Learning Technologies

Tech Tips with Tim: Printing & Managing Rubrics, Dropped Student Records, and an Upcoming Gradebook Feature 

by | Nov 3, 2026 | Blackboard, Blackboard Ultra | 0 comments

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Welcome back! In this edition, I have put together three quick Blackboard guides to save you time, clear up roster confusion, and give you more control over your Gradebook. 

Here is what I am covering in this edition: 

Print, Download, and Manage Rubrics in Blackboard  

Blackboard now combines centralized rubric management with flexible printing and exporting capabilities. These workflows allow you to easily create, organize, print, download, and reuse rubrics across your courses—perfect for offline grading, sharing detailed feedback, or keeping records for accreditation. 

Accessing and Managing Course Rubrics: 

  • Where to Find It: Open Settings (gear icon) in your Gradebook and select Manage Course Rubrics or click Add Rubric directly within any assignment or test settings panel. 
  • Search & Filter: Easily locate rubrics by title or filter by rubric type (Percentage, Points, Point Range, No Points, etc.). 
  • Create, Generate, or Duplicate: Build custom rubrics from scratch, use the AI Design Assistant to generate criteria based on course context, or duplicate existing rubrics to create editable copies for future assessments. 
  • Import & Export: Export any rubric as a .zip file via the ellipsis (…) menu or upload existing .zip rubric files directly using the Import button. 

Printing Blank Rubrics: 

  1. Navigate to the Course Rubrics page via Gradebook or Assessment Settings. 
  1. Select the ellipsis (…) menu next to the desired rubric and click Print (or open the rubric and select the Print icon). 
  1. Your browser’s print dialog will open with a clean, printer-friendly layout (without scores) to print directly or save as a PDF. 

Printing Scored Rubrics: 

  • Assignments & Tests (Flexible Grading): Open the rubric in the pop-out panel while grading. Once at least one selection is made, the Print icon becomes active so you can print or save the scored rubric as a PDF. 
  • Discussions & Journals: While grading in the Rubric Details panel, the Print Graded Rubric button becomes active as soon as a performance level is selected. 

Verifying Student Activity for Dropped Students  

When a student is dropped (for example, for non-payment), their name is removed from your active Blackboard roster, hiding their submitted work. If that student requests a permit to re-enroll, you can easily verify their past engagement by running a Grade History report. 

How to Run the Report: 

  1. Open your course Gradebook and click Gradebook Settings (the gear icon). 
  1. Select Download Grades. 
  1. Choose Grade History as the report type. 
  1. Set Column Selection to “Select all Items.” 
  1. Check the box labeled “Include Deleted Items” (this is the key step to pull data for dropped students). 
  1. Click Download and open the file in Excel. 

Reviewing the File:  

Search or filter the spreadsheet by the student’s name. Look at the Attempt Activity & Date column for exact submission timestamps, the Value column for scores, and the Submission Receipt Number to confirm official records. 

  • If activity appears: You have time-stamped proof of participation to support issuing a permit to re-enroll. 
  • If no activity appears: The student has no recorded graded activity in Blackboard. 

Submitting In-Progress Attempts on Behalf of Students  

Have you ever had a student whose test or assignment got stuck in “Draft saved” status right at the deadline? With the November release (arriving November 5, 2026) Blackboard will allow instructors to finalize and submit those draft attempts on behalf of the student. 

How It Works: 

  1. Go to the student overview page in your Gradebook. 
  1. Locate the test or assignment showing a “Draft saved” status. 
  1. Click the ellipsis (…) menu next to the item and select Submit draft attempt. 
  1. Enter a brief reason for the submission when prompted, then confirm. 

Audit Trail & Transparency: This feature will work with both standard and anonymously graded items. For complete transparency, Blackboard logs an audit trail: both you and the student will see the instructor’s name, timestamp, and stated reason on the submission review page and emailed submission receipt. 

Need Assistance? If you have any questions about managing rubrics, tracking down past student submissions, or managing your Gradebook, the Learning Technologies team is always here to help! 

Reach out to us anytime: 

  • Call: 630.942.2490 
  • Email: learningtech@cod.edu 
  • Drop In: BIC 3401 

Have a great rest of your week! 

Tim 

COD Learning Technologies