Blackboard Assignments & Feedback Rubrics Stuart Hepplestone Quality Enhancement & Student Success

About this session to introduce Feedback Rubrics to give an update on Blackboard Assignments and online submission demonstrate how Assignments and Feedback Rubrics can enable efficient and effective assignment management and feedback online

are interactive marking grids Feedback rubrics display the assessment criteria for an assignment can help students understand what is expected to meet the requirements of an assignment can be used as a marking tool to demonstrate to students how they met each criterion ensure that marking is consistent and impartial are interactive marking grids can be associated with Assignments, Grade Columns, Blogs, Wikis, Discussion Board threads and forums, Essay and Short Answer Test questions can be copied, re-used and exported can generate a statistical report showing rubric analysis and frequency distribution

Feedback rubrics (point range example)

Feedback rubrics (weighted percentage example)

Feedback rubrics (no points example)

Online submission Simplifies the submission process and saves time, money and resources: most student work originates in an electronic format flexibility of submission regardless of location submissions can made any time until the deadline time is not spent travelling to hand-in or post work saves paper and printing resources, travel and postage costs Improves the feedback experience: quicker turnaround of feedback in a legible format allows control over how, when and where feedback is received enables response to feedback when emotionally ready and in privacy provides convenience of storage and access to feedback

Online submission Simplifies the admin processes and saves time involved in sorting and distributing coursework: immediate access to submissions after the deadline enables concurrent (rather than sequential) marking and parallel moderation easy access for external examiners keeps a record of feedback Tracking: at-a-glance check of who has not submitted can help identify at-risk students Adds value to the marking process: e.g. use tools such as Turnitin to help check the originality of submissions

Straw poll Did any of you ... ... use online submission through Blackboard prior to 2012/13?

Blackboard Assignments Phased out Assignment Handler/SHU Assignments and reintroduced Blackboard Assignments Featured gained: set the number of attempts and allow individual students or groups additional attempts grading by group – provide the same feedback and grade for each group member Feedback Rubrics

Blackboard Assignments Features lost: email receipt and onscreen confirmation of student submissions however: submission history confirms details and status of submission batch upload of feedback file attachments however: improved grading workflow results in fewer clicks between students’ attempts student reflection on feedback to activate grade release however: regular My Grades supports new grading features (e.g Feedback Rubrics) offline assignments and assignment receipting use: regular Grade column to provide feedback on submission auto-release of feedback and feedback release options use: hiding options consistent with other columns in Grade Centre notify: students of anticipated availability of feedback

Blackboard Assignments & Feedback Rubrics: reminders and tips Avoid setting out-of-hours deadlines: e.g. after 4pm, at weekends or University holidays Provide contact information for students in case of difficulties When providing instructions: lengthy instructions, assignment briefs etc. are best provided as separate files attached to the Assignment or as a separate item outside of the Assignment use the instructions box to highlight key information about the Assignment, e.g.: word length how to present work (e.g. permitted file type, number of files) reminder of submission deadline when and how feedback will be returned how students should notify you of any learning contract requirements make reference to SHU Academic Misconduct Regulations and Procedures

Blackboard Assignments & Feedback Rubrics: reminders and tips To ensure students receive feedback at the same time, before marking remember to: hide from students the Assignment/Grade Column before marking - the best time to do this is immediately after creating the Assignment or Grade Column hide from students any Weighted or Total Columns that include the Assignment, to prevent the student from deducing their grade show Feedback Rubric to students without Feedback Rubric scores - the best time to do this is at the same time as associating the Feedback Rubric with the Assignment or Grade Column

Blackboard Assignments & Feedback Rubrics: reminders and tips Choose an appropriate Feedback Rubric: Point and percent type Feedback Rubrics award a pre-set value for the level of achievement selected Point-range type Feedback Rubrics allow a value to be selected within each level of achievement: each level of achievement needs to be set up with the lowest to highest value (e.g. 70 to 100, 60 to 69 etc., or 0 to 39, 40 to 49, etc.) if the raw total is not out of 100, a percent-value may need to be calculated manually No points type Feedback Rubrics give greater flexibility, but if marks are included in the feedback, the total will need to calculated manually

Contact Stuart Hepplestone S.J.Hepplestone@shu.ac.uk SHU e-learning blog: elearningatshu.wordpress.com