What this resource is all about
This resource covers...
... an introduction to some of the assessment tools in Brightspace, including...
- the assignments tool
(including how to set up an assignment, how to give feedback, and how to ) - the Brightspace rubrics tool
(including how to set up a Brightspace rubric and how to mark using a Brightspace rubric) - the Brightspace grades tool
(including how to set up your gradebook using the Setup Wizard)
The Assignments Tool
The Assignments tool
From your homepage, navigate to Course Tools and then Assignments. (Figure 1)
Figure 1
Once you have entered the Assignments tool, you will be able to create new assignments by clicking on the blue New Assignment button. In addition, you will be able to see all previously created assignments as well as any categories they might be sorted in. You will also see a drop-down menu labeled More Actions. (Figure 2)
Figure 2
Setting up a new assignment
Once you have clicked on the blue New Assignment button, you will be taken into the assignment editor. In there, you can see 4 tabs labeled Properties, Restrictions, Objectives, and Turnitin®. At this point, this resource will go over the first two tabs. For more information on how to set up Turnitin®, see the section on Turnitin® below. (Figure 3)
Start in the Properties tab by giving your assignment a name.
Figure 3
For more information on Urkund, the FE and HN originality checker, have a look at our guidance on Urkund.
As mentioned above you should start by giving your assignment a name. At the top of the properties tab, you are also able to provide some instructions to students. If you have instructions in a PDF or Word document, you can also add an attachment via the 'Add Attachment' drop-down menu. Additionally, you could opt to record audio instructions via the 'Record Audio' button or a video via the 'Record Video' button. (Figure 4)
Figure 4
Submission, Completion and Categorisation
| Assignment Type | Here you can choose whether the assignment will be an individual assignment or a group assignment. Individual assignments are visible to all students in the module. If you have set up groups, though, you can make an assignment available to a group only. |
| Submission Type | Choose from the drop-down menu what type of assignment you would like to create. Your choices are:
|
| Files Allowed Per Submission | This allows you to select whether you would like to allow students one file only or multiple files. |
| Submissions | This allows you to choose which and how many student submissions you would like to keep. |
| Notification Email | Enter an email address here to be notified when students submit an assignment. |
| Category | If you have many different assignments, you can create different categories to make it easier for you and students to navigate the assignment tool. |
Figure 5
Evaluation and Feedback
| Score Out Of | Here, you can enter the max score for your assignment. |
| Grade Item | This allows you to connect your assignment to a grade item or to create a grade item that you can link your assignment to. |
| Student View Preview | Once you have entered a score above, you will see how the score will be displayed to students. |
| Rubrics | This allows you to attach an existing rubric or to create a rubric that you can attach to the assignment. |
| ePortfolio Artefacts | If you check this box, students can add this assignment to their ePortfolio. |
| Anonymous Marking | If you check this box, students will not be identified by name when you are marking. |
| NEW - Annotation Tools |
One of the newest features you can use in the Brightspace Assignments tool, is the annotation tool. This will allow you to annotate student assignments in the Brightspace Assignment viewer. When you set up a new assignment, this feature will be enabled by default, but you can also uncheck the box if you do not wish to use the tool. To learn more about the Brightspace assignment annotation tool, explore the section on giving feedback in the Brightspace Assignment tool. |
Figure 6
Figure 7
| Hidden from users | If you check this box, the assignment is not visible to students yet. |
| Due Date | This allows you to set a due date for the assignment which will be automatically visible to students in the Brightspace calendar. After the due date, students will not be able to make submissions anymore. |
| Availability | This allows you to select a start date at which time the assignment will become visible to users, as well as an end date at which time the assignment will no longer be visible to students. |
| Release Conditions | This allows you to attach an existing or new release condition. This means that students will have to do something else before the assignment becomes visible to them. |
| Special Access | This allows you to give special access to users. You will be able to select users from your classlist. This is a useful tool, for example, if you need to extend the due date for individual users. |
Figure 8
Giving Feedback within the Brightspace Assignments tool
Once students have submitted assignments, you will be able to see a list of submissions upon clicking on the assignment itself. In this list, you will see the students name (Test, Edu), the submission and file type as well as the submission date and time.
