Absolutely critical components for online courses are providing feedback to learners quickly and reporting their grades.  Instructors should regularly monitor their courses and check-in to the course at least once per day.  Answer learner questions within 24 hours and provide information to all learners if an answer applies to the entire class

• Menu: Set a menu link link for MyGrades in Blackboard as an easy way for learners to find their grades and for instructors and learners to view feedback. 
  
  
• Consistency: Be consistent when grading; stick with one grading scheme of Points, Percentages, or Letter Grades. 
  
  
• Regularity: Instructors should regularly monitor their courses and make clear to learners what to expect. 
  
  
• Use the Blackboard Gradebook: The Assignment tool in Blackboard will automatically create a Gradebook column and use Due Dates. This connection will ensure that the Calendar reflects assignment or test/quiz due dates to learners. 
  
  
• Visualize: Grade items and allow learners to see their grades as quickly as possible. If an assignment will take longer than usual for the instructor to evaluate, alert the learners to that additional time up front.  
  
  

• Rubric and Standards: Establish a grading rubric and standard for Discussion Boards.  Using a Rubric and standard if you are using Discussion Boards will allow learners to understand expectations and make adjustments as needed.  Discussion in large classrooms can become unwieldy and difficult to read in lines of text.  
  
  

• InLine Grading: For Assignments - use the InLine Grading feature.  Have learners submit assignments (papers, reports, submissions) through the Assignment tool.
  
  

• Rubrics: Use rubrics for assignments.  Rubrics establish standards, provide information and feedback to learners and make grading quicker for instructors. 
  
  

• Feedback: Online quizzes and tests have features that allow instructors to build in feedback for all questions and to tailor that feedback to both correct and incorrect answers.
  
  

• Interact: Monitor submission and communicate and remind learners of deadlines, just like you would in a face-to-face class. 

Sources and Relevant Links