Packback Guide for Designers

Who is this guide for?

USAHS Instructional Designers and creators in dev master courses. 

What does this guide cover?

This guide will cover:

  • Packback Course Copy - What happens?
  • Discussion Board Packbacks
  • Options for creating Packback assignments in Master courses.

Packback only recommends a single way to add Packback links to courses. This is using the content market. Packback's guide can be found here: https://help.packback.co/hc/en-us/articles/10796626055707-LMS-and-Gradebook-Sync-Setup-Guide-for-Blackboard-Ultra-1-3#h_01GK4VPB9XEH6YWX6M4JFC7M5W

When looking through USAHS courses, Packback is setup in various ways. The goal of this article is to outline methods which will (hopefully) not result in erroneous gradebook statuses for learners. There are likely more ways to work this than are listed in this article.

Packback Course Copy

  • Course Copy
    • Packback Links are not available in the Course Copy tool within a course (Copy Content Reference Guide.)
    • Packback Links copy when the copy is initiated via the Blackboard integration. This means it will likely work for section creation. 
    • Regardless of copy, there is still required term setup on the Packback side. 

Discussion Board Packback

LMS admin recommends against using Discussion Boards as a vehicle to copy or administer Packback assignments. While this does work, it results in negative student feedback. The student technically never completes the discussion board and it is marked LATE or NO SUBMISSION in the gradebook. This is confusing to learners, and causes open tickets and student stress.

Packback Options in Master Courses

Since:

  • Packback requires initial setup by the instructors each term
  • Are inconsistent across copy methods
  • Gradebook Columns must be sync'd from Packback during term setup

It is recommended to not include a Packback link in the dev master.

Per Packback's documentation, new Packback links should be added to a section by the instructor each term using the content market. This will allow instructors to set up all gradebook columns. The USAHS Packback Instructor guide can be linked in the instructor resources. 

Packback Recommended Setup

The following is based Packback's recommendation in their own documentation, and also considers the USAHS master template model. The USAHS Packback Instructor guide supports this method. 

  1. In the master course, add the Packback Instructor guide. This guide contains steps on how to add a Packback link, how to create Packback columns, how to add due dates, and how to setup the grade sync.
  2. For consistency this link should be added in the same spot in every course. 
  3. Add the assignment details and criteria in a Blackboard document.
  4. Grade sync will both create the graded column, and pass back the grade to the gradebook.
  5. Grade Sync occurs when Packback assignments meet the set deadline. Grades will sync over to the gradebook and create a new column. 

Instructors Not Using Packback Grade Sync

Some instructors choose not to use Packback Grade Sync. These instructors transfer the grades manually over from Packback. This can be done using "add a column" and also using Collect Offline. Since Packback can't be directly added to the master, this is also term setup.

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