Figure 9
Once you have clicked on the submission or file you would like to evaluate, you will see the actual submission and a panel on the left that would let you edit the assignment folder, preview the assignment in student view, see the assignment availability dates and any rubrics you might have attached. If you attached rubrics, you can now use them to evaluate the submission.
If you have switched on the annotation tool, you will also see a menu bar for that. For further information on how to use it, familiarise yourself with the information below.
Figure 10
Scrolling further down in the right-hand side panel, you will also be able to enter the score, see the student preview of the score and add feedback. You can either type your feedback into the HTML editor, add an attachment, record and audio or record a video.
When you are done, you can either hit the blue 'Publish' button which means that the grade will be live and visible for students. You can also hit the 'Save Draft' button which allows you to publish all grades and feedback in bulk later on.
Figure 11
NEW - Marking using the Brightspace assignment submission annotation tool
You will notice that if the annotation tool is enabled for your assignment, you will be able to see an additional toolbar above the assignment preview. (Figure 12)
Figure 12You can easily mark up students' submissions using the text highlighting feature - simply select the text you would like to mark up, and select to either highlight, strike through, or underline the selected text. (Figure 13)
Figure 13
Once you have selected and highlighted / struck through / underlined something, you can change the colour of the highlight / strike through / underlining by clicking on the portion of the text. A menu bar will pop up at the top of the screen which will allow you to change the colour (1) and opacity (2) of the highlight / strike through / underlining. (Figure 14)
Figure 14
Figure 15
Aside from highlighting text and then selecting that you would like to highlight / strike through / underline, you can also access the highlighter via the pen icon in the navbar. When you click on the pen icon, you can choose two different types of highlighters - a freehand highlighter (1) and the automatic highlighter (2) which highlights text after you select it. (Figure 15)
If you would like to delete any annotations, stricke through or underlining, simply click on the highlighted / struck through / underlined area, and click on the bin at the right-hand side of the menu bar to delete.(Figure 16)
If you have used the freehand highlighting tool, simply use the eraser to erase your highlighting. (Figure 17)
Figure 16
Figure 17
If you would like to use a free hand drawing tool, click on the pen symbol. You can now either stick with the freehand drawing tool (pen; 1) or you can use the freehand highlighter (2) mentioned above. (Figure 18)
Figure 18
A mentioned above regarding the highlighting / strike through / underlining tools, you can further format your freehand drawing via a pop-up menu (1) which will allow you to change features such as colour, tickness, background colour as well as opacity. You can also use the bin on the right-hand side of this menu to delete the freehand annotation from the document. Within the text, you will also be able to move and resize your annotation. Simply click on the annotation when you are finished creating it. A frame (2) will appear around the annotation which will allow you to resize and move around your annotation. (Figure 19)
Figure 19
Use the notes function to add collapsable notes to submissions. To do this, select the notes tool from the menu. (Figure 20)
Figure 20
You will now be able to add differently coloured notes to the submission. In addition to changing the display colour of the notes, you will also be able to use different shapes to show students there is a note. This means you could for instance use a checkmark or star note to highlight something a student did well (1) and a questionmark note to ask a student a question or suggest a revision (2). (Figure 21)
To add a note simply click anywhere on the page. This will add the note. You can now enter text (1). Clicking anywhere else on the screen will collapse the note and you will just see the symbol you chose for your note, in our example the questionmark (2). (Figure 21)
Figure 21
Just as freehand annotations, notes can be dragged anywhere you would like them to be. Simply click on the note icon and drag it to a different place in the document if you need to do so.
