Pathfinder - Individual Student Settings: Accommodations, Exceptions, and Exemptions

This guide contains resources and information about customizing settings for individual students in Blackboard.

In the first section, three specific Blackboard Ultra features which apply to individual requirements on graded items are highlighted: accommodations, exceptions, and exemptions. 

In the second section, additional features which can be used to customize individual settings with regards to course permissions and non-graded course content are listed. 



Accommodations, Exceptions and Exemptions 

In casual conversation, you might use the terms "accommodate" and "make an exception" more-or-less interchangeably to describe special circumstances for a student in one of your courses. However, in  Ultra course view, accommodations, exceptions, and exemptions describe separate functions that are designed with different purposes in mind. Before you decide which function(s) to use in a particular case, it is important to understand the distinctions between them. 

Accommodations

Many students registered with the Center for Disability Resources require accommodations for extended time on in-class and web-based tests and assignments in Blackboard. 

Accommodations in the Ultra course view are set for individual students and then apply to all graded items within the course. Accommodations can include exempting students from due dates, and adjusting or overriding time limits. 

An accommodation is a proactive, global setting applied to a specific student profile. An accommodation gives the student special permissions that automatically apply to due dates and/or time limits for all graded items in the course. Once set, an accommodation should generally not be altered or bypassed, and should be treated as part of the default format of the course when planning and delivering course content. 

Not all disability accommodations registered with the CDR can be addressed with the Blackboard accommodations function, which is designed specifically with graded coursework in mind. Some CDR accommodations not related to the submission of graded work, such as providing lecture slides ahead of time, or granting course access to a note taker or helper,  can be managed in Blackboard using other individual settings features; for more information see the second section of this guide. If you have questions about how to meet a specific accommodation request through Blackboard, you can reach out to Online Learning Services directly.  




Add student accommodations from the <a href="https://answers.syr.edu/x/LrTcCg" target="_blank"> Roster </a> by clicking the three dot menu in the student card.  If your roster is in list view, click the three dot menu to the right of the student's name.  A panel will open where you can set a due date or time limit accommodation.
  • Due date accommodation: Students with a due date accommodation may submit work any time after the due date for no penalty.  Students with this accommodation will never have their work marked late.
  • Time limit accommodation: Students with a time limit accommodation have a 'percentage of extra time' that you define to finish their work during timed assessments.  For example, if the exam has a time limit of 30 minutes, a student with an accommodation of 50% extra time (aka time-and-a-half) will have 45 minutes to complete the assessment. A student with an accommodation of 100% extra time (aka double time) will have 60 minutes to complete the assessment. 

Students with accommodations appear with a purple banner icon next to their names in both the Gradebook and Roster.  





*Students won't see the accommodations you've assigned. 

For a complete walkthrough, go to the Features page on accommodations



Exceptions

Individual circumstances cannot always be planned for in advance. When a student has a sudden change in circumstances such as an illness or unavoidable conflict, you can use the exceptions function in the Gradebook to edit due dates and  re-open graded items for extra attempts, to resolve problems when they occur. 

An exception is a reactive, individual change to the permissions for a specific graded item, to allow a student to access, re-take, or revise work after the submission deadline has passed. Exceptions are designed for one-time, individual events such as allowing a student to re-take a quiz they missed due to an excused absence, or changing a due date for a student to accommodate a religious observance. Exceptions are not designed for repeating/ongoing individual accommodations, or for universal changes that apply to all students in a course or section. 


Exceptions can be used to change a due date, allow extra attempts, or allow a student early/extended access to an item with date restrictions. Certain uses of exceptions, such as for accommodating a religious observance, are governed by university policy. Other uses, such as the decision of whether to allow a student to re-take a quiz they failed to complete on time, are generally up to the discretion of the instructor. 

To set an assignment exception for an individual student, open the Gradebook in list view. Then, click on the assignment name to view all individual attempts. 

Find the student(s) in need of an exception and click the three dot menu to the right of their name to access the exception/exemption settings. 

