Adding a column to the Grade Center is only necessary when the assignment or assessment is completed outside of Blackboard, such as in-class quizzes or papers submitted by hand. Other items, such as participation scores, might require instructors to add a column. Any graded assignment or assessment created within Blackboard will automatically have a corresponding Grade Center column. For example, creating a Blackboard "reading quiz" worth 10 points would trigger the automatic creation of a 10-point Grade Center column named "reading quiz." 

1. From the Control Panel, click on Grade Center to expand the menu.
   
   
2. Click on Full Grade Center link.
   
   
3. Click on the Create Column button.
   
   
4. In the section "Column Information," in the "Column Name" box,  type in the name of the assessment (e.g. Persuasive Speech, Respiratory Quiz)
   
   
5. The "Primary Display" defaults to Score. This is the display the students will see.
   
   
6. The "Secondary Display" defaults to None. This display will be only visible by you.
   
   
   
   In the above example, the student scored 48 points out of 50 points. The secondary score displays the 96%.
   
   
7. Below the large text box, look for the "Points Possible" box. Add the number of points for this assessment. If this is an extra credit column, the Points Possible must be 0.
   
   
8. If there is a Rubric associated with this assessment, click on the Add Rubric button. You have the choice to Select Rubric (add an existing rubric that you have already created in Blackboard), Create New Rubric, or Create from Existing. For more information on rubrics, see:
   
   

   Create a Blackboard Rubric

    

   These rubrics are for Blackboard Assessments only. Turnitin uses its own rubrics. For Turnitin rubrics, see these instructions.

   YouTube: https://youtu.be/VgKIkeo-t3Q
   

   1. From the Control Panel, expand the Course Tools section and click Rubrics.
      
      
   2. On the Rubrics page, click Create Rubric on the menu.
      
      
   3. Type a name and optionally, provide a description of the rubric to make it easier to associate it to relevant assignments. New rubrics default to three rows and three columns.
      
      
      
      
   4. Rubric Details:
   1.  Rubric Type: Click on the drop down box to select the rubric type.
      
      Rubric scores can be displayed as: 
      No Points - feedback only
      Points - single point for each criteria
      Point range - range of points for each criteria
      Percents (default) - Flexible depending on each assignments possible points
      Percent Range - additional flexibility
      
      Select this option based upon how the grade will be displayed in the Grade Center. If the grade for this assessment is displayed as points, select Points or Point Range.
      
      
   2. Add Row or Add Column button:
      Click Add Row button add criterion to the bottom of the grid.
      Click Add Column button to add new levels of achievement tot he grid. 
      
      
   3. Change titles or row or columns:
      Click on the menu next to the column or row name and click Edit.
      Change the name to fit the criterion or achievement.
      Click the Save button.
      
      
   4. Add Points or Percentage:
      Click in the Point or Percentage box for each cell to add the value.
      
      
   5. Add description:
      Add a description defining the criteria and the associated level of achievement.
      
      
      
      
   5. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.

    
   
   

   Associate a Blackboard Rubric with an Assessment

    

   Associated rubrics are visible in the grading and rubrics sections for these items:
   

   • Assignments Essay
   • Short Answer
   • File Response test questions
   • Blogs
   • Journals
   • Wikis
   • Discussion board forums and threads

   
   You can also associate a rubric in the Grade Center by accessing a column's menu and clicking Edit Column Information.
   
   

   1. Create an assessment or edit a current assessment. 
      
      
   2. In the Grading section, click on the Add Rubric button and click on Select Rubric.
      
      
      
      
   3. Select the rubric by clicking on the check box. If you wish to preview the rubric, click on the paper icon to the left of the rubric's name.
      
      
      
      Click Submit.
      
      
   4. In the column "Show Rubric to Students," click the No icon. Select the option Yes, with Rubric Scores. This option will allow your students to view and use the rubric while completing the assessment.
      
      
      
      
   5. Complete the remaining options of the assessment. 
    
9. Enter an optional Due Date and Time. Due dates will trigger a notification in the "Alerts," "What's New," and "To Do" panels in the Planner and Global Navigation areas.
   
   
10. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Submit button.
    
    
11. You will return to the full Grade Center. The column will be added to the far right. If you do not see the column, you will see a horizontal scroll bar below the Grade Center. Scroll to the right to see the rest of the columns.