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1 Online Assessment Using the Testing and Gradebook Tools in the Blackboard System Bellevue University Center for Learning Innovation November, 2009 ______
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Online Assessment
Using the Testing and Gradebook Tools in the Blackboard System
Bellevue University
Center for Learning Innovation
November, 2009
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Table of Contents
*Click on a page number to go directly to that page!*
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How To Use this Handbook……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
PART 1: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS 4
Creating a New Test……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 5
Test Canvas Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Creating New Test Questions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Viewing/Modifying an Existing Question………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Using Questions from an Existing Test or Test Pool………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Viewing Your Test in the Test Manager………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
Deploying a Test for Student Use…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Viewing Your Gradebook………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Grading an Exam………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
PART 2: APPENDIX OF FURTHER RESOURCES, OPTIONS, AND INFORMATION 18
Test Creation Settings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19
Test Question Types…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Using Question Pools…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Using the Blackboard Content System…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Other Options for Gradebook Management……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23
“Did You Know”s ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24
References/Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25
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How To Use This Handbook
This handbook is divided into two main parts:
The first part is meant to be a basic step-by-step tutorial, taking you from the creation of
your first test to the grading and reporting of that test in the Blackboard Gradebook.
You can read and follow straight through the tutorial, or simply jump to whatever step
on which you need help.
The second half of the handbook is an Appendix of further information relating to Test
Creation/Management and Gradebook issues. The items in the Appendix appear in the
order they are mentioned in the step-by-step guide.
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If you are reading this handbook on your computer, you can navigate between the step-
by-step guide and the handbook via links. If you are reading this handbook in a printed-
out format, refer to the Table of Contents and the page numbers to find the information
you need.
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If you have any questions regarding this tutorial or other training issues, contact:
Amanda L. Miller Online Learning Training Specialist
Center for Learning Innovation Bellevue University
Toll-Free: 800-756-7920, Ext. 7149 Local: 402-557-7149
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Part One: Step By Step Instructions
Follow these steps to create and manage tests and other Gradebook entries.
Create a new test.
Modify the test using the Test Canvas page.
Add new questions to the test.
Modify questions once they are created.
Pull questions from other exams or pools.
Deploy the test so it is available to learners.
Modify the test once it appears in the Content Area.
View your Gradebook.
Grade an exam once it is completed.
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Creating a New Test
From the Control Panel of your course, select the Test Manager link from the Assessments box. The Test Manager page lists any tests you have already created. From this screen you can modify existing tests or
create new ones. Click the “Add Test” button to begin creating a new exam:
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Clicking “Submit” will take you to the Test Canvas page—where you actually create your test.
Test Canvas Page
The Test Canvas page is the “home page” of a specific test. This is what it looks like before any questions are added:
There are many options available to you in creating your test. You can provide feedback to your learners based on
the answers they provide, add images and links, organize questions by category, create a default point value for all
questions, and even control how questions are displayed. All these options can be turned on or off by accessing the
“Test Creation Settings” screen. (See Appendix.)
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Adding New Questions to an Exam:
Blackboard gives you many different options for the type of question you would like to include in your test. All these
options can be found in the “Add” pull-down menu on the Test Canvas page:
After selecting the type of question you would like to add to your exam, click the “GO” button to enter a screen
where your question, answer, and feedback can be added.
For more information on specific question types, see the Appendix.
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After you have created some or all of your exam questions, the Test Canvas screen will look like this:
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Once you have created a test question in one of your Blackboard classes, you can use it again in other exams within
the same class or in other classes you may teach. You can even share test questions with other Bellevue instructors.
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The first method of accomplishing this is via the “From a Question Pool or Assessment” Question option on the
Test Canvas pull-down menu:
Any tests or pools you have already created for this course will appear in the Search Box. (For more information on
creating Test Pools, see the Appendix.) Once you have selected the types of questions you want, clicking “Search” will
take you to a list of available questions.
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Based on the criteria you selected on the previous screen, you now see the list of questions you have to choose from:
If you would like to use a question you have previously created in another course, and it does not appear on this list,
you will have to create a new question pool. (See the Appendix for more information.)
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Once you have selected questions for your test, you can access the test from the Test Manager Screen:
(For more information on the Content System, see the Appendix.)
Once a test has been created with test manager, the next step is deploying it in one of the Content Areas in your class.
Continue reading for more information.
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Deploying a Test
Step 1: Decide in which Content Area you would like to add your exam, and access it through the Control Panel.
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Step 2: Once you are in the Content Area, begin by pressing the Add Test button:
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Step 3: Select the test you wish to add, and click Submit.
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Modifying a Test:
Once a test appears in a Content Area, you can modify it by clicking the “Modify” button following the test name.
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(Test modification screen continued)
After submitting this form, your test is ready for learners to access. If you have not included any subjective questions
(such as Short Answer, Document Upload, or Essay), Blackboard will automatically score the exam for you and post
the scores to your Gradebook. If your exam does include subjective questions, or if you would like to check or modify
a student’s exam grade, you can access that through your Gradebook.
