how do i allow students to submit assignments on blackboard

How do I submit assignments in Blackboard?

You may be required to submit assignments through Blackboard.

Submitting Assignments

Depending on how the course has been set up by your instructor, you may need to attach your assignment (browse your computer for the file, then upload it). Files can be attached to assignments (multiple files) or discussions (only one file).

You might just need to type your answers in a box and submit; if so, a good idea is to type answers in a Word document first, and then copy and paste into Blackboard when you're ready.

Submitting Assignments using SafeAssign

SafeAssign is a plagiarism prevention tool.

If your instructor uses SafeAssign, they will create a place for you to upload your assignment within Blackboard. SafeAssign will then check your assignment for plagiarism, comparing it against the following databases:

• Internet  (checks against documents available for public access)
• ProQuest ABI/Inform Database  (1,100+ publications from 1990s to present)
• Institutional Database  (contains all RDP assignments submitted to SafeAssign)
• Global Reference Database  (contains papers volunteered by students from Blackboard institutions to help prevent cross-institutional plagiarism)

SafeAssign will not check against RDP Library article databases.

How to submit an assignment using SafeAssign

Interpreting the SafeAssign Report

Your instructor may have set up SafeAssign to allow you to upload a draft of an assignment and view a detailed report.  

The SafeAssign Originality Report identifies matches found between your submitted draft assignment and existing sources, and identifies all matching blocks of text. It is your and your instructor's responsibility to investigate whether the matching text is properly referenced or not. 

About the SafeAssign Originality Report

If you have further questions about submitting assignments in Blackboard or about SafeAssign, contact your instructor.

Blackboard Assignments video

Blackboard SafeAssign Help for Students

Blackboard Help

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• Blackboard guide
• Blackboard Help: Submit Assignments
• Can I resubmit an assignment in Blackboard?
• Last Updated May 16, 2024
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Online Exams in Blackboard

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Using an instructional design approach and appropriate technology, lecturers can develop different methods of assessment, grade and give feedback, making the grading process more efficient. Technology-enhanced learning can support innovative approaches to assessment, reflective learning and the construction of new knowledge. Online assessment can have a positive impact on learning and support the student in acquiring digital literacy skills.

With the move to online assessment during the pandemic, IT Services developed a range of resources and material to help staff implement online exams and assessments with their students. This page collates these resources together for ease of access.

→ Click on the titles below to view information and guides on creating online exams in Blackboard.

We recommend that staff read through this guidance first then consult the guides below for the three main technologies being supported for online assessment.

• View Handbook

Recommended option: IT Services recommend where possible that staff new to online assessment use the Blackboard assignment tool as it has the simplest work flow of the 3 tools. Turnitin can also be used for assignments or take-home exams but is recommended in the current situation primarily for staff already familiar with its features. Effective online tests are very time-consuming to create, test, deploy and proctor so please convert your assessment to online assignments wherever possible - please see the handbook above for guidance on this.

Summary Tables

You can view a guide with tables that map the assessment options to the Blackboard tools and summarise the advantages and disadvantages of the three main tools; however we still recommend you read the full guidance document above before proceeding with a particular option.

• View Summary Tables

There are a range of learning technologies that can be assessed in Blackboard including blogs, journals and forums - but in terms of online exams, the core technologies that are using are Blackboard assignments, Turnitin assignments and online tests. Click on the titles below to jump to our guides

Online assignments allow you to provide detailed feedback to your students using annotations, rubrics, voice recordings and text. Turnitin, now integrated into Blackboard, offers a streamlined process for online assignments.

Blackboard Assignments

Create assignments within Blackboard and provide feedback using rubrics and annotations. Blackboard assignments offer greater support for group submissions and delegated marking than Turnitin assignments but do not have as large a database for similarity reports.

Online Tests

Support assessment practices with your students using frequent, low-stakes online tests in Blackboard or by implementing larger tests that incorporate question pools and randomise answers to increase academic integrity.

If a student has issues submitting we would advise them to contact the module instructor in the first instance. Please do not advise students to contact the IT Service Desk directly for issues such as resetting or deleting assessment attempts; this needs to be done by the module instructor(s) as they manage the assessment settings in a module.

We strongly recommend therefore that if there are submission issues due to account/access problems etc. with an individual student, please accept the submission via email as proof of submission until the issue is resolved. If an instructor cannot resolve the issue themselves, the instructor can contact us for advice via [email protected]. More details on managing assessment issues are available in the last pages of each of the handbooks above.

