Assignment submissions not requiring originality checking can be set up using the standard Blackboard Assignment tool. This allows students to submit their work online including the ability to submit multiple files. It also allows students to submit files which aren’t text based, such as ZIP files or images.

NB: Use this option if students are submitting handwritten work.

For media file submissions, see specific guidance on this approach under Media File Submission.

Quickstart Guide: How to setup a Blackboard assignment submission point

Turnitin is a useful tool where the assessment is predominantly text based and requires the submission to be checked for originality, using its in-built text matching service.

Turnitin does not have the same guaranteed capacity during busy times as Blackboard Assignments, therefore due to the unprecedented circumstances we, alongside other universities, do not recommend its use unless originality reports are required, or the department already uses it for its marking features.

When setting up a Turnitin assignment, we recommend allowing late submissions, in order to allow for discretion if a student has interruptions or difficulties during the allotted time.

Quickstart Guide: How to setup a Turnitin assignment

Media (audio or video) files can be submitted via Blackboard. This method has to be done with caution, taking into account the IT hardware and internet connectivity students have access to at home.

One of the biggest limitations is domestic internet upload speeds. Students should aim to upload their media assignment well in advance of the deadline, and staff should set media assignments that are short in duration to help manage file sizes. All common media file formats and sizes can be submitted to Blackboard.

Quickstart Guide: How to set up a Blackboard Media Submission

Tests are a flexible assessment within Blackboard that allow for the submission by students of a range of question types, including multiple choices and essay questions. It is the same part of Blackboard where normal computer lab-based exams are set up. Tests can be set up to be formative or summative, with options such as adaptive releases, timers and question randomisation possible.

General settings

• Limiting questions to one per page can ensure that student responses are automatically submitted after each question. This means that if a student accidentally forgets to submit their work, we will be able to retrieve their answers.
• It is recommended that the test is not set to force completion, to allow for interruptions or other issues.

Setting the availability of tests

If availability to the test is limited to a particular time, it is recommended this is set to at least 24 hours, in order to take into account different time zones of international students, and the responsibilities and logistics of home students.

Setting timers

Unlike file submission, tests can be set so students have a limited time in which they can complete the test once they begin it. There are a few points to keep in mind:

• Timers should be used with an understanding that the timer will still be running if the student has technical issues or interruptions, and therefore consider making the timer longer than you normally would in exam conditions.
• It is recommended auto-submission is not set on timers. This will mean students can still work after the timer has finished, but will be flagged as such. This will allow you to take into account any personal circumstances with discretion.

Essay questions

Blackboard tests can time out after 30 minutes of inactivity, potentially losing work since the student last saved. Therefore some general guidance on the use of essay questions would be:

• Don’t use tests for lengthy text assignments (consider using one of the assignment submission tools instead).
• Students should regularly save their work (every five minutes, after writing a significant amount of text, or if leaving their work station).
• Set the test to show questions ‘one at a time’, which will save the students’ work as they move between questions.
• If it is a longer piece of written work, suggest to students they type their answer in a word processor and paste the answer into the test, rather than typing directly into it. This means in the event of a network interruption, they still have access to what they have written.

Disability / SpLD exceptions

Exceptions can be made in the test settings for students with additional support needs to have extra time in a timed test, or for the test to be available for longer for individuals.

Preventing collusion

Some measures to prevent collusion may include:

• Randomising the order in which questions appear
• Randomising the order of answers within a question
• Using a pool of questions, where students see a different random question from a central bank, may be suitable in some situations. Please contact digital.learning@sheffield.ac.uk for advice if you are unsure how to do this, or if it is appropriate to do so.
• Use calculated questions for mathematical questions. Please contact digital.learning@sheffield.ac.uk if you would like advice or assistance in doing so.

Quickstart Guide: How to setup Blackboard Tests

Blackboard Tests for Mathematics guidance

Creating a Blackboard Test

Deploying a Blackboard Test in your course

The Student Examinations Team have developed an incident reporting form for students to report any issues that arise during an online timed assessments. Students must complete the form linked below. This does not necessarily have to be completed during the assessment, but must be submitted as soon as possible afterwards. 

Online Assessment Report Form for August Reassessment 2019/20