Grade Center

I get errors uploading grades from Excel or iClicker/iGrader.

I get an error trying to create or update a weighted column using Safari.

Instructors using Safari may get an obscure error message when trying to update a weighted total in the grade center.  The error might be something like

blackboard.persist.PersistenceException: Unable to generate id. The
provided key value is invalid:
blackboard.platform.gradebook2.GradingPeriod - - {2}
For reference, the Error ID is 6de2907d-427a-4b68-bec2-578dd25369e5.

How do I make Smart Views in the Grade Center?

First go to the “Full Grade Center” under “Grade Center” in the Control Panel. Then click the green button “Manage” and select “Smart Views.” The default Smart Views are displayed on the Smart Views main page. Click “Create Smart View.”

This opens up a new page where you will be required to enter a name for your new Smart View. You can also create an optional description. Next, you must select the type of Smart View you want to have:

How do I download grades to Excel? Where's the "Download" button?

The menu in the Grade Center is an obscure yellow button labeled "Work Offline". You'll find commands there to upload and download Excel grades.

How do I check whether my professor got the Assignment I submitted?

After you submit an assignment (the things with icons that look like a piece of paper, a ruler, and a pencil), you can check the status.

Can my students see comments?

Ask your students to click on the "My UO" tab, then "My Grades" in the "Tools" area, then your class. They should be able to see their grade along with your feedback to them.

Why can't I delete some columns in the Grade Center?

There are two cases where you can't remove a column. One is where it is marked as the external grade and the other is when it is connected to a test, quiz or assignment.

Students aren't getting credit in the grade center for an assignment even though it's marked as "complete".

A column in the grade center can be set to display as "complete" (checkmark) or "incomplete".  Blackboard treats null data (which normally is displayed with a hyphen) as incomplete, and any score at all, even 0, as complete.  So it's likely that your students have a score of 0 in the cells marked "complete".

Grades in my grade center are being displayed as letter grades rather than numbers. How do I fix this?

I want to use the gradebook to record grades from an in-class assignment / quiz.

You can create a column for this assessment in the grade center by using "Create Column" (at the top of the grade center window). You'll have specify a column name and maximum number of points ("points possible").  You can add grades in many ways.  The easiest is to click on the "-" in a particular row and type the student's grade (as a number less than or equal to the points possible, or as a percentage or letter grade if you've changed the column display format).