Student encounters an issue -> Student contacts the module instructor -> Instructor checks the details -> Instructor resolves the issue or provides alternative submission options -> Instructor cannot resolve the issue in Bb -> Instructor (rather than student) contacts [email protected] for advice

It is important to note that the similarity scores for Turnitin or Blackboard SafeAssign reports are not a measure of plagiarism within a piece of work but represent where there are similarities to other sources (journals, essays, books etc.). A submission with a high similarity score might be satisfactory once the bibliography, cover sheet etc. are accounted for whereas a submission could have a low score but could be heavily paraphrasing other sources without citation. Lecturers should advise their students not to focus on getting the similarity score below a certain percentage as there are many other dimensions to correctly citing sources. Example advice from the Turnitin website.

Similarity Reports typically generate after 15-30 minutes for first submissions but may take longer during peak assessment periods; resubmissions take 24 hours to generate and cannot be expedited. Therefore, for some assessment types with tight deadlines it may not be practical for students to see the score before the submission deadline so design your assessment with this in mind.

Accessing Blackboard as an External Examiner: click on the Log In button at the top of mymodule.tcd.ie and enter your Trinity Computer Account details in the format [email protected] . External Examiners signed in to their home institution email account in their web browser may need to log out of any existing Office 365 account (or use another web browser that is not logged in) if you automatically get a message that Blackboard cannot log into your account using single sign-on before you can enter your credentials. Please check our External Examiners page for more details . It is recommended that External Examiners register for the Password Manager Service as if you are only using the account occassionally, then your password may expire after 180 days and you will need to be registered with Password Manager to update it. If you are still having problems logging in to Blackboard contact the IT Service Desk .

Module Enrolment: Please contact your school or module instructors if you have not been added to the required modules as they manage enrolment (via the steps above on this page) for external examiners.

Accessing and Correcting Scripts: Please see our guide below which covers how to access and correct scripts in Blackboard. We highly recommend you check with the module lecturers first as the exact set up differs per module and they may make use of specific tools or grading options; the guide below is intended more as initial general guidance.

• View External Examiners Policies & Procedures
• View External Examiners Blackboard Marking Guide

Please check the Student Help tab in Blackboard for examples from the student's perspective once you make these available. For queries regarding specific Blackboard workflows, please email us at [email protected] .

Each of the pages under the 'Online Exams - Main Learning Technologies' section covers how to hide grades and feedback for a specific tool. You should also hide the Total Columns in the module's grade centre where required (via the down arrow at the top of the column -> Edit Column Information -> scroll to the bottom, Show this Column to Students: No and Submit) as grades from other columns feed into the total so students could work out their grade. Essentially, any column that needs to be hidden should show a circle with a line through it; however for some tools like Turnitin and Tests, you may also need to check their settings around when grades and feedback are released (see the guides above for full details). For queries regarding specific Blackboard workflows, please email us at [email protected] .

• Assessment and Progression
• Results Procedures

Honour Declaration

I understand that by participating in this exam/assignment I agree to the following:

• I am fit to undertake the exam/assignment
• I acknowledge and accept that this assessment may be reviewed by anti-plagiarism software.

Declaration: I declare that all work I submit is my own and has not been taken directly from the Internet or any other source. I have read and understand the College policy on plagiarism.

You can hide/make unavailable specific module content before an online exam or assessment takes place if needed. Click the down arrow next to an item and select Hide Link (for items in the left-hand menu) or Make Unavailable (for items within a folder).

You can test that the content area is now hidden from the students enrolled in the module by using the Student Preview button which will show you how the student is viewing the module. Please see the Getting Started page for more details on adding content to your module.

Note : you should not make the overall module unavailable if students are taking the test in the same module as the material.

Academic or Admin staff who require enrolment onto modules within Blackboard to create or assist with online assessments can find specific information on how to go about this at our VLE enrolment page .

The specifics around what online technologies a school or department decide to use before, during and after an online exam or assignment is ultimately up to the School or department themselves.

But there are some technologies available, such as Microsoft Teams app (part of the office 365 portfolio available to all staff with their TCD credentials) which allows team chat, screen share, video and Audio calls on a range of devices between school staff members. More information at https://www.tcd.ie/itservices/kb/teams/teams-faq.php .

