Why are some students with the same last name not necessary alphabetized by their first name in the Grade Center and what can I do?
SolutionIssue
When entering the grade center, the rows are sorted by the students' last names only - there is no secondary sort by first names, so students with the same last name may display out of order. This can lead to instructors or graders mistakenly entering the grades into the wrong Grade Center cell (for the wrong student).
Symptoms
Assume there are two users with the last name Jones, one is Laura, the other is Steve. When an instructor goes into the grade center and sorts by last name (this is the default sort order), Steve might appear before Laura. This happens typically if Steve was created before Laura, i.e. if the database happens to return him before Laura.
Workaround
There is a fairly simple, yet non-intuitive Workaround to force the secondary sort to function. The steps are as follows:
1. Enter the grade center
(it will be sorted by Last Name by default, or you can sort it by any other column you like)
2. Sort the list by First Name by clicking on the triangle above that column
(this establishes the correct sub-sorting for items with equal last names)
3. Sort the list again, this time by Last Name
(it will be sorted by Last Name by default, or you can sort it by any other column you like)
2. Sort the list by First Name by clicking on the triangle above that column
(this establishes the correct sub-sorting for items with equal last names)
3. Sort the list again, this time by Last Name
The sorting should now be correct, but you will have to verify that previously entered grades are correct for students having the same last name.
Please note: Every time the main grade center spreadsheet view is left (even without completely quitting the grade center, e.g. when clearing an attempt for a particular student) and returned to or if the grade center is manually sorted by some other column, such as last access date, the double sorting process needs to be repeated.
Also note: The Workaround above does not work for downloaded grades. Downloading the Grade Center will list students according to the original, non-sorted order even if the double sorting Workaround has been applied.
Actions Taken:
ITS has confirmed with the vendor that this is a Blackboard Known Issue and is awaiting the availability of a software fix. Blackboard reports that there is no resolution to this issue aside from the Workaround listed above but that they are aware of this issue and the frustration it causes, and are working to address it in a future release.
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