Similar to the other types of annotations, you can delete your note at any time by clicking on the bin icon on the right-hand side of the menu. (Figure 22)
Figure 22
If you would like to add shorter comments that will permanently appear in the document, use the text annotation function. To do this, select the text tool from the menu. (Figure 23)
Figure 23
You will now be able to add text comments to the submission. To add text simply click anywhere on the page. This will add a text space. You can now enter text. Once you have added the text to the text box and click out of the box, you will be able to resize it and move it around, just like the freehand annotations. In addition, you can add the text annotation menu to change the text and background colour, the opacity, font, font size, and alignment. To delete your text comment, simply click on the bin in the right-hand corner of the menu. (Figure 24)
Figure 24
In addition to highlighting, striking through, underlining as well as adding notes and texts, you can also add shapes to your annotations. To do this, click on the shapes tool on the menu. (Figure 25)
You will now be able to select which type of shape you would like to insert.
Figure 25
Figure 26
Students should first access their assignment by clicking on the Course Tools drop-down menu in the Navbar, and selecting Assignments. (Figure 27)
Figure 27
Once students are in the assignment tool, they should see their assignment(s). In the column Evaluation Status, they should see that they have unread feedback. To access the feedback, they should click on the blue Unread link. (Figure 28)
Figure 28
This will take them to the feedback area for their assignment. To see their marked up and annotated submission, they should click on View Inline Feedback. (Figure 29)
Figure 29
Students will now see their marked up and annotated document, which they can download and print. Students will see all your annotations and can also read the notes by hovering over the note symbols. (Figure 30)
Figure 30
Brightspace Rubrics
-
can be used to evaluate students' submissions
-
provides useful feedback and feedforward to students
-
adds an additional layer of transparency and guidance (students know what the evaluation criteria are which can help them prepare their assessment)
The Rubrics Tool
From your homepage, navigate to Course Tools and then to Course Admin. (Figure 31)
Figure 31
Once you are in the Course Admin area, select the rubrics tool from the menu. If you have your Course Admin area set up to be sorted by category, the rubrics tool will be one of the assessment tools. (Figure 32)
Figure 32
Once you have entered the Rubrics tool, you will be able to see a blue New Rubric button.
You will also see a search field that can help you look for a particular rubric.
Once you have created rubrics, you will see a list of them below the search field.
(Figure 33)
Figure 33
Setting up a new analytic rubric
To set up a new analytic rubric, start by clicking on the blue New Rubric button. This will open the rubric editor for you. (Figure 34)
Figure 34
When you first get into the rubric editor, you will see a default analytic rubric which is scored on points. You will later be able to change that using the Type and Scoring drop-down menus (2).
On the top of the page, you can see the status of your rubric which is Published by default. As with content items in Brightspace, you can change this status to Draft, though. Next to the status information, you will be able to check the saving status of your rubric. The Brightspace rubric tool automatically saves all changes you make to it. (1)
Most of the page is taken up by the actual rubric. You will be able to edit level and criteria names, point values as well as criteria descriptions and feedback.
Finally, toward the bottom of the page, there is an options menu which will be explained in detail further down (3).
(Figure 35)
Figure 35
As mentioned above, new rubrics will be analytic rubrics by default, so there is no need for you to change the rubric type. Depending on what kind of analytic rubric you would like to create, you might want to change the scoring method, though. You have the choice between:
- No score (= qualitative rubric for feedback purposes only)
- Points (all levels for all criteria are worth the same amount of points)
- Custom points (you can customise the point value of the levels for each criterion)
If you want to create an analytic rubric with ranges, use the custom points scoring method and see the instructions below.
(Figure 36)
Figure 36
Once you have selected your scoring method, you can start creating the rubric. The rubric on the right-hand side is an analytic points rubric.
- Give your rubric a name.
- Label the levels and enter the point value for each level.
- Enter the name as well as any possible description for the criteria.
- Enter the generic level/criteria performance description.
- Enter the generic level/criteria feedback.
- Use the waffle icons on the left-hand side to drag and drop criteria to different places within the rubric.
- Use the Add Criterion button on the bottom to add further criteria.
