How to Access and Create Achievements

The Achievements Tool is used to create badges and certificates for students to recognize their work and to be used as mile markers of met goals.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Access and Create Achievements
 

Accessing Achievements

  1. Achievements are not shown under Course Tools by default. To make them available go to Customization in the Course Management menu on the lower left of your course. Then choose Tool Availability.
    From Customization menu select Tool Availability
     
  2. On the Tool Availability page click the two check boxes next to Achievements.
    Click the boxes next to Achievments to make the tool available in the course.
     
  3. Check to be sure that you see Achievements in Course Tools in your Course Management menu, now.
    Course tools link

For information about why you should use Achievements and ways that other instructors use badges, click here.
 

Creating an Achievement

  1.  Open Course Tools and click Achievements.
    Achievements link
     
    Please Note: If you do not see Achievements you likely need to add it to your Available Tools.
  2. Click Create Achievement and choose the type you wish to make: (This can be changed later.)
    1. Course Completion: The certificate reward is required. An additional badge is optional.
    2. Milestone: The reward can only be a badge.
    3. Custom: The reward can be a badge, certificate, or both.
      Choose the type of achievement from the drop-down menu.
       
Achievement Information
  1. On the Create Achievement page, provide a name.
    achievement name text box
     
  2. Select a presentation location. Choose a place in your course where students are likely to earn the badge or certificate. Students are presented with the content item and a notification of the new item.
    achievement location text box and browse button
     
  3. Select the type of achievement, and determine if students can see the existence of the achievement before earning it.
    • Choose Yes, if the reward is meant to motivate all students.
    • Choose No, if there are special rewards that will only be granted to specific students that should not be seen by everyone.
      achievement type a visibility selection
       
  4. Type a description if desired.
    achievement description text box
     
  5. Click Define Triggers to continue.
    Click define trigger to set up rules for the achievement.

Students will not be able to see an achievement until a trigger rule is defined and a reward is selected.
 

Define Triggers

For an achievement, you can define one or more rules that will trigger the release of the reward. You must define at least one rule.

The achievements tool is built upon the content adaptive release technology of Blackboard Learn. This currently includes the following:

  • Attempts on test, surveys, and assignments
  • Grades on tests, surveys, assignments, graded discussion posts, graded wikis, graded blogs, and graded journals
  • Manual Grade Center columns
  • Marked reviewed statuses on course content
  • Group membership or specific users
  • Starting date for earning an achievement

On the Define Triggers Page, create your rules:

  1.  Name your rule.
    rule name text box
     
  2. Choose a Display After Date. (optional) 
    date options
     
    Please Note:  Setting a Display After date means that students cannot earn the reward before that date, even if they have already met the criteria. Display After is not the same as end date and is not a deadline.
  3. Choose if this is an achievement only for specific users or groups. For example, you can award a mayor badge for leading discussions.
    Choose the membership for the achievement.
     
  4. Enter the specific criteria that must be reached to obtain the Achievement. For example, if you are creating a Course Completion Achievement you will likely want the student to complete all the tests and/or projects and then have a grade of 70% above in the total column. To do this:
    1. Select a Grade Center Column to associate the criteria with. 
      Choose a grade center column needed to earn achievement.
       
    2. Select if the User needs to only attempt the item, of they need a certain score/ percentage or to be within a certain range of scores/percentages.
      Set the parameters for the select condition (score/points) needed for the achievement.
       
    3. Click Add Item.
      add item button
       
    4. Continue to add columns until you have all the criteria you want.
       
  5. If you want the users to review a specific content item (like the syllabus) add that.
    Select an item students must review to complete achievement.
     
  6. Click Select Reward to continue.
    select reward button

In circumstances where different criteria are possible, click Add Another Rule to create another rule. For example, you have a group of learners who need accommodation and have different performance requirements to receive the reward.
 

Choose the Reward

On the final page, choose the reward. Depending on the achievement type, you can choose from different options. If a type of reward is required there will be an orange star in that section.
Choose the reward/achievement type.

The reward requirements are:

  • Course Completion: The certificate reward is required. An additional badge is optional.
  • Milestone: The reward can only be a badge.
  • Custom: The reward can be a badge, certificate, or both.

On the Select Reward Page:

  1. Choose your Certificate color. 
    certificate color options
    1. You can preview how a certificate will appear to students. It includes the issuing institution as specified by the administrator, the user’s name, the course name, and the date the criteria of the achievement were met.
      certificate preview
       
  2. Choose a Badge or upload an image to use for a badge from your computer. An uploaded badge image is available for reuse within your course. If you uploaded an image and need to remove it, you can delete the file from Course Files in the achievements directory. Uploaded images are automatically resized.
    Select a badge image for your reward.
     
  3. You CANNOT de-select a badge or certificate. If you accidentally chose one, click the Cancel button before you hit Submit.
    cancel button
    1. This will take you back to the Achievement age with a warning on your achievement.
      If no achievement is selected you will get an error message.
       
    2. Click Edit on the achievement drop down.
      From the drop-down arrow next to the achievement, select edit.
       
    3. Then click over to the Select Reward page.
      Click on Select Reward to enter a reward type.
       
    4. Then click only the reward you want.
  4. When you are sure you have only the rewards selected you want, click Save and Exit to issue the achievement.
    save and exit button
     
  5. On the Achievements page, you should see your new achievement!
    From Blackboard Tools click on Achievements to see a list for your course.

References

Refer to Create and Manage Achievements from Blackboard Help for additional information.

 

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Details

Article ID: 94151
Created
Tue 12/10/19 11:53 AM
Modified
Fri 9/10/21 10:58 AM