Recorded 25/07/2020
1. Creating a test
To create a Blackboard test or quiz, go into your module and hover over where you want the assignment to be and click on the + and select Create. Select Test from the list of options in the side panel.
You can add a title in the top left-hand side of the screen and adjust the availability to students in the top right-hand side (this will default to ‘Hidden from students’).
Click on the + in the middle of the screen to add content.
You can add text to add instructions, or create a question from the types available. Some
You can easily re-use questions from other tests – this adds them directly into your test ensuring that every student will have that question. You can also add a question pool so that students will see a random number of questions from a larger pool you have selected.
The question pools are drawn from existing tests in the modules, so you may need to set up a test that remains unavailable to students in order to create your pool.
1.1 Test settings
If you click on the cog wheel next to Test Settings, or click on any of the links in that side menu, a panel will appear for the full settings for tests and assignments.
In the Details & Information section, you can add the time and date, randomise questions, randomise answers, select to collect submissions offline, or allow class conversations. To learn more about class conversations, check out our Ultra 101 guide on Discussions, Conversations, and Journals.
In the Marking & Submissions section, you can determine the category (this is covered in the Ultra 101 guide on the Gradebook), set the number of attempts, select the marking schema, set the number of points (this is typically determined automatically based on the points per question in the body of the test), set anonymous marking, edit the release of answers and feedback, and set the item to be marked by two markers per students.
The Additional Tools area allows you to add a time limit, create a rubric, assign the test to groups, or add SafeAssign (Blackboard’s similarity checker).
1.2 Important information about test settings
- Currently, if you have a text box in your test, you won’t be able to randomise questions or answers
- Total grades are released to students automatically, even if you disable the options for:
- Show correct answers
- Show automated feedback
- Show question scores
2. Creating an assignment
Remember that most assignments ought to be set up using Turnitin, not Blackboard. Blackboard assignments are ideal for items that don’t need to be checked for similarity (e.g. scanned documents, code, images), or for group assignments where one student is submitting for the group.
Creating an assignment is identical to creating a test, except that you select the Assignment option from the menu, not Test. The functionality and set up is the same for tests. Assignment settings are also identical to test settings.
2.1 Creating a group assignment
To add groups to your assignment, click on the link for Assign to groups from the settings panel in the Assignment. Click on the drop-down menu that says Custom to select the group you’ve created. Once you have the correct group set selected, click Save at the bottom of the page.