- The total on the bottom will update when you change the points values, and add/remove criteria.
(Figure 37)
Figure 37
Alternatively, you can also work with criteria group. To do so, click on the Add Criteria Group button below the current group of criteria. (Figure 38)
Figure 38
Criteria groups allow you to create a broader category, such as Content and Language (1), and then add criteria that are part of that category (2).
The points value of the levels for each criteria group or category can be the same or you could choose to weigh one criteria group / category more heavily by raising the points value for its levels. (Figure 39)
Figure 39
On the bottom of the screen, you will see a separate section called Overall Score. Simply change the level names and provide the minimum percentage needed to reach the levels (1). You can also add some overall feedback for each level in the box below the minimum percentage needed to reach the level (2). (Figure 40)
Figure 40
Under Options, you will be able to customise the visibility of and availability of your rubric. (Figure 41)
- Rubric visibility: You can choose whether a rubric should be visible to students, hidden from them, or only released to them once feedback is published.
- Score visibility: If you choose to hide the score, students will be able to see the rubric and any feedback from the rubric but will not see any points.
- Description: Entering a description here, might make it easier for you to find a specific rubric, especially if you use many rubrics.
- Advanced Availability: Allowing new associations of a rubric with competencies and/or the ePortfolio means that you can use rubrics to evaluate competencies and that students can attach rubrics to ePortfolio items that they might want to share with you.
Note:
Leave Competencies checked to be able to associate rubrics with assignments.
Figure 41
Once you finished setting up your rubric, you will only need to click on the Close button at the bottom of the page. Remember that all changes were saved by the system as you were working on the rubric. (Figure 42)
Figure 42
If you would like to set up an analytic weighted rubric with ranges, you will need to set up an analytic custom point rubric.
Start by changing the scoring method to Custom Points (1). You will now have the option to enter different point values for the levels of each criterion (2). (Figure 43)
For more information on how to customise your weighted rubric with ranges, see this guidance. Here, you will also find a calculator that can help you figure out the point equivalent for different percentages.
Figure 43
When you have set up all the levels for your criteria, you will need to edit the overall score again. Simply change the level names and provide the minimum percentage needed to reach the levels. (Figure 44)
Figure 44
Setting up a new holistic rubric
To set up a new analytic rubric, start by clicking on the blue New Rubric button. This will open the rubric editor for you. (Figure 45)
Figure 45
When you first get into the rubric editor, you will see a default analytic rubric which is scored on points. You will later be able to change that using the Type and Scoring drop-down menus (2).
On the top of the page, you can see the status of your rubric which is Published by default. As with content items in Brightspace, you can change this status to Draft, though. Next to the status information, you will be able to check the saving status of your rubric. The Brightspace rubric tool automatically saves all changes you make to it. (1)
Most of the page is taken up by the actual rubric. You will be able to edit level and criteria names, point values as well as criteria descriptions and feedback.
Finally, toward the bottom of the page, there is an options menu which will be explained in detail further down.
(Figure 46)
Figure 46
To set up a holistic rubric, you will first need to change the rubric type from 'Analytic' to 'Holistic'. (Figure 47)
Figure 47
This will change the scoring options. You can choose between:
- No Score (= qualitative rubric for feedback purposes only)
- Percentage (this allows you to pick a level and students will receive a certain percentage for their work)
(Figure 48)
Figure 48
To set up your rubric, you should:
- Give your rubric a name.
- Label the levels and enter the percentage value for each level.
- Enter the generic level/criteria specific feedback.
(Fogure 49)
Figure 49
Under Options, you will be able to customise the visibility of and availability of your rubric. (Figure 50)
- Rubric visibility: You can choose whether a rubric should be visible to students, hidden from them, or only released to them once feedback is published.
- Score visibility: If you choose to hide the score, students will be able to see the rubric and any feedback from the rubric but will not see any points.
- Description: Entering a description here, might make it easier for you to find a specific rubric, especially if you use many rubrics.
