show Statistics (average and mean) for this column in My Grades – if Yes, statistical information with the grade value will be shown to students.
7. Click the Submit button to create the column.
   
   Note: A Success Message and the new column are displayed.
   
   New Column is added in the Grade Center
   

Modifying a Column

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click the down arrows next to the Column title to modify.
   
   
4. From the dropdown listing, select Modify Column.
   
   
5. Modify the Column Name, Grade Center Display Name, Description, Primary or Secondary Display, Category and Points Possible as needed.
   
6. Click the Submit button to save the changes.
   

Deleting a Column

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click the down arrows next to the Column Title for removal.
4. Click the Remove Column option.
   
   Note: If an assignment, test, or quiz created with the Blackboard assignment tool needs to be removed, it must be removed from the content area it is deployed in first. Once removed from the content area, the Remove Column option will appear in the dropdown menu.
   
5. Click the OK button to confirm deletion of the Column and all corresponding scores.
   Note: A Success message is displayed and the column has been removed.
   

Freezing/Unfreezing Columns

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click Manage from the Action Bar of the Grade Center.
   
4. Click Organize Grade Center from the Manage dropdown listing.
   
5. To freeze columns, use the left mouse button to drag the dark gray bar up or down keeping in mind that items above the gray bar are frozen those below it are not.
   

   Before
   
   After
   

6. Click the Submit button to save the changes.
   

Hiding Columns

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click Manage from the Action Bar of the Grade Center.
   
4. Click Organize Grade Center from the Manage dropdown listing.
   
   
5. Using the checkboxes at the left of each column name, place a check in each field to hide.
   
6. Click on the Show/Hide button.
   
7. From the Show/Hide dropdown, click the Hide Selected Columns option.
   
8. Once the columns have been hidden, they become grayed out and have the (Hidden) message next to their names.
   
9. Click the Submit button to save the changes.
   



Note: In the main Grade Center view, the columns are no longer displayed.

Showing Columns

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click Manage from the Action Bar of the Grade Center.
   
4. Click Organize Grade Center from the Manage dropdown listing.
   
5. Using the checkboxes at the left of each column name, place a check in each field to unhide or show.
   
   
6. Click on the Show/Hide button.
   
   
7. From the Show/Hide dropdown, click the Show Selected Columns option.
   
8. Once the columns have been made visible, the (Hidden) message next to their names disappears and they are no longer grayed out.
   
   
9. Click the Submit button to save the changes.
   



Note: The columns are now visible in the main Grade Center area.

Moving Columns

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click Manage from the Action Bar of the Grade Center.
   
4. Click Organize Grade Center from the Manage dropdown listing.
   
5. Find the gray rectangle at the left of the column to move. 
   
   Note: the cursor will change from the traditional solid arrow to a double arrow.
6. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the column up or down the rows to its new location.
   
   Note: As the column is being relocated, Blackboard creates a solid black line to help identify where the column will be moved. 
7. Once at the proper location, let go of the mouse button and the column will be moved.
   
8. Click the Submit button to save the changes.
   



Note: The Grade Center area has been updated and the column moved.

Adding a Minimum/Maximum Column

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click the Add Calculated Column button.
   
4. Select the Minimum/Maximum option.
   
5. Enter in the Column Name.  Keep in mind that only items marked with a red asterisk are required.
   
   • Column Name: formal name for the column which will be displayed in the Grade Center if no Grade Center Display Name is entered.  The maximum field size is 15 characters.
   • Grade Center Display Name: this text will appear as the column heading in the Grade Center and can only be 15 characters long.  The Grade Center is the only are where this name is used.
   • Description: entering a description will aid faculty or other graders in identifying the column.
   • Primary Display: the format chosen is the only (if no Secondary Grade is selected) format displayed for this Grade Item in the Grade Center.  Often times, faculty will want to use the default selection of Score. 
   • Secondary Display: this selection displays the secondary format for this Grade Item in the Grade Center.  The Secondary Display is denoted by parentheses.  Most commonly, faculty might use the Percentage display option.
6. Select either Minimum or Maximum options.
   
7. Select the columns to include in the new column.
   
   The columns are selected
   
   Note:
   • All Grade Columns – all columns are included in the calculated column.
   • All Grade Columns in Grading Period – selecting this option enables faculty to select a Grading Period from the drop-down menu.  If Grading Periods are not used in the course, this option will not appear.
   • Selected Grade Columns, Calculated Columns and Categories – this option allows faculty to select the specific items to include within the calculated column.
   • Set the Calculate as a running total option.
     • Selecting Yes calculates the weight as a running total to include only the Columns that have been graded.
     • Selecting No includes all columns in the calculation.  Non-graded items are included in the calculations with a value of zero. 
8. Set the remaining options.
   
   Note:
   • Include column in Grade Center calculations – if Yes, the column scores are added to the total.
   • Show this column in My Grades – if Yes, the column will appear in My Grades.
   • Show Statistics (average and mean) for this column in My Grades – if Yes, statistical information with the grade value will be shown to students.
9. Click the Submit button to create the new column.
   
   Note: A Success message and the new column appear.

Adding an Average Column

1. Click the Control Panel button on the left side of the screen in your Course homepage.
   
   
2. Under Assessment, click Grade Center.
   
3. Click the Add Calculated Column button.
   
4. Select the Average option to insert a new average column.
   
5. Enter in the Column Name.  Keep in mind only items marked with a red asterisk are required.
   
6. Select the columns to include in the new column.
   
   The columns are selected
   
   • Column Name: formal name for the column which will be displayed in the Grade Center if no Grade Center Display Name is entered.  The maximum field size is 15 characters.
   • Grade Center Display Name: this text will appear as the column heading in the Grade Center and can only be 15 characters long.  The Grade Center is the only are where this name is used.
   • Description: entering a description will aid faculty or other graders in identifying the column.
   • Primary Display: the format chosen is the only (if no Secondary Grade is selected) format displayed for this Grade Item in the Grade Center.  Often times, faculty will want to use the default selection of Score. 
   • Secondary Display: this selection displays the secondary format for this Grade Item in the Grade Center.  The Secondary Display is denoted by parentheses.  Most commonly, faculty might use the Percentage display option.
7. Select the columns to be included in the new calculated column.
   
   • All Grade Columns – all columns are included in the average column.
   • All Grade Columns in Grading Period – selecting this option enables faculty to select a Grading Period from the drop-down menu.  If Grading Periods are not used in the course, this option will not appear.
   • Selected Grade Columns, Calculated Columns and Categories – this option allows faculty to select the specific items to include within the average column.
   • Set the Calculate as a running total option.
     • Selecting Yes calculates the weight as a running total to include only the Columns that have been graded.
     • Selecting No includes all columns in the calculation.  Non-graded items are included in the calculations with a value of zero.
8. Set the remaining options.
   
   Note:
   • Include column in Grade Center calculations – if Yes, the column is included in the possible selections of items when creating calculated columns.
   • Show this column in My Grades – if Yes, the column will appear in My Grades, View Grades, and the Report Card module when available.
   • Show Statistics (average and mean) for this column in My Grades – if Yes, statistical information with the grade value will be shown to students.
9. Click the Submit button to create the new column.
   
   Note: A Success message and the new column appear.
   

 

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Blackboard Frequently Asked Questions

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Find more answers...
Are you looking for more information regarding the Blackboard Grade Center? Review the answers to Blackboard frequently asked questions as well as Blackboard tutorials. Also, consider attending one of the upcoming Blackboard workshops.

Last Updated: 08/27/2009

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