Grading Assignments in Brightspace

1. Navigate to Tools > Assignments
2. Click on the assignment you want to grade
3. Click on a student’s name or their submitted file
4. The grading interface opens with the submission on the left and feedback panel on the right

• The student’s submitted file appears on the left side of the screen
• If they submitted multiple times, all submissions appear in a dropdown menu (most recent submission is displayed first)
• For text submissions, the text appears directly on the page

On the right side of the screen:

1. Overall Grade: Enter the score (this automatically syncs to the gradebook)
2. Rubric (if attached): Click rubric levels to calculate the grade automatically
3. Overall Feedback: Type feedback in the text box
   • Format text, add images, or use “Insert Stuff” to add links or videos
   • This feedback is visible to students in both Assignments and Grades
4. Feedback Files (optional): Upload files such as:
   • Annotated copies of student work
   • Instructor notes or additional resources
5. Audio/Video Feedback (optional): Click the microphone or camera icon
   • Record up to 1 minute of audio or 3 minutes of video in Brightspace
   • Or upload larger pre-recorded files (up to 1 GB)

1. Click the pen icon in the document viewer toolbar
2. Use annotation tools to:
   • Highlight text
   • Add text comments directly on the document
   • Insert notes (appears as icons students can click to expand)
   • Draw or mark up the submission
3. Annotations appear directly on the student’s submission and are visible when they view feedback

• Publish: Immediately releases the grade and feedback to the student (syncs to gradebook and sends notification)
• Save Draft: Saves your work without releasing it to students (use this if you want to review grades before publishing)

• Use the navigation arrows in the top-right or bottom-right corners to move to the next student
• This allows you to grade continuously without returning to the submission list

When to use this approach: When all group members contributed equally and deserve the same grade.

1. Navigate to Tools > Assignments
2. Click on the group assignment
3. You’ll see group names instead of individual student names
4. Click on a group’s submission to open it

1. Grade the submission as you would an individual assignment
2. Enter the overall grade
3. Provide feedback (text, rubric, audio/video, or inline annotations)
4. Click Publish

• All group members automatically receive the same grade
• All group members see the same feedback
• The grade appears in each student’s individual gradebook

When to use this approach: When group members contributed unequally or individual performance varied.

1. Follow the steps above to grade the group assignment in the Assignments tool
2. Enter the grade that most group members earned
3. Publish this grade

1. Navigate to Tools > Grades
2. Find the group assignment grade column
3. Click the dropdown arrow next to the grade item name
4. Select Enter Grades
5. Change the grade for specific students who deserve different grades
6. Optionally, add individual feedback in the Feedback column
7. Click Save and Close

Important consideration: Students whose grades were adjusted will see two different grades:

• The original group grade in the Assignments tool
• Their individual adjusted grade in the Gradebook

Communication tip: Let students know upfront that:

• They should check the Gradebook for their official grade
• The grade in Assignments reflects the group’s overall performance
• Their Gradebook shows any individual adjustments

Benefits of using rubrics:

• Faster grading – click rubric levels instead of writing individual feedback for each criterion
• More consistent grading across students
• Clearer expectations for students
• Automatic grade calculation

How to grade with a rubric:

1. When grading a submission, the rubric appears on the right side of the screen
2. Click the appropriate level for each criterion
3. The total score calculates automatically
4. Add additional overall feedback if needed
5. Publish feedback

See the Rubrics Quick Guide for creating and using rubrics.

What are annotation tools? Built-in Brightspace tools that let you mark directly on student submissions – like grading a paper assignment but digitally.

Supported file types:

• PDF
• Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX)
• Images (JPG, PNG, etc.)

Available annotation tools:

• Highlight: Mark important passages in different colors
• Text: Add text comments directly on the document
• Notes: Insert note icons students can click to read longer feedback
• Free draw: Circle, underline, or draw arrows
• Shapes: Add rectangles, lines, etc.

How students see inline feedback:

• Annotations appear directly on their submitted document
• Students access inline feedback by clicking “View Inline Feedback” in the Assignments tool
• Annotations also appear when they view the feedback in the Grades tool

Important note: If you use Turnitin for an assignment, don’t use Brightspace annotation tools on the same assignment – students can’t see both sets of annotations together. Choose one feedback method or the other.

Why use audio/video feedback?

• Conveys tone and emotion better than text
• More personal connection with students
• Can explain complex feedback more clearly
• Often faster than typing extensive written feedback

How to record feedback:

1. When grading, click the microphone icon (audio) or camera icon (video)
2. Choose Record Audio/Video or Upload File
3. If recording in Brightspace: record up to 1 minute (audio) or 3 minutes (video)
4. If uploading: files can be up to 1 GB
5. Add a title and description
6. Click Add and Update

Student access: Students can open and download audio/video files from both the Assignments tool and their Gradebook.

Publish immediately when:

• You’re confident in the grade and feedback
• You want students to receive feedback quickly
• You’re using a rubric that provides clear, objective grading

Save as draft when:

• You want to review all grades before releasing them
• You need to check your grading consistency across students
• You’re grading complex assignments and want to step away and return with fresh eyes
• You’re using anonymous marking (you must save all as drafts and publish all at once)

Publishing all drafts at once:

1. Return to the assignment submission list
2. Select the checkboxes next to students whose drafts you want to publish
3. Click Publish Feedback
4. Confirm in the popup window

Use navigation arrows:

• Grade one submission, then use arrows (top-right or bottom-right) to move to the next
• No need to return to the submission list between students

Grade in batches:

• Set dedicated grading time rather than grading sporadically
• Grade similar work together to maintain consistency

Create a feedback bank:

• Keep a document of common feedback phrases
• Copy and paste, then personalize for each student

Maximize rubrics:

• Let the rubric do most of the talking
• Add brief overall feedback to personalize or highlight key points

Check:

• Did you click “Publish” instead of “Save Draft”?
• Is the assignment visible to students?
• For anonymous marking: Did you publish all feedback at once using “Publish All Feedback”?

Make sure:

• The assignment is linked to a gradebook item
• You clicked “Publish” (not just “Save Draft”)
• The gradebook item is visible to students

• Annotations only work on supported file types (PDF, Word, PowerPoint, images)
• Make sure you enabled annotation tools when creating the assignment
• Verify you published the feedback (annotations don’t appear in draft mode)
• If using Turnitin, students must view feedback in Turnitin’s GradeMark – Brightspace annotations won’t appear there