- Advanced Availability: Allowing new associations of a rubric with competencies and/or the ePortfolio means that you can use rubrics to evaluate competencies and that students can attach rubrics to ePortfolio items that they might want to share with you.
Note:
Leave Competencies checked to be able to associate rubrics with assignments.
Figure 50
Once you finished setting up your rubric, you will only need to click on the Close button at the bottom of the page. Remember that all changes were saved by the system as you were working on the rubric. (Figure 51)
Figure 51
Marking with a Brightspace rubric
To mark with a Brightspace rubric, you need to attach the rubric to the assignment when you set it up.
Once students have submitted their assignments, open one of them. You will see the submission preview as well as the assessment and feedback area on the right-hand side. Under Evaluation and Feedback, you will see the rubric that is attached to the assignment folder.
Click on the rubric which will open for you in a pop-up window.
(Figure 52)
Figure 52
Once the rubric has opened, you can choose which level the student achieved for the different criteria (1). If you are marking on a rubric with ranges and would like to customise the amount of points a student will receive, click on the last box in each criterion's row (2). You will now be able to customise the score for this criterion. The score on the bottom of the page will automatically adjust as you adjust the level score. Any changes to the score will furthermore be autosaved to the system. To add custom feedback, click on the Add Feedback link below each of the criteria names and/or descriptions (3). (Figure 53)
Figure 53
You will now be able to see the initial/generic feedback you provided when you set up your rubric (1), but will also be able to add customised feedback for the student (2). (Figure 54)
Figure 54
Finish marking the rest of the criteria, edit the scores if needed and leave further feedback. When you are done, click the blue Close button on the bottom of the page. (Figure 55)
Figure 55
You will now see the overall score you generated with the rubric is reflected in the assessment area next to the assignment preview. You can now add further overall feedback, save the mark and feedback as draft, or publish it to the student. (Figure 56)
Figure 56
The Grades Tool
The Grades tool
From your homepage, navigate to Course Tools and then Grades. (Figure 57)
Figure 57
Once you have entered the Grades tool, you will be able to set up your grade book, monitor students' grades and create new grade items. On the top of the page, you can see four tabs. The 'Enter Grades' tab allows you to enter and monitor student grades. This is also where you can create an Excel sheet or a CVS document. The 'Manage Grades' tab allows you to create new grade items and categories. The 'Schemes' tab allows you to create new grade schemes. The grade book already has a preset percentage scheme but you can add other, such as Pass/Fail, etc. The 'Setup Wizard' tab helps you to set up your grade book. (Figure 58)
Figure 58
The Manage Grades area
The 'Manage Grades' area gives you an overview of all your grade categories and items. When you select the blue 'New' drop-down menu, you can also create new grade categories or grade items. Grade categories appear in grey in the table while grade items have a white background. You can also see the grade item type, any associations and the max amount of points. (Figure 59)
Figure 59
Grade Schemes
In the 'Grade Schemes' area, you are able to create new grade schemes. The grade book comes preconfigured with a percentage grade scheme. If you click on 'New Scheme', you can create your own. Any schemes you set up yourself will display under 'Course Schemes'. (Figure 60)
Figure 60
To set up your own grade scheme, click on the blue 'New Scheme' button. Once the grade scheme editor opens, give your new scheme a name. Afterwards, you need to determine the ranges. Start by adding the so called 'Grade Scheme Symbols'. In my case, they are Pass and Fail, but they could also be other text grades or letter grades. Next edit the 'Start %'. For the lowest level, the start percentage will be set to 0%. When setting up my grade scheme, I determined that students will start receiving a Pass if they have achieved 70%. Next, you can add colours to give students a visual clue for their grade. Then, in 'Assigned Value %' list the upper cut off percentage for your ranges.
When you are done, hit the blue 'Save and Close' button.
(Figure 61)
Figure 61
Setting up your grade book - the Setup Wizard
The grade book setup wizard help you in 7 easy steps to set up your grade book.
