Doesn't seem familiar?  Jump to Course Messages for the Blackboard app

Course messages provide a quick and easy way to connect with your learners and course members using the Blackboard Instructor app.

You can send and receive rich text messages, share media, and receive push notifications with course messages. Your message activity remains inside your course environment and makes it easier to tag or add recipients. You can access course messages on the Blackboard Instructor app from the course messages page.

Course messages work for both Original and Ultra courses.

Create a course message

Create a message on the go using the Blackboard Instructor app.

  • Select your course.
  • Tap the Messages bar under the Course Material section.
  • Tap New Message. Add recipients and type the message subject.
  • Type your message
  • Tap the paper plane icon on the bottom right corner to send the message.

You can select individual members or All course members as recipients of your message. Simply start to type the name of the recipient in the Recipient text box or type all course members. You can also add a subject, add CC and BCC to your messages. 

View and reply

 If you allow notifications on your mobile device, you get a push notification every time you receive a message from your course members and fellow instructors. 

Tap the push notification to view the message or view the message from Courses>Messages>Inbox.

  • From the inbox, tap the message you want to reply to.
  • Tap Reply or Reply all according to your preference. 
  • Write your reply from the editor. Optionally, you can also add media to your reply from the text editor.
  • When you are ready to send, tap the paper plane icon on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Your reply is added as a thread in the Original Course View environment much like an e-mail. You can also choose to create custom folders and save your course messages. 

Push notification

Every time you receive a new message from your fellow instructors and course members, you can receive a push notification. These notifications act as an instant communication channel among course members. You can opt to turn the push notification feature on course messages On or Off. 

  • From the Settings menu, tap Push Notifications.
  • Use the toggle to turn push notifications ON/OFF according to your preference.

Add rich text and media to your messages

When you write a new message or reply to one, you can share media formats such as GIFs, PDFs, and images.

  • From the inbox screen, tap the paper clip icon to add images from your device.
  • You can also tap the camera icon to use the camera on your device to take a picture and send it to the recipient.

Original course view courses support a rich text editor.  

Mark unread, Print, or Delete a message

When you receive a message in your course messages inbox, you can delete it, mark it unread, or print it when needed. 

  • Navigate to your course messages inbox.
  • Select the message