Blackboard Vista: Releasing an Assessment

Step 1: Access the Edit Assessment Properties Screen

1. Next to the assessment name, click the ActionLinks icon. The ActionLinks menu is displayed.
2. Select Edit Properties. The Edit Assessment Properties screen is displayed.

Step 2: Change Assessement Settings - Top of Screen

1. The "Title" and "Description" text boxes are automatically filled in with the information you specified when you created the assessment.
2. The "Item Visibility" is set to Hide Item.
   NOTE: If you will be releasing the assessment based on dates, you will need to change this setting to Show Item in order for students to see the assessment.
3. The "Grade Book column name" is the same as the assessment title, unless you changed it when you created the assessment.
4. In the “Question delivery” area, select how you want to deliver the questions to students. By default, the "Deliver questions all at once" option is selected. Also, the question title will be displayed when the question is delivered to the students.
   NOTE: Remember to deselect the “Display question titles” check box if the title contains any clues to the question answer.
   
   

Step 3: Change Assessement Settings - Middle of Screen

1. Scroll to view the "Display Assessment" area (not illustrated).
2. In the “Display Assessment” area, select whether you want the assessment to open in a new browser window. By default, the "In a new browser window" option is selected.
   NOTE: For web-accessibility issues, it may be advantageous to select the "In the same browser window" option.
3. In the “Duration” area, you specify how long students have to finish the assessment. By default, it is set to 1 hour.
4. In the “Attempts” area, specify whether students can take the assessment more than once and how long they have to wait in between attempts.

Step 4: Change Assessement Settings - Bottom of Screen

1. Scroll to view the “Student Score” area (not illustrated).
2. In the “Student Score” area, specify if and when you will release scores to the students.
   NOTE: The default is not to release the score.
3. In the “Statistics Release” area, specify whether or not to release statistics to students. The default is not to release statistics to students.
   NOTE: You must release the score in order the release statistics to students.

Step 5: The Dates Available Settings

1. In the “More Options” area, click the Dates Available link (not illustrated). The settings are displayed.
2. To specify a specific start date, in the "Start Time" area, click the Date Selection icon. You can use the calendar to choose a date.
3. To specify a start time, in the "Start Time" area, click the Time Selection icon. You can choose a time from the list.
4. To specify an end time, in the "End Time" area, select Unlimited to have the quiz available until the end of the semester or use the Date Selection and Time Selection icons to select a specific end date and time.
5. You can also create a Calendar entry to remind students by selecting the Create a corresponding event in the Calendar check box.

Step 6: The Results Properties

1. In the “More Options” area, click the Results Properties link (not illustrated). The settings are displayed.
   
2. You can specify what information students can see when they review their assessment results. By default, students will see the following:
   • the question text
   • their response and the correct answer
   • any feedback for each question
   • their score
   • total assessment score
   • any grader comments

   NOTE: The "E-mail results to" option is not available with this release of Blackboard Vista.

Step 7: The Submission Properties

1. In the “More Options” area, click the Submission Properties link (not illustrated). The settings are displayed.
2. You can specify to display a message to students to let them know they have successfully submitted the assessment and to tell them “what next.”
   NOTE: The "Send a copy of each Student's submission via e-mail" option is not available with this release of the product.

Step 8: The Security Properties

1. In the “More Options” area, click the Security Properties link (not illustrated). The settings are displayed.
2. In the "Proctor password" text box, type the password that Students must enter before they can access the assessment.
3. You can specify security information if the assessment is proctored.
   NOTE: You will need to know the IP information of the computers that students will use.

    

Step 9: The Custom Instructions Settings

1. In the “More Options” area, click the Custom Instructions link (not illustrated). The settings are displayed.
2. If you have special instructions for students, you can type them in the text box.
3. You can turn on the HTML editor if you want to add formatting to your instructions.
4. If you want the instructions to be displayed for every question, select the "Display custom assessment instructions on every question when questions are delivered one at a time" check box.

Step 10: Save the Settings

1. Click Save. The Assessments screen is displayed (not illustrated).

Step 11: Show the Assessment

If you did not change the "Item Visibility" to Show Item, the assessment is still hidden.

1. Click the ActionLinks icon. The ActionLinks menu is displayed.
2. Select Show Item. The “Hidden” indicator is no longer displayed. The assessment is visible and avilable to the students (not illustrated).