Keep reading, for more information about your Blackboard Gradebook.
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Gradebook Basics
(Because the Gradebook appears on a wide horizontal screen, it has been stretched over two pages in this handbook.)
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Gradebook (continued)
If a student has completed an exam that needs to be graded, that grade will show up as an exclamation mark. Click
the “!” to be taken to the student’s exam.
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Grading a Student’s Exam
Any grades that are entered (either automatically or manually) in the Gradebook are available for access by Students
via the “My Grades” area in the student “Course Tools” tool box.
(For more information on organizing or managing your Gradebook, see the Appendix.)
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Part Two: Appendix
Use these resources to further customize and manage your Blackboard classes.
How To: Change Test Creation Settings.
More Info: Possible Question Types in Blackboard
How To: Use Question Pools
How To: Use the Blackboard Content System
More Info: Other Options for Gradebook Management
More Info: Assessment “Did You Know”s
More Info: References and Resources
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Test Creation Settings
All these options allow you to customize your test for your class and your learners:
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Clicking “Submit” will take you to a confirmation screen, where you can click “OK” to be returned to the Test Canvas
page. Clicking “Cancel” also takes you directly back to the Test Canvas page.
Question Types
There are many types of questions possible in a Blackboard Test. This chart lists the types of questions available and
briefly describes each type:
Question Types What the Learner/Instructor Does Calculated Formula Identify the correct answer from several choices after a formula is presented
with variables randomly generated within a set range.
Calculated numeric Provide the correct numeric answer to a question rather than select it from a list of possible answers.
Either/Or Select one of two responses (ex: “Yes” or “No”)
File response Upload files from their computer to the test.
Fill in Multiple Blanks Provide answers for as many as 10 blanks within a sentence or other text passage.
Hot spot After an image is presented, click to identify a specific item within the graphic.
Jumbled sentence After a sentence with missing items is presented, choose each component from a drop-down list to fill in the blanks and complete the sentence.
Matching Pair up items from two different lists. Items can be paired with more than one item from the other list, and not all items must be paired with another.
Multiple answer Select all correct responses to a question.
Multiple choice Select the single correct response to a question.
Opinion scale/Likert Select from responses that range from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree or Not Applicable.
Ordering Put a series of items into a specific sequence (chronological or numeric, for example). Partial credit is possible.
Quiz Bowl Enter the appropriate question in response to an answer (a la Jeopardy)
Short Answer* Respond to questions or prompts by entering text in the space provided; the length of responses may be limited by the instructor.
True/False Select either True or False to a statement or prompt.
Random block The instructor can identify a set of questions from a question pool which Blackboard selects for each learner’s test. (Helpful if you want to allow multiple attempts on a graded test.)
From a question pool or assessment
The instructor can pull in previously written question from a pool or other Blackboard test.
Upload questions The instructor can import and save test questions written in a text document.**
*All question types except short answer are scored and graded automatically by the Blackboard Test Manager. Instructors must
hand grade Short Answer questions.
**In order to upload questions from a text document, they must be formatted very carefully. In most cases, it is easier to simply
copy and paste the questions from the text one at a time into the test manager. Once questions have been entered in to the
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Test Manager, they will not need to be retyped if they are used in other tests; the “From a Question Pool or Assessment” option
allows instructors to reuse test questions as many times as they wish.
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Using Question Pools
Question Pools are helpful when you want to reuse questions from one test in another test or course.
The Pool Manager screen can be accessed from the Control Panel.
The steps for adding questions to a pool are identical to those for adding questions to a test. If you are sharing pools
between courses, it is strongly recommended that you use the Blackboard Content System for storing your pools.
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Using the Blackboard Content System
The Content System is a place where files, test questions, and multimedia can be stored within the Blackboard System.
Information stored in the Content System can be accessed from any computer where you can access your Blackboard
account. One way to enter the Content System is by clicking the appropriate tab in your Blackboard course.
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When you choose to “Export a Question Pool to the Content System” or “Select Questions from the Content System,”
and click the Browse button, you will arrive at the following screen:
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Other Options for Gradebook Management
Through the Assessment Box in the Control Panel, you can access several other tools to view and utilize your
Gradebook more effectively—Gradebook Views and Performance Dashboard.
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Did You Know…
…Testing tools can be used for a plethora of other educational tasks, including: learner self assessment, homework
problem sets, aids in practicing newly learned skills, and study guides?
…you can allow your students unlimited exam attempts and still ensure they will never have the same test twice by
selecting “Random Block” of questions from the Add pull-down menu on the Test Canvas page?
..you can allow your students to receive partial credit for an answer they submit on an exam by selecting the “Allow
Partial Credit” check box on the Create Question screen or by manually altering the points awarded in the
Gradebook?
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References and Resources
Blackboard for Dummies (by Southworth, Cakici, Vovides, and Zvacek, Copyright 2006 by Wiley Publishing).
