How to Manage Attendance in Blackboard

The attendance tool in Blackboard allows instructors to efficiently track and record student attendance, providing clear documentation of participation. For students, this tool offers transparency by showing their attendance status, helping them stay accountable and aware of how their presence in class may impact their overall performance. Regular attendance tracking can also support early intervention for students who may be struggling.

Setting Up Attendance in Blackboard

The first time you access the attendance tool, you will be prompted to enter your preferred settings. 

  1. Enter your Blackboard course
  2. Select Mark Attendance under the Details and Actions menu
  3. The settings panel will open on the right hand side. Confirm the attendance values
    1. Present is default and locked at 100%
    2. Late is default to 50% but the Instructor can chose what a student receives for a late attendance status
    3. Absent is default and locked at 0%
    4. Excused does not help or harm the students grade 
  4. If you do not want attendance to be included in the gradebook, turn off Use attendance as a grade
  5. Select your preferred grading scale for the overall grade: points, percentage, incomplete/complete, letter
  6. Select Save 

Taking Attendance in Blackboard

Taking Attendance the Day the Class Meets

  1. Enter your Blackboard course
  2. Select Mark Attendance under the Details and Actions menu
  3. Confirm you are in the Meeting tab by selecting meeting in the top right corner 
  4. The course roster of students will appear. Select the attendance status for each student (present, late, absent, excused)
    • If all students are present, you can select Present > Mark all present to capture all students at once
  5. Attendance records are automatically saved. Select the red X in the top left corner to return to the course

Taking Attendance with Custom Date

  1. Enter your Blackboard course
  2. Select Mark Attendance under the Details and Actions menu
  3. Confirm you are in the Overall tab by selecting overall in the top right corner 
  4. Click on Today and select Edit Meeting. 
  5. Select the date of the attendance record you are adding. 
  6. . Select the attendance status for each student (present, late, absent, excused)
    • If all students are present, you can select the date > Mark all present to capture all students at once
  7. Attendance records are automatically saved. Select the red X in the top left corner to return to the course

Editing Attendance in Blackboard

  1. Enter your Blackboard course
  2. Select Mark Attendance under the Details and Actions menu
  3. Confirm you are in the Overall tab by selecting overall in the top right corner 
  4. Click on the date you want to edit and select Edit Meeting
  5. Select the appropriate date of the attendance record

Deleting Attendance in Blackboard

  1. Enter your Blackboard course
  2. Select Mark Attendance under the Details and Actions menu
  3. Confirm you are in the Overall tab by selecting overall in the top right corner 
  4. Click on the date you want to delete and select Delete Meeting
  5. Confirm you want to delete the attendance records

Exporting Attendance in Blackboard to Excel

  1. Enter your Blackboard course
  2. Select Mark Attendance under the Details and Actions menu
  3. In the top right corner select the Export button
  4. The excel download of attendance will go to your downloads folder on your computer
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