Reclaim Time: Design, Grading, and Feedback – 4 Tips for Faculty

ICYMI Here are some highlights from a webinar by Instructional Designer, Kim Kenward, on “Reclaim Time: Design, Grading & Feedback Strategies in using Blackboard”. [View Google Slides from Presentation]

“Students crave online interaction with their instructors.”

– Kim Kenward, Instructional Designer

TIP #1 – Set up an Instructor Facilitation Schedule

Create a schedule for yourself to help manage your time effectively. You can even share this with your students so they know when to expect a reply or a grade to be posted.

Having a schedule set aside for yourself, will save you time in the long run, so that you can focus on tasks for your courses in blocks of time.

TIP #2 – Use Due Dates in Blackboard

• Save time and student emails coming in around confusion about an assignment.
• Be extremely clear about the assignment, what is due, and where in Bb to submit the assignments.  
• Be clear about the assignment grading/turnaround time.
• Be sure to SET DUE DATES in Blackboard because this helps students as they can view those assignment due dates in their Bb calendar.

When creating and assignment or assessment in Blackboard, be sure to enter the date and time in the DUE DATES section.

Here is an example of a student view (both in the calendar and in the mobile app), when DUE DATES are used by instructors:

TIP #3 – Be Digitally Present for your Students in Blackboard

• Keep yourself and your students on schedule!
• Create a consistent schedule of when you will be updating “Announcements” each week & coordinate with release of content or weekly folders in Blackboard.
• Create checklists/task-lists/assignment keys, weekly folders in Blackboard to organize your content.
• Set clear expectations regarding when you will be present and when you will not.
• Set scheduled and recurring times that you can meet for virtual office hours or will be actively checking email (Google document sign-up sheet example).

TIP #4 – Provide Rich Feedback to your Students

• Save yourself the email overload… manage assignments and grades in Blackboard! (Do NOT have students email you their assignments!)
• Establish an efficient grading system (Blackboard interactive rubrics, audio,  video feedback, downloading assignments) from the Grade center.

Providing audio/video feedback to students in Blackboard.

• Use Blackboard Annotate to provide feedback to students regarding their assignments without having to print, annotate/grade, and re-upload or share with students. Using Annotate, everything is consolidated and in one place. Tablet or iPad Pro users can annotate with a stylus!

Watch a video about Blackboard Annotate Assignment Grading.