When you enter the grades tool for the first time, you will be directed to the Grades Setup Wizard.
Brightspace also comes with a preconfigured grade book which is what you will see when you first go into the Grades Setup Wizard.
To customise your gradebook, click on the blue 'Start' button.
(Figure 62)
Figure 62
In Step 1, you have to chose your grading system. Most commonly, this will either be weighted or in points. (see Figure 63 for examples)
Figure 63
In Step 2, you can choose whether you want to release the Calculated or the Adjusted Final Grade. You can also tick a box to automatically release the final grade. (Figure 64)
Figure 64
In Step 3,you will first be able to choose what will happen to your ungraded items. You can either drop all ungraded items or tream them as 0. Dropping all ungraded items means that the final calculated grade actually reflects the students grade at a certain point in the semester. If ungraded items are treated as 0, all existing grade items will be factored into the calculation of the final grade. In Step 3, you can also select once again to keep the final grade automatically updated. (Figure 65)
Figure 65
In Step 4,you will be able to choose your default grade scheme which enables you to organize users’ performances on grade items into levels of achievement. The grade book comes with a preset percentage grade scheme, but you can also select any other grade scheme you have created. (Note: You will still be able to change the grade scheme for individual items when you are setting them up or are editing them.) (Figure 66)
Figure 66
In Step 5, you will chose the number of decimal places to display with grade items. This is especially important if you have a point or percentage grade scheme. (Figure 67)
Figure 67
In Step 6, you are able to select what will be displayed to students. Selecting the 'Points grade' checkbox means that the points for individual assignments or quizzes will be displayed in the grade book. By selecting the 'Grade scheme symbol' and 'Grade scheme colour' boxes, students will for instance see the Pass/Fail grade scheme symbols as well as the colours associated with each. You can now also select how many decimals should be displayed to students. Another option for customisation is to change the 'Number of characters to display for text items'. This is really about grade item names, and usually 50 characters is perfectly adequate. Finally, you can choose if students should see the final grade calculation or not. (Figure 68)
Figure 68
In Step 7, Brightspace provides a summary of your grade book setup. To save all changes and finish setting up your gradebook, hit the blue 'Finish' button. (Figure 69)
Figure 69
How the tools work together
If you have linked your assignment to a grade item, any score you enter in the 'Score out of' box when evaluating the assignment, will also be released into the gradebook once you publish the assignment results in the assignment area. When setting up your assignment and grade item, we therefore recommend that the point value you enter in the 'Score out of box' in assignments and the 'Max Points' when setting up your grade item match. With marks both in the assignment area and the gradebook, students can go both into their submission as well as the grades tool to see their result (provided the grade item is visible to them and not hidden). If you decide to provide feedback in the assignments area, this feedback will, however, only be available to students via their submission and not in the gradebook. The only things that gets transferred out of the assignments area to the gradebook is the mark itself.
When it comes to using rubrics, you can choose to use Brightspace rubrics. If you are marking and annotating in Turnitin®, you can also use Turnitin® rubrics. Whichever rubric you ultimately go for, however, students will be able to see rubrics results by going into their submission once feedback has been published. There, they will see your marked Brightspace rubric with any feedback, or they can go into the Turnitin® feedback studio to see evaluations via Turnitin® rubrics there.
If you mark using a rubric in Turnitin®, you can opt to have the mark from the Turnitin® feedback studio synced as draft into Brightspace. All you will have to do is to publish the marks that were synced into Brightspace so students can access them as well as their feedback.
If you mark using a Brightspace rubric, selecting and potentially editing the score of our level and criteria will automatically compute a score which will then appear with the submission in Brightspace. All you will have to do is publish the mark and any feedback you might have to students. For more information about Turnitin®, please refer to our Turnitin® guidance.
If you want students to have a one-stop-shop where they see their mark and any feedback, we recommend that you point them back to the assignments tool, as this is where all tools are connecting and where all the feedback you provided to students will be displayed.