Email, SMS text and Mobile Phone, WhatsApp : Standard email might also be used but doesn’t have the same real-time impact as an online chat facility. Standard work mobiles might also be used to reach out when immediate input from staff is required. WhatsApp might be used but sensitive college data/information would not be recommended over this medium.

IT Services have created a practice module for students to practice submitting attempts using these tools. Click on the link under Institutional Announcements after logging in to Blackboard to access this. More detail are in the Student Help tab

Ultimately, it is up to the academic department or school to decide on what electronic communications to use on the day of and during the exam.

Blackboard does allow instructors enrolled on the module to communicate messages to students using the Blackboard Announcements tool.

Schools and Departments should trial run their exams and fine tune how communications between the school, exam lecturers and students will take place as outlined in our staff guide handbooks on this page.

Whether it is a 1.) Test quiz, 2.) a blackboard assignment or 3.) a Turnitin Assignment, you will find instructions to answer this specific question around setting a specific exam release date and time in the technology guide handbooks further up this page.

Monitoring the progress of students during an online exam or during the time period students have to submit a Blackboard assignment or Blackboard Turnitin assignment is done via the Grade Center within Module Management section of the module. Specific advice on this is contained within the Section “Handling Submission Issues” in the handbooks further up this page.

Items to consider when trying to manage a range of students completing tests online or submitting Blackboard assignments or Blackboard Turnitin assignments are covered in the guide handbooks under section “Handling Submission Issues”

The School or Department must consider forms of electronic communications which will allow a student who requires assistance or clarification before, during and after the exam to be able to communicate with relevant staff in the school or dept. This may be by email to a specific address, etc, the school or department need to decide what is the most appropriate solution.

It must be remembered that students submitting assignments or online exams may experience technical issues in some cases and an approach should be in place to deal with those scenarios at school or department level.

You can set a due date for a Blackboard Test, Assignment or a Blackboard Turnitin assignment with a display after and until period of time in the case of a Blackboard Test to end the exam. How to do this is outlined in the handbooks above for the individual technologies used.

The School Admin or Instructor(s) who are enrolled on the specific module, can prepare a list of enrolled students who are sitting an online Blackboard Test, Assignment or Blackboard Turnitin Assignment to compare against the list of students who have completed. Check the individual handbooks above for more details on each technology.

The easiest way is to use Microsoft Word to create the Proforma Answer Book with the relevant paragraph topics that the students need to answer and space provided after each to allow the students to complete the answer book. An explanation of the different sections to the answer book and what question sections need to be answered and instructions about upload to specific assignment within the relevant module.

Students should regularly save as they type in their answers or have autosave turned on and working in Word to ensure that they don’t lose any written answers as they go along. Once the answer book is completed, the student then should upload their answer book to the relevant assignment section within Blackboard for that assessment.

If marking anonymously, you should also check that the template is not set to save identifiable information (via File -> Info -> Check for Issues -> Inspect Document -> Remove All for Document Properties and Personal Information). Save the template and check that under File -> Info it is not saving personal information such as Author and Last Modified By.

If other types of answer books are needed that require mathematical equations created in a different file type, careful consideration to how the student will be able to provide the content within the relevant answer book is important and whether this file type is accepted by Blackboard, see https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Student/Assignments/Supported_File_Types .

This topic is covered in the Section 2 “Setting the options in a Blackboard Test” of the tests handbook above. You will need to consider whether this fits with your test requirements however; see the handbook for more details.

You have options here either to use the announcements section of Blackboard to advise students of how the online Exam or Assignment is to be conducted. You can also add information to the Description fields within an assignment or Test which will be seen just before the student begins the assignment or test in Blackboard.

Please see the links below on the Blackboard and Turnitin websites. However, there are a number of considerations regarding anonymous marking depending on your workflow; for example, whether the submissions are graded directly through Blackboard or whether they need to be exported. For advice on the different options around anonymous marking please contact the Teaching and Learning IT team via [email protected]

Blackboard Assignments - Anonymous Marking

(For Blackboard assignments, you will need to ensure that the anonymous assignment is included in Mark Centre Calculations (via Edit Column Information) before anonymous assignments display in the Needs Marking queue. You should also hide the Total column from students (via Edit Column Information) if entering provisional anonymous grades as scores from the assignment will feed into this total column. Please email [email protected] if you need more advice on this process)

Blackboard Tests - Grading with Usernames Hidden (Partial Anonymity)

Turnitin Assignments - Anonymous Marking

Note: you cannot bulk download assignments/results for Turnitin if the submissions are still anonymised since the files would have information identifying the students.

