Assignments allow students to submit electronic documents, text, or media in Blackboard Ultra Courses.  This walkthrough covers adding assignments to Ultra courses as well as assignment settings and grading.

The gradebook in Blackboard Ultra can be accessed from several different places. In the gradebook, you can manage grades, leave feedback, view student engagement, set accommodations, and message your students about the assignments. 

Creating groups within your Blackboard course can be done four ways: custom, randomly assign, self-enrollment, and reuse groups. With groups you can create group assignments and encourage collaboration between students.

Rubrics are a great tool for both instructors and students. Use a rubric as a scoring tool and to provide a clear description of the characteristics desired in the assignment. Students can use a rubric to plan and organize their thoughts and as they work through the assignment. Using rubrics is a good way to provide transparency in grading.

OpenGrade is open-source software for teachers to keep track of grades. It runs on Linux, as well as some other operating systems.

This guide includes tips and best practices designed to help you: Write valuable grading comments on student assignmentsUse varied methods to give general feedback to the whole classFacilitate effective online discussions