Blackboard Outcomes

Blackboard Outcomes allows us to add goal alignment to an assignment or assessment for the purpose of tracking program outcomes or accreditation standards. Using Blackboard will give your program trackable data to use for program or accreditation reporting, and help your department align your assignments to your standards.

Creating an Assignment in Blackboard Learn

1. Navigate to a content area in the course in which you would like to create the assignment. Scroll over Assessment and choose Assignment.
2. Give your assignment a name, add instructions to the text box for students, and list the name of the Outcome you are aligning to.
3. Add a point value for the assignment.
4. The assignment MUST be Single Submission only.
5. Hit Submit.

There are a few additional things that you may add to the assignment, but are not necessary. These are preferences:

• Due Date: adding a due date will help ensure that students will upload their artifact. It will also serve as a reminder for them for when the assignment is due.
• Adding SafeAsign to the assignment to check for plagiarism and to help build a repository of assignments for the university/Blackboard for the prevention of plagiarism. SafeAssign can be added by clicking Submission Details and checking the box for Plagiarism Tools.
• Display of grade options: you may choose to not include the assignment into the Blackboard Grade Center, or you may change to show students their grade as a percentage or letter instead of as points.

Adding Alignment to Your Assignment in Blackboard Learn

1. Once your assignment has been created, click the drop-down arrow beside the name of the assignment. Click Add Alignments.
2. When the Discover Goals box pops up, click Goal Type. Here you will see types of goals: Accreditation Standards, General Education Outcomes, and Program Outcomes. For example, click General Education Outcomes to attach a Gen Ed Outcome to your assignment.
3. Choose the goal(s) that align to your assignment. Click Submit.
4. Your goal(s) should now be visible to you under the assignment information.

See Quick Guide

Adding Alignment to Your Assignment in Blackboard Ultra (New)

1. In the Assignment Settings menu (right margin), click the Gear icon.
2. Scroll down to the bottom to select Goals and Standards under Additional Tools.
3. You will now see the Browse Criteria menu, Select General Education for Goal Set Type.  Select Baccalaureate Degree Profile for Category. This will narrow the Criteria Summary at the bottom of the page.
4. Under Criteria Summary, select which outcomes to align and click Submit in the bottom right corner.

See Quick Guide

Additional Information

• If your department is interested in having Program Outcomes or Accreditation Standards available on Blackboard, assessment directors may contact:
  Mary Beth Reynolds, Associate V.P. for Assessment & Quality Initiatives
  reynoldm@marshall.edu
  Mary Welch, Instructional Designer
  welch6@marshall.edu