There can be a few reasons for this:

For Blackboard assignments : if the files are very large (for example, containing a lot of images), you may not be able to download them all in one go. Instead, try downloading submissions in batches.

For Turnitin : if anonymous marking is enabled, the options to bulk export submissions/results will not be available as the results sheets etc. would contain identifying information. After the post date passes, results and feedback are released to students and the bulk export options will then in turn be made available.

Blackboard Assignments : There is no specific setting to give additional time to some students; instead when a submission is uploaded after the Due Date it is marked as Late but it is up to the instructor to decide whether this affects the mark as there is no automatic deduction for late submissions.

Turnitin Assignments: There is no specific setting to give additional time to some students; instead when a submission is uploaded after the Due Date it is marked as Late (as long as you have allowed late submissions when creating the assignment). It is up to the instructor to decide whether this affects the mark as there is no automatic deduction of marks.

Blackboard Tests : If needed you can provide certain students with test availability exceptions under the Test Options; for example you could allow a particular student additional time to take a test.

More details on each of these options are available in the associated handbooks at the top of the page.

Below are external links and additional resources to help you get started with online exams in Blackboard.

• Bb Website - Tests Guide
• Bb Website - Assignments
• Turnitin Website

Latest Updates:

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Help & Support

For queries related to the content on these pages please contact the Teaching & Learning IT team via: [email protected]

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Resubmitting to an assignment

Some assignments may allow students the ability to overwrite their previous submissions until the due date and time set for the assignment. This option can be set by the instructor on an assignment by assignment basis. If overwriting is not enabled, the instructor must manually delete a previous submission to allow the student user to submit a second file.

The first submission and three resubmissions will generate a similarity report instantly. Any subsequent submissions will incur a 24-hour delay between reports generating. Any resubmissions will overwrite the previously uploaded file.

If resubmission by overwrite has been enabled or an instructor has deleted the student user’s first submission, resubmitting a paper is handled in an identical manner as a first time submission to an assignment. Follow the steps for a first time submission as listed in this manual.

When a student user clicks on the Resubmit button in the class portfolio page for an assignment allowing overwrite resubmission, a warning pop-up will appear. This serves to notify the student user that, if available, Originality Reports for any resubmission that is made in this assignment will require an additional twenty four hour delay to generate. 

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How do I submit an assignment on behalf of a student as an instructor?

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The Blackboard Due Date Loophole

Forgive me if I am late to the game on this, but I just learned today that if students open an assignment submission page on Blackboard (LMS) before the due date, they can still submit after the due date as long as that page is still open (although Blackboard will denote the lateness by placing the word “LATE” next to the submission time).

I have had so many assignments turned in late in the past few weeks, and I was wondering how that could even be possible given that I have the assignment expire/disappear at 11:59pm on the due date. By opening the submission page early, it’s like they are giving themselves a portal into extra time to work on a paper or project.

This is ridiculous. I have now started checking all submission times when I grade in Blackboard; I never imagined I’d have to do this because my thought was that if it was successfully uploaded, it must have been submitted prior to the deadline. I continue to refuse to accept late work (which is what my original syllabus states), but I’m getting more and more pushback from students who are saying that they did, indeed, submit prior to the deadline, but because Blackboard is slow, their assignments are showing up late. Ok, even if I were to believe that, 12:01am or 12:05am is one thing, but I have papers uploaded at 3:30am or 4:45am, when the assignment hasn’t been available since 11:59pm. It’s infuriating.

It’s frustrating that Blackboard hasn’t addressed this issue. All parts of an assignment should disappear at the time chosen by the instructor. The opening of a window ahead of time should not allow that student to then find a loophole in the process and submit work beyond the deadline. The open window should also time-out or require refreshing, which should lead the student to a page that explains that this assignment is no longer available.

Anyone else been experiencing this??

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Submit Group Assignments

You are viewing Original Course View content

Where are my group assignments?

Your instructor can display group assignments in different areas of your course. You might access group assignments from links on the course menu called "Assignments" or "Groups." Or, your instructor might incorporate group assignments into each week's content. Group assignments may also appear in the My Groups panel after the course menu. Ask your instructor if you have questions about how your course is organized.

