Assignments in Brightspace
Online assessment and feedback are approaches that are enabled by a variety of digital technologies to include online exams, online assignments and activities, online submissions and technology-enabled feedback.
This resource outlines the core functionality of the assignment tool in Brightspace and the online assessment and submission types which it enables. An overview of video assignments is also provided.
The assignment tool in Brightspace facilitates online submissions. It enables lecturers to create a space which allows students to submit their assignments or exams online and/or to receive feedback and grades relating to them.
By using the assignment tool lecturers have the ability to;
- provide clear instructions (via written, audio, or video format) on how to complete and submit assignments/exams
- control the time period for submissions by setting availability and due dates
- control the format of submission, the number of submissions, the retention of submissions and submission receipt via a notification email
- facilitate individual or group submissions
- provide technology-enabled feedback (using built-in feedback tools in Brightspace)
- provide grades on submissions (creating an assignment and an associated grade item)
- assess offline assessments such as hard copy essays or in-class presentations
- enable plagiarism detection for assignment submissions through the originality checker tool; Urkund (which is integrated with the Brightspace assignment tool).
- create assignments or exams for students who have special access requirements
Learn more
- UCD IT Services; Brightspace Assignments, Quizzes and Grade Items
- UCD Teaching and Learning: Guidance on Online and In-Person Assessment Types
Submission and Assessment Types
The assignment tool in Brightspace supports four types of submissions which are overviewed below and linked to examples of assessment types which they support.
File
This submission type is the default when you create an assignment and is perhaps the most commonly used. The student must attach a file to submit. This type of assignment is suitable for online submissions of the following assessment types; e.g. online exam, open book exam, take-home exam, assignment (essay), group work assignment, journal/reflective assignment, dissertation/thesis.
Text
This submission provides students with a text box to type a response. They can post text, image, or a link to their work in a text box within the assignment. This type of assignment is suitable for online submissions of the following assessment types; for e.g. online exam, open book exam, take-home exam, quizzes/set exercises (short answer), typed assignments (short answer), portfolio (with link to it), journal/reflective assignment.
On Paper
This submission type enables lecturers to receive submissions (on paper) or in hard copy and still provide feedback or a grade through Brightspace. This type of assignment is suitable for the following assessment types that are written/typed and collected in hard copies; e.g. exam (in-person), open book exam, take-home exam, written/typed assignment, report.
Observed in Person
This type of submission allows lecturers to observe students completing the assessment/exam typically during presentations or performances. For this type of assessment/exam the student would only refer to Brightspace for instructions, feedback and/or a grade. This type of assignment is suitable for the following assessment types that are observed in person or virtually; e.g. participation in learning activities, viva voce exams.
Video Assignments
In addition to the assignment tool described above, a video assignments tool supported by Bongo is integrated in Brightspace which facilitates the creation of individual video assignments. UCD has the standard integration which enables the creation of individual project video assignments supporting the following capabilities;
- for students to record video, upload video and add documents
- for peer review on video assignments and documents
- for lecturers to annotate and provide timestamped feedback on submitted videos
Video assignments are suitable for assessment that require students to create and/or submit a video e.g. individual project, journal/reflective assignment, practical skills assessment.
Learn More
1. UCD IT Services; Bongo video assignment setup
2. UCD Teaching and Learning; Assessment and Feedback resources