  


You can set exceptions for the item due date, show/hide dates for item visibility, and number of attempts allowed. These changes will apply only to permissions for the individual student. For all other students, the default settings for the item set in the Course Content view will still apply. 

A student with an exception will have a clock icon displayed next to their name in the individual attempts list for the assignment. 



Assignment attempt list entry with a clock icon next to the student's name indicating an individual exception



Exceptions can be set only for assignments or tests. Other graded items like discussions or attendance do not have an exceptions option, but see exemptions below. 


For a complete walkthrough, go to the Features page on exceptions



Exemptions

Exemptions in Ultra course view are used to remove items from a student's attendance or gradebook record entirely. While the other two functions described above are used to customize the individual conditions around graded work requirements, exemptions alter the coursework/grade requirements themselves, and represent a more significant change to the student's course experience. 

An exemption is a reactive change which removes a graded item from an individual student's Gradebook calculations entirely. Exemptions can be applied to any graded item including attendance and discussions as well as assignments or tests. Exemptions can alter a student's grading profile. For example, in a course with 10 discussion forums worth 20 points each, and a total discussion grade calculated out of ---/200, a student with an exemption for one forum will have their discussion grade calculated out of ---/180 instead. 


To set an assignment exemption for an individual student, open the Gradebook in list view. Then, click on the assignment name to view all individual attempts. 

Find the student(s) in need of an exemption and click the three dot menu to the right of their name to access the exception/exemption settings. 

  


Select "Add or edit exemptions" and then check the box labeled "Exempt grade" in the panel that opens on the right. Once saved, the student's grade for the item will display as "Exempt" in the Gradebook, in both list view and grid view. 

If the exempted grade is included in the Overall Grade or other calculated columns in the Gradebook, the total number of points possible in that column will change for the student with the exemption. 




Because exemptions can potentially create significant differences between individuals in grading expectations and outcomes, they should be evaluated for their potential to create unfair situations before being used. Consult with your department or college if you have questions about best practices for altering grading policies or granting exemptions. 






Other Individual Student Options in Blackboard

Individual Release Conditions



Items can be hidden or revealed for students on the Course Content page using the release conditions function. Separate release conditions can be set for specific individual students to allow them access to items which are otherwise hidden from students. This can be useful for granting a student early access to content which is normally date-restricted in Blackboard, or for sharing additional readings or other materials with a student who is taking an independent study. 

To set an individual release condition, open the drop-down menu below the item title on the Course Content page and select "Release conditions." 

Check the circle next to "Specific members or groups" to open the individual access options. Type in the name of the student(s) who need access to the item, then scroll to the bottom and click Save. Once saved, the specified student(s) will be able to see and access the item on the Course Content page. All other students will be governed by the other release conditions you have set, such as date/time restrictions. If you have set no other release conditions, only the students you have individually specified will be able to access the item. 





Custom Group/Individual Assignments

Blackboard Ultra allows you to make assignments, tests, or discussions that are assigned only to a specified group or even an individual student. This can be used for individual extra credit assignments, or to create differentiated assignments for students in a cross-listed course. 


Open the assignment and click the gear icon next to Settings in the upper right. 


Assignment Settings edit button




Scroll down to the bottom of the settings menu and click "Assign to groups." This will open a window displaying all students in the course in a Roster grid view. 

Click the plus sign (plus) icon at the bottom to create a new custom group. 

Then, click the three dot menu (...) next to the name of the student(s) you want to assign. A dropdown menu will open and allow you to assign the student to the new custom group. When you are finished assigning students click Save. 



In the grade center, you will be able to see a column for the new assignment. Only the student(s) you have assigned will have a grade entry field in the new column; all other students will have a blank cell displayed. 


Individual Course Access


By default, Blackboard courses are no longer available to students at the end of the month following their assigned semester (January 31st for Fall courses, June 30th for Spring courses). However, you can create an individual exception to give a student access to a closed course, for the purposes of finishing an incomplete or accessing copies of their coursework. 


How do we actually do this with Ultra?