Reasonable Adjustment Extension Assignments - guidance for Module Leaders

Where a work item is set up in ISIS to feed into Blackboard as an assignment, any approved extension for that work item, will also be set up to be submitted via Blackboard. Marks for extended assignments will not automatically extract to ISIS and need to be given to your School Student Programme and Support (SPS) team to enter manually in ISIS.

This webpage is intended for use by Module Leaders as a guide to what they need to know about the extension assignments in Blackboard - it is not an explanation of the full extension request process.

Who creates the extension assignments?

Your School Student Programme and Support (SPS) team will create the extended assignment in your Blackboard module.

SPS have access to a function in Blackboard which creates a copy of the original ISIS fed assignment but with the agreed extended due date. The function adds an adaptive release rule which only permits specific students to see and submit to the assignment.

Are extension assignments created for Grade Mappings?

No. Extension Assignments are only created for work items set up to be full Blackboard Assignment submissions. If you have a grade mapping work item for which you have manually created an assignment in Blackboard, you will need to manually create an assignment for the extension too.

So that only the relevant student(s) has access to it, you will need to add an adaptive release rule to the extension assignment as follows:

Once you‘ve created the extension assignment, hover over the assignment name and click to open the drop down menu; Select Adaptive Release; the Date section will bring forward the start and dates that you have set in the assignment - leave these as they are; in the Membership section select Browse and select the appropriate student; Submit to save the Adaptive Release rule. The extension assignment will then only be visible to the student you‘ve added in the Adaptive Release rule.

There is full guidance available on manually creating assignments, including adaptive release rules.

How will I know if an extended assignment has been created in my module?

Once the extension is approved by your School SPS, part of that process is to inform both the Module Leader and the student.

Extension assignments for first run assessment work items will be placed in the Assessment area of your module. Extension assignments for resit run assessment work items will be placed in the Resit Materials area of your module.

Extension assignments are prefixed with RA to deadline for a Reasonable Adjustment extension. This prefix is in addition to the original assignment name. For example, with an ISIS fed assignment called ESSAY:2000 word essay, the extension assignment will be called RA to deadline:ESSAY:2000 word essay.

Once the due date has passed, all instructors attached to the module will receive the automated Available for Marking email notification. This will prompt you to looking in the Marking Tools for extension assignment submissions.

Will the student with the extension still see the original assignment submission point?

Yes. Both submission points will be visable to the student.

The student who has the extension will be given clear communication from your School Student Programme and Support (SPS) team on what the extension assignment is called i.e. it will have the appropriate prefix of RA to deadline.

Will the student with the extension receive non-submission emails?

Students who have extension assignments will still receive the non-submission emails regarding the original assignment submission. They will not receive non-submission emails for the extension assignment.

Non-submission emails are only generated for assignments fed from ISIS.

Can I see in Blackboard which student has been given the extension?

You will be informed by your School SPS when an extension assignment has been approved and for which student. In addition, you will be able to see which student(s) have access to the extension assignment by looking at the Adaptive Release rules.

To check the Adaptive Release rules, find the extended assignment in the module and hover over the assignment name, then expand the drop down and select Adaptive Release. Scroll down to the Membership section and you will see a table showing which students have been given access to the assignment.

example screenshot of an assignment drop down

example screenshot of the Membership section of adaptive release, showing a student name

How do I mark extension assignment submissions?

Please note that the Spreadsheet Marking tool cannot be used for marking extension assignments. Extension assignments should be marked via the Grade Centre - as the extension assignment is separate to the original deadline, it will have it‘s own column in the Grade Centre.

Carry out the marking as you would for other Blackboard assignment submissions. When you release marks and feedback, these will go to the students via Blackboard but the marks will not automatically extract to ISIS. You will need to provide your School SPS team with the marks for extension submissions manually so that they can enter them into ISIS by hand.

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