Gradebook Update Overview
Blackboard's newest update to the Gradebook view now gives instructors a reorganized and more streamlined layout for managing grading tasks.
Changes to Views
Instructors now have only two view options in the Gradebook: Grid view and List view. The Overview tab and the Students tab are combined into the Grid View. List view remains unchanged.
Click the links below to view a side-by-side comparison of the previous Gradebook and new Gradebook Grid View.
- Navigation & Layout
- Student Display & Name Options
- Gradebook Filter
- Column Headers & Assessment Details
- Grade Entry & The Grade Details Panel
- Grade Details Panel (New)
- Accommodations, Exceptions & Exemptions
Resources
Changes to the Grid View with Side-by-Side Images
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Feature
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Previous Gradebook [before August 8, 2026]
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New Gradebook Grid View [after August 8, 2026]
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Views & tabs
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Four tabs: Overview, Gradable Items, Grades, Students
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Two views: Grid View and List View (toggle buttons)
Students tab is removed from Grid View: click a student’s name to see details
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To Do / Overview
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'Overview' tab — opens a full-page view, losing gradebook context
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'To Do' button (top right) — opens as a panel over the gradebook so you keep your context
Shows Needs Grading, Needs Posting items, same as before; each section can be collapsed
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Search
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Two separate searches: gradebook search + submission receipt search (opens in a panel)
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Single unified search bar combining both functions
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Student rows
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Taller rows, fewer students visible on screen
Checkerboard shading, unclear meaning
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Optimized row height — more students visible without scrolling
Zebra-striped rows improve readability
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Feature
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Previous Gradebook
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New Gradebook Grid View
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Name order
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One option: First Name Last Name only
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On the Gradebook Settings panel in the Student Options section choose: First Name Last Name or Last Name, First Name
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Student ID
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Student ID shown beneath name — cannot be hidden or sorted
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Toggle Student ID column on or off
ID now appears in its own sortable column
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Accommodation flag
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Small flag next to student name, next to ID — easy to miss
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Flag moved to the right of the name column — more visible
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Sorting
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Sort by name only
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Sort by student name, student ID, overall grade, or any gradebook column
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Feature
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Previous Gradebook
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New Gradebook Grid View
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Filter behavior
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Filter opens in a side panel
Must click back to the list to select each item individually
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Filter opens in a modal
Dropdown stays open — select multiple items at once without re-clicking
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Filter options
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Use the Filter button to filter by Students, Groups, Categories, Types, or Items
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New filter button design opens a modal with the same options, improved usability
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Feature
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Previous Gradebook
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New Gradebook Grid View
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Column menu
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Click column header to open a drop-down menu
Go in and out of actions one at a time (ping-pong effect)
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Click column name to open Assessment Details panel (stays open)
Navigate between columns with left/right arrows without closing
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What displays
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Assessment name only
Had to open settings to view details
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Due date, category, max points, grading method, attempts, # submitted, exceptions, accommodations — no extra clicks required
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Actions available
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View submissions, Download results, View statistics, Send reminder — each opened separately
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Same actions, all accessible from the panel without losing context
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Points possible
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Displayed in the column header
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Not displayed in header — visible in the Assessment Details panel by clicking the column name
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Delete column
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Delete option part of the rest of the menu; clicked often accidentally
Minimal confirmation warning
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Delete button moved further down in the panel, shown in red
Warning modal names the column being deleted and includes a caution banner
Harder to delete accidentally
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Feature
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Previous Gradebook
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New Gradebook Grid View
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Clicking a cell
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Click cell → drop-down menu appears (obscures view while grading)
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Click cell → Grade Details panel opens on the right side (gradebook stays visible)
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Manual grade entry
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Must click the cell for each student, press enter to move to next cell, grade cell menu remains open/obscures the cells beneath – easy to make mistakes
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Hover near top of column → click the edit (pencil) icon → entire column enters edit mode
Type grades directly into cells
Press Enter to advance to next student; click the checkmark or press Esc to exit edit mode
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Keyboard navigation
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Enter key advances to the next student in grid edit mode, but sometimes cell menus remain open and obscure cells
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Enter key advances to next student
Esc exits edit mode
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What ‘post’ looks like
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Posted labels in column header not actionable
Green ‘Posted’ text visible below each posted grade in the grid
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Actionable number indicator at top of column shows how many grades need posting → click to post
Individual posting status visible in the Grade Details panel when you click a cell
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Post all grades
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Post from gradable items or flexible grading
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Post from the column header (paper airplane icon), from flexible grading, or from To Do panel — multiple paths
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Override grades
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Click cell → options appeared — could override from grid and from flexible grading
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Hover to top of column — click the pencil icon to enter edit mode → type directly into the cell
Can still override from flexible grading
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The Grade Details panel is one of the most significant additions. When you click on any cell in the gradebook, this panel opens on the right — keeping the grid visible while you work.
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Feature
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Previous Gradebook
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New Gradebook Grid View
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From a cell click
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Drop-down menu with limited, inconsistent options between cells
Required many clicks to accomplish tasks
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Grade Details panel shows student name, gradebook column name, grade, posting status, submission details, feedback, grader notes, accommodation options — all in one place
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Assessment feedback
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Had to navigate into flexible grading to add or edit feedback
Once there, hard to check if feedback existed
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View, add, or edit assessment feedback directly from the panel
Feedback is synced with flexible grading — changes appear in both places
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Overall Feedback Overall Feedback and Grader Notes
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Overall Feedback is an option, but only for certain columns
There was no way to leave feedback unless there was a submission
Attempt feedback only available in flexible grading
Grader notes wasn’t an option for all cells
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Add / view assessment feedback (Overall Feedback and/or attempt feedback) from the Grade Details panel
Add private grader notes from the Grade Details panel — no need to open the submission
Note: grader notes are not visible to students
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Post individual grade
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Required navigating to flexible grading
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Post grade with a single click from within the Grade Details panel
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Unsubmitted students
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Empty cell vs. a dash not always clear for submissions vs. non-submissions
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Grade Details panel clarifies submission status, grade status, and whether a grade is posted
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Terminology change: In the new gradebook, ‘exceptions’ and ‘exemptions’ (assessment-level accommodations) are now grouped under a single ‘Accommodations’ section in the Grade Details panel. This section also includes a clear indication for students who have a course-level accommodation. The underlying features are the same — only the label has changed to reduce confusion.
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Feature
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Previous Gradebook
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New Gradebook Grid View
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Course-level accommodations
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Applied via the Roster or Student Grades page — no change to that process
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No change — still applied via the Roster or Student Grades page
If a student has a course accommodation, it’s now surfaced in the Grade Details panel so you don’t have to navigate away to check
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Exceptions (due dates, access, attempts)
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Add/edit exceptions from within an assessment — multiple clicks required
Some assessments had exceptions, others didn’t — inconsistent
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Add from the Grade Details panel: change due date, access dates, or attempts allowed
Consistent — available across all graded items
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Exemptions
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Add/edit exemptions from gradebook — could only exempt, not combine with other adjustments
Exempt displays in the cell for students with exemptions
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Exempt a student from the Grade Details panel alongside other assessment-level accommodations
Exempt displays in the cell for students with exemptions
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Terminology note
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'Exceptions' and 'Exemptions' — two separate words/workflows
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All grouped under ‘Accommodations’ in the Grade Details panel
Course-level accommodations are unchanged
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Note: This article was created using the Gradebook Grid View: What Changed - Side-by-Side Guide developed by Blackboard and edited by NDUS Core Technology Services.