This guide pertains to Ultra Course View.
If your course is in Original Course View, see the Original Course View tutorial collection.
When to Use?
Anonymous grading can be used to hide student names as you grade their assignment or test materials. You may only use the anonymous grading function to grade items that require students to submit text or file responses along with built-in question types. Please note you cannot enable anonymous grading if the test or assignment already has student responses or submissions. Student names are hidden while you grade and are revealed only after you post all grades. No indication of students with accommodations is shown.
As a side note, Blackboard notifies students that the assignment is graded anonymously and to avoid including personal information in their response.
When grading anonymously, the student progress status is hidden until the instructor posts grades. This ensures the student’s identity remains anonymous during the grading process.
Watch: Grading Options video
To learn more See How to Create a Test or How to Create an Assignment.
Grading Anonymously
Instructors can complete the following tasks and actions:
- Grade test and assignment submissions by student
- Filter on grading status of choice
- Navigate between students and multiple submission attempts
- Keep track of grading progress
- View both the attempt- and the final grade for each assessment
- Provide meaningful feedback, with or without a rubric
- Grade inline using Blackboard Annotate
- Collapse side panels to view more of the student submission
- Show an originality score if SafeAssign is used
Enable Anonymous Grading
1. When creating or editing a test or assignment, select the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
2. Scroll down to the “Grading and Submissions” category and select “Hide student names”.
3. If done correctly, the submitted responses will not include student information.
Note: Anonymous Grading can not be enabled if Automatic grade posting is enabled.
Anonymous Grading and Exemptions
To further support instructors and improve their ability to manage student exemptions, instructors can set exemptions for anonymously graded assessments. An exemption is provided to any student who does not need to complete an activity in the course. To learn more, see the Exemptions tutorial. Instructors can access the exemptions option for an anonymous assessment from the Student Overview page. This will make it easier for instructors to manage exemptions and ensure a fair and accurate grading process for all students.
Image 1: Instructor view – “Essay: Sun proximity effects – Milky Way” assignment is anonymously graded; the instructor can access the “Add or edit exemption” option from the overflow menu
Image 2: The exemption icon is not visible in the Gradebook Grid View until all grades have been posted to help ensure student anonymity
Image 3: The exemption icon is not visible on an assessment submissions page until all grades have been posted; this helps to ensure student anonymity
Bulk Download of Anonymous Submissions
Sometimes instructors and graders want to download students' assessment submissions for offline viewing. Downloading submissions for offline viewing provides flexibility and convenience. Download submissions from the item's menu in the Gradebook Grid View.
Image 1: Instructor view of the Download Submission option for anonymous assessments
Image 2: Selecting the Download Submissions menu option generates a ZIP file with all students’ submissions.
When the ZIP file is ready, the system sends a message with a link to the instructor. Instructors can access the message from Messages and select the link to download the ZIP file.
Image 3: Message with a link to the ZIP file
To preserve anonymity, the system renames the downloaded files based on the submission receipt number. To map a submission back to a given student attempt, use the Submission Receipt lookup option in the Gradebook.
Compatible Settings
The following settings work with anonymous grading:
- Due date (anonymous grading stays in effect when a due date passes and the instructor is notified of an assignment’s late submission)
- Multiple attempts (Student names remain hidden on each attempt)
- Parallel grading (2 graders per student)
- Time limit
- Grading rubric
- Align with goals
- SafeAssign (Results and originality reports are made available after grades are posted)
The following settings do not work with anonymous grading
- Class conversations
- Collect submissions offline
- Assign to groups
- Add and reuse questions