Working with the Blackboard gradebook can sometimes be tricky. Here are some steps to show how to create a new item in the gradebook, download the new grade list, copy over the new information for that column (in Excel) and then uploading it again. (This has been updated to show the switch from "comma" to TAB when exporting from BB7.)
The example I'm using following added a text password into the gradebook - obviously this could be changed to include any type of number or text [just make different choices in Step 4!].
Step 1) In your Bb course, go to the Control Panel
Step 2) Select the Gradebook
Step 3) Select the ADD ITEM option
Note: If you wish .. you could skip this step .. create a new column in Excel and when you go to upload it in step 7 .. it would prompt you to create the new item. The benefit to creating the item first is that the Excel column is already created for you, and Bb knows about this column - so it will make the importing process more smooth. Six of one, half dozen of the other ...
Step 4) Make your choices in these boxes. In this case, I'm adding a TEXT word, and I do NOT want to include it in grade calculations ... you might have different choices there. [Note, you could have a column in there that is not visible to the students .. maybe something you don't want to reveal yet, or a hidden column .. but normally we would check the visible button!]
Step 5) Click the DOWNLOAD GRADES choice, and then select TAB (in BB7!!) and submit.
NOTE: In BB6, we used COMMA delimited ... but now BB7 has changed a little bit - use the TAB-delimited, and it will actually create a file with XLS as the extension - opens fine in Excel and the rest is fine.
Step 6) Click the SAVE button, and rename the file to what you want (or leave the default name).
Step 7) If I open that file in Excel (double-click on it in Windows Explorer) - I can add my data to the appropriate column (in this case, passwords).
Step 8) Saving this file in Excel gets a little tricky (Excel is going to pester us). Blackboard will want the file to be in "its" format (saved as .XLS, but not really an excel file) - so I start saving it that way (first image). Then, Excel wants to know if I want to replace the original file - sure, that's fine (unless you rename it - then you won't get that message). THEN, Excel complains that this is a weird format, and am I really sure ... yes - keep this weird format - say YES. Whew!
Step 9) Switch back to Blackboard and go back to the control panel and the gradebook and select UPLOAD GRADES.
Step 10) Click the browse button and go find the file you downloaded/edited (probably in the My Documents folder?).
Step 11) Match up the Imported item with the Existing item. [Note, remember I mentioned that you didn't have to create the item initially ... see that other choice "Create New Gradebook Item" - we could have created our own column in Excel (which would show up in the "imported item" section - and then just clicked that "Create New" button, and it would take us to the same screen as in Step 4. Creating first in Bb seems a little more straightforward to me.]
Also, note that you can only import ONE new column at a time (existing columns stay, but new ones come in one at a time). Suppose you wanted to add 5 items/columns .... you'd have to upload, choose column, etc. the upload again, choose again, upload again, etc. [That is, you could add all the columns in Excel, save that file ... but then you would need to upload it 5 separate times into Bb.]
Step 12) You would most likely want to click the SELECT ALL button here.
Step 13) That should be it .. you should have the new column in the gradebook. [Suppose a student adds the class after you do this ... they'll show up as having blanks for the grades, so they are easy to spot!]
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Last Updated = Monday, 27-Aug-2007 17:23:55 EDT Of the 56 people that have visited this site, you are the most recent.