Scholar now includes the ability to collect and grade assignments using Google's tools instead of Blackboard's.  This article will explain how.

Which assignment tool should I use?

Google Assignments and the built-in assignments tool in Scholar have different capabilities.  This chart should give you an idea of which to use.

Setting up Google Assignments

To add a Google Assignment to your course, choose Google Assignments from the Build Content menu.

You'll be asked which Google account you'd like to use.  If it's your first time using Google Assignments, you may have to grant permission to Google Assignments to use your Google Account.

Give the assignment a name, point value, and optionally, a due date and instructions.

If you'd like to check the paper for plagiarism, turn on the "Check plagiarism (originality)" toggle.  Remember you only can check 5 Google Assignments for plagiarism per course.  You can also include files or Google Docs as templates for the student to fill out.  Each student will get their own copy of the file/Google Doc.

Click Create, and your assignment will be created.

Grading Student Assignments

The grading workflow for Google Assignments is different from standard assignments.  To grade a Google Assignment, click the link that you created in the course.

You'll then be taken to a list of student submissions.  Click on one to grade it.

That brings you to a Google Doc in Suggest mode.  You can edit it just like a regular document, and your edits will be tagged as Suggestions in Google Docs.

You can add comments by selecting text an using the comment button.

There is also a searchable comment bank on the right side.

When you're ready to give the student a grade, you can enter it in the Grade area, and enter any overall feedback for the assignment in the Overall Feedback area.

If you're ready for the student to see the grade, click on the Return button. 

You can also grade another student's paper without returning the paper by selecting a different student at the top, or return to the main assignment page by clicking the back button.

Returning Student Grades

Students don't see their grades until you "Return" their papers. If you didn't return the grades while grading the paper, you can return multiple papers at once by checking the boxes next to the student's submissions and clicking Return.

The grades will be reflected in the Grade Center.  This may take some time, as grades are not synced immediately from Google to Scholar.