How to access the assignment settings
When creating or editing a Blackboard Assignment, you can access the assignment settings from the panel on the right of the screen.
Assignment settings options
Please note TEL and Support Centre recommendations for settings have not been confirmed at this time. Once agreed the recommendations will be shared with staff during training in the summer term 2023/4.
1. Due Date
Set the date and time using the calendar and clock tools, or by typing directly into these fields.
2. Prohibit late submissions
If you select this option, in-progress attempts will be submitted automatically at the due date and time. For assignments this means that when the deadline is reached
- Any drafts previously saved, but not submitted, will be automatically submitted
- Any student attempts still in progress (e.g. where a student is still in the process of uploading files) will be automatically submitted. This could result in a blank assignment submission.
Selecting this option automatically ticks the next option, ‘Prohibit new attempts after due date’.
3. Prohibit new attempts after due date
Selecting this option effectively prohibits late submission to an assignment.
Once the due date and time has passed students can’t start a new attempt – although late submissions could come from any student
- who was already in the process of submitting work at the deadline
- who had previously saved an attempt.
Such students could continue and submit the work after the deadline (unless ‘Prohibit late submissions’ has been selected).
4. Allow class conversations
Class Conversations [link to separate article] are discussion forums linked to a specific piece of course content. A Class Conversation for an assignment allows students to raise questions about the assessment; responses can come from staff members and/or fellow students.
Conversations (Blackboard Help site)
You cannot enable a Class Conversation if the assignment is set to be anonymous.
5. Collect submissions offline
This option is for assessments such as in-class presentations, where students are not required to submit anything to Blackboard but you wish to use the marking and feedback tools in Blackboard.
Offline assignments inform students that no submission is required. They are able to view any instructions you have provided, and the Rubric which will be used to mark their work.
Collecting submissions offline (Blackboard Help site)
6. Presentation Options
These settings apply only to Blackboard Tests, or Assignments which contain multiple questions, so can normally be ignored.
7. Formative Assessment
Select this option for formative assignments. The ‘Display formative label to students’ will then automatically be ticked.
Labelling an assignment as ‘Formative’ does not change any functionality, but can help staff and students identify assessments which do not count towards their final grade.
Staff can see the ‘Formative’ label in the following locations
- Course content page
- Test and assignment settings
- Gradebook list and grid views
- Student overview
- Student activity overview
You can also use a Filter in the Gradebook to show or hide formative assessments.
Formative filter in the Gradebook (Blackboard Help site)
Students see the ‘Formative’ label in the following locations
- Course content page
- Assessment panel before starting an attempt
- Assessment details & information panel during and after an assessment
- Assessment header when viewing a submission
- Gradebook
8. Mark category
‘Assignment’ will be selected by default.
9. Attempts allowed
Select the number of attempts that students are allowed.
The default is a single attempt. You can select any number from 1 – 10, or select ‘Unlimited’.
For more detailed information see Multiple Assignment attempts (Blackboard Help website).
10. Mark using
In almost every case you should retain the default value of ‘Points’.
For formative assessments, or assignments on Pass/Fail modules, you might want to select ‘Complete/Incomplete’.
11. Maximum Points
This should normally be set to 100.
12. Anonymous Marking
Tick the box to hide student names from markers and programme administrators.
This option is not available for Group Assignments.
For details see Ultra: Anonymous Blackboard assignments
13. Two markers per student
Tick this box for assignments where each submission will have two markers i.e. blind double marking.
When you tick the box, the option to Assign Markers appears.
See Parallel Grading (Blackboard help site).
14. Peer review
Tick to enable Peer Review [separate article]
15. Delegated marking
Tick to enable Delegated Marking.
See Ultra: Enable delegated marking
16. Assessment mark
Selecting ‘Post assessment marks automatically’ automatically posts each student’s mark as soon as the assessment has been marked.
For the vast majority of assignments you should leave the option ‘Post assessment marks automatically’ unticked, as you will want to control when marks are posted.
17. Assessment results
These settings apply to Tests (or Assignments which include one or more Question, rather than requiring a file upload).
18. Assessment security – Access code
This allows you to generate a code which students have to enter before taking an assessment. Principally used to control access to Tests.
See Add security to your tests with access codes (Blackboard help site)
19. Time limit
Apply a time limit. Normally only relevant for Tests.
See Add a timer (Blackboard help site)
20. Use marking rubric
Click Add marking rubric to create and attach a rubric, or to select a previously created rubric.
See Rubrics (Blackboard Help site)
21. Goals & standards
The Goals feature is not currently in use at the University of Reading.
22. Assigned groups
Click here to set this as a Group assignment.
See separate guide.
Guide last updated on April 11, 2024
