Assessment
Blackboard offers several options for assessing individual courses and entire programs. These include simple lists of averages; graphs of scores from tests and rubrics; reports on how well students are meeting departmental or university core goals. The following is a short list of tools within Blackboard:
Reports
A column statistics report can be created about any gradable item and will display the spread of scores like the table shown below, it will also provide the minimum and maximum value received, range, average, median, standard deviation and variance. To generate this report, go into the Full Grade Center, select the pull down menu associated with the grading column, and select column statistics.
Course reports can provide expanded information by comparing different gradable activities like assignments, tests, and discussion board forums. To create the report shown below activities must be aligned with the same goal, then select Evaluation, Course Reports, and Course Performance. This allows faculty to evaluate students’ scores on different activities that all assess the same outcome/objective. This report also includes specific individual student scores (the student data shown below is fictitious).
To learn more, visit Blackboard's' Goals ».
Tests
Two statistics reports are available for Blackboard tests. Use these reports to examine the results for a test that covers objectives used in assessment. Using the pull down menu next to the column name in the full grade center, choose Attempt Statistics or Item Analysis.
- Attempt Statistics shows response statistics on each question for the class.
- Item Analysis provides statistics on overall test performance and individual test questions. For more information, visit Blackboard's Item Analysis . See the partial report below:
Rubrics and Rubric Reports
Rubrics can be associated with any gradable activity. Once all activities are graded, the instructor can run a Rubric Report that generates the following information.
If the grading rubric is different than the assessment rubric, two rubrics can be associated with one activity (one for grading and one for secondary assessment). A rubric report can be generated from either rubric by selecting the rubric report you desire from the pull down menu next to the appropriate grading column title (see below).
EAC Visual Data
EAC Visual Data is a tool that can help instructors collect, analyze and report student data for tests and rubrics through time in a single course or across multiple courses in Blackboard. EAC Visual Data presents reliability data for tests and individual test items, as well information on how effective distractor answers are for each question. Use Rubric Row Analysis to see rubric statistics for each student and the rubric performance of an entire class. Instructors can also associate test questions and rubric items with instructor-defined outcomes and assess how student performance relates to the outcomes. To learn more, please refer to the EAC Visual Data Documentation.
Turn on EAC Visual Data in Your Course
- Go to Control Panel in the lower left course menu and click Customization.
- Choose Tool Availability.
- Find EAC Visual Data in the list of tools. Check the checkbox next to the item.
- Select the Submit button to complete.
Access EAC Visual Data
- On the Control Panel in the lower left course menu, click Course Tools.
- Select EAC Visual Data.
NOTE: Some browsers will require an additional click to access EAC Visual Data. If you see the message requiring an additional click, press the required button:
Run a Report on a Single Test or Rubric in EAC Visual Data
- Select the Test or Rubrics tab, depending on the item you would like to analyze:
- Enter the name of the Test or Rubric in the Name field. The item that you search for must already have student data to appear in the search. Change the dates to incorporate the date the item was created in Blackboard. Hit the Arrow Button to search:
- Select the name of the item in the Test or Name column.
- Once the report is complete, you will be presented with statistics for the Test or Rubric. To better understand the results, please refer to the EAC Visual Data Documentation.
Run a Report on Multiple Tests or Rubrics in EAC Visual Data
- Select the Test or Rubrics tab, depending on the item you would like to analyze:
- Enter the name of the Tests or Rubrics in the Name field. The item that you search for must already have student data to appear in the search. Change the dates to incorporate the date the item was created in Blackboard. Hit the Arrow Button to search:
- Once the Test or Rubric list is populated, click on the number in the N column in the row of one of the items to highlight the desired items.
- Then click on the name of one of the selected items to produce the combined report.
- Once the report is complete, you will be presented with statistics for the Tests or Rubrics. To better understand the results, please refer to the EAC Visual Data Documentation.
Using Outcomes in EAC Visual Data
It is possible to define Learning Outcomes for your course or program and then tag Test items and Rubric rows with these outcomes in the EAC Visual Data Outcomes Manager Tab. With EAC Visual Data’s Learning Outcomes Tab, you can find average scores for these outcomes for the Test or Rubric, as well as scores for each student. To create your own Learning Outcomes, please contact the KU Educational Technologists at itedtech@ku.edu or 785-864-2600.
Additional Resources from EAC Visual Data:
For more information about EAC Visual Data, visit the EAC Visual Data Documentation.
Source: EAC Visual Data.
Blackboard Assessment Resources at KU
Questions About Technology:
For additional technology questions, please contact KU Educational Technology at itedtech@ku.edu or 785-864-2600.
Questions About Assessment Methods:
For questions on which method is the best fit for your assessment needs, contact KU Center for Teaching Excellence at cte@ku.edu or 785-864-4199.
Questions About Assessment in Course Design:
For information on how to include assessment in course design, contact the KU Center for Online & Distance Learning at onlinelearning@ku.edu or 785-864-1000.
Source: Blackboard Help »
