How to use the Assignments feature to collect student work

Note: The Digital Dropbox function in Blackboard was retired the evening of May 4th, 2007. Please use the Assignments function to collect student work.

Blackboard "Assignments" are a way to collect student documents and files in Blackboard.

The Assignments feature combines the file exchange capabilities of the old Digital Drop Box with the organization and management functionality of the Gradebook.

Adding an Assignment item to a course allows an instructor to post instructions or a document, retrieve the completed assignment as another document or file from a student, and grade that assignment via the Gradebook. Blackboard also provides enhanced file management options, including bulk downloading and cleanup of these submitted items.


How to create an Assignment:

1. Within your Blackboard course, click on the Control Panel.

2. Click on the name of the Content Area where you wish to add the Assignment, for example, "Assignments"



3. From the drop-down list on the right side of the page, select Assignment, then click GO.



From here, instructors have the same options that they have for most other content types, including time-release options.

Assignments can contain file attachments (such as lists of questions for students to answer, articles to read, presentations to review, maps or spreadsheets to analyze), as well as text pasted directly into Blackboard.

Set the desired options, type the instructions, attach files, and click the "Submit" button to post the Assignment.


What the students see:

Students can view the assignment in the selected content area on the left side of the course.

They can click the View/Complete button to look at the assignment and download any necessary documents the instructor has posted. After doing the work necessary to complete the assignment, students should click the "View/Complete" link again to upload and submit their work. They will be prompted to browse their computers to find the files they want to submit, and they can also post comments about the Assignment. These comments will appear in your Gradebook. A student can submit multiple files for one assignment if desired.


How to view submitted Assignments (Gradebook):

Instructors retrieve and grade Assignments through the Gradebook, much like any other kind of assessment. However, Assignments have additional tools that make managing multiple student files much easier.

Reviewing a Single Assignment Submission

To retrieve an individual student's Assignment submission, select the individual entry from the Gradebook. You can enter a grade from this screen, or click View to see the student's work.
After clicking on View, you will be able to download the file(s) that the student has submitted, add feedback that that student will see, and add private instructor notes that will not be seen by the student.

Reviewing Multiple Assignment Submissions

To download multiple files at one time, click on the name of the Assignment at the top of the Gradebook column, and then click Item Download.

Note: Other choices on the Item Options page will allow you to enter all students' grades at once, modify instructions, descriptions, and point values, and to see statistics for an assignment.

You can select one, some or all of the students' assignments. After you select the Assignments that you wish to download, Blackboard will create a .zip file containing those files, so you can save them to your computer desktop or hard drive.


Returning Assignments

To return a graded assignment to the student, click the individual entry from the Gradebook and then click View. In the Feedback to Student section, enter a grade, comments, and attach the graded assignment. Click Submit.

The Assignments feature is a must for anyone who has found the Digital Dropbox to be difficult to manage. We hope you find it to be an improvement and thanks for using Blackboard.