Your instructor may make some of your group assignments available after a certain date or after you complete a certain task. For example, you might have to mark a lecture as reviewed before you may access a group assignment. Contact your instructor if you don't see a group assignment that you think you should.

If your group submits after the due date, the submission is marked LATE and penalties may apply.

Submit work for a group assignment

Your instructor provides all the information your group needs to complete a group assignment. One group member submits your group assignment. All members of your group receive the same grade for a group assignment.

If you're the member who submits a group assignment for the group, you need to select Submit . If you don't, your instructor won't receive your completed group assignment.

If your instructor hasn't allowed multiple attempts, you may submit your group assignment only once. Before you select Submit , be sure that you've attached any required files.

In the My Groups panel, select your group name. On the group homepage, select the name of the assignment in the Group Assignments section.

• Select Write Submission to expand the area where you can type your submission. You can use the options in the editor to format the text.

Drag files from your computer to the "hot spot" in the Attach Files area. If your browser allows, you can also drag a folder of files. The files will upload individually. If the browser doesn't allow you to submit your group assignment after you upload a folder, select Do not attach in the folder's row to remove it. You can drag the files individually and submit again.

You can use the file name or provide another name for the file.

• Optionally, type Comments about your group submission.

Be sure you select Submit or Save Draft before you navigate to another course area. Your work is NOT saved automatically. If you don't select Submit or Save Draft, other group members won't see your work. They do see that you've worked on the group submission and may be confused.

You won't be able to drag files to upload, view confirmation numbers, or receive email submission receipts if your institution uses an older version of Blackboard Learn.

Save a group assignment as a draft and submit later

On the Upload Assignment page, select Save Draft to save your work and continue later. Your text and files are saved on the page. When you return, you can resume working.

One member can save a group assignment as a draft and another member can continue later and submit the work .

• Return to your group assignment and select the group assignment title.
• On the Review Submission History page, select Continue .
• On the Upload Assignment page, make your changes.
• Optionally, type Comments about your submission.
• Select Submit . The Review Submission History page appears with information about your submitted group assignment.

When you finish your group assignment, you need to select Submit . If you don't, your instructor won't receive your group work.

Resubmit a group assignment

Your instructor may allow you to submit a group assignment more than once for a variety of reasons. For example, your instructor may provide comments on your first draft so that you can try to improve your work.

You may realize you made an error after you submit your group assignment. However, your group may not be allowed to resubmit the assignment . Contact your instructor to ask for the opportunity to resubmit the assignment.

If your group may make another attempt, select the assignment link in your course. Start New appears on the Review Submission History page.

Anonymously graded group assignments

On the Upload Assignment page, you're informed if your group assignment is set to be graded anonymously.

Your instructor won't see your group name during grading. Your instructor may choose to grade anonymously to eliminate bias.

You shouldn't include any identifying information with your submission. Don't add your name or group name to files you upload or use names in comments.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't i open our group assignment.

Contact the help desk at your institution. They can help you troubleshoot and download any application you might need. If you're not sure how to contact them, look for the technology office on your institution's website or search the web for your institution's name + Blackboard + help or support. Check to make sure you're using a supported internet browser and operating system for your institution's version of Blackboard Learn.

Why can't I find our group assignment?

Your instructor controls the date when group assignments become available. You might also have to meet other criteria to access the assignment. For example, you might have to mark a lecture as reviewed first. Contact your instructor for more information.

My instructor did not receive our group assignment. What do I do?

You need to discuss this issue with your instructor.

How do I edit or resubmit a group assignment?

You can't edit a submitted group assignment, but you may be allowed to resubmit it. Not all group assignments can be resubmitted. Check if you can submit an assignment more than once. If you can't and made a mistake, you need to contact your instructor to ask for the opportunity to resubmit the assignment.

In the Original Course View, if your instructor allows you to submit a group assignment more than once, a Start New option appears on the Review Submission History page. Select the group assignment link in your course to access the Review Submission History page.

How do I know if my group assignment has been graded?

In the Original Course View, the My Grades page displays all your grades. My Grades is often located on the course menu. The course menu appears on the left side of the course window. If My Grades isn't on the course menu, select Tools and select My Grades . If you submitted your group assignment, but it's not graded, you will see an exclamation mark next to the group assignment's title.

If your group assignment has been submitted and graded, the grade appears in the assignment's row. To view more detail, select the group assignment's title to access the Review Submission History page.

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