Blackboard provides a variety of assessment features. Test and surveys may be used for formative assessment. Student assignments may be submitted electronically. Results are kept in the Blackboard gradebook, which provides a variety of analytical features. Results may also be exported for more complex analysis using programs such as SPSS and Microsoft Excel.
Please note that for summative assessment iSolutions recommends the QuestionMark OnDemand service.
Tests and surveys using Blackboard
Access this page to find out more about how to use tests and surveys in Blackboard.
Question types available in Blackboard
Blackboard offers a variety of types of question you may use in tests or surveys. This guide lists and explains them all.
Facilitating e-Submission in Blackboard
Blackboard provides a variety of methods allowing electronic submission of assignments. Go to this page to find out what’s available and the issues involved.
About the Blackboard Grade Centre
The Grade Centre provides an area within your Blackboard course to store results data. Student scores from Blackboard tests and surveys are stored in the grade centre automatically.
Self and peer assessment in Blackboard
The Self and Peer Assessment feature in Blackboard allows you to set questions for your students.  Once students have answered these questions, and a deadline has passed, they are then required to review and assess the answers of their peers (and themselves).  This can be done anonymously or not depending on your preference.  You can also provide model answers for the students to refer to when comparing submissions made by themselves and their peers.  Finally, it is possible to provide criteria against which the students can ‘mark’ the submitted answers.
Achievements, badges, and certificates in Blackboard
Instructors can reward students on their Blackboard courses with achievements in the form of badges and certificates. These can be set up so that students receive the badge or certificate when they have fulfilled certain criteria that the instructor has set, for example achieving a certain score in a test, or completing certain course activities. In non-academic uses of Blackboard, badges and achievements can be used to demonstrate extra-curricular activities. If students use Mozilla Open Backpack they can take their badges to their backpack where they can display them to potential employers and other interested parties.
About the Blackboard Retention Centre
The Retention Centre works in tandem with the Performance Dashboard. It allows you to define progress criteria and identify students who meet that criteria.
Scheduling from the Perception survey system
This guide explains how to schedule tests and surveys that are held on the Perception Survey system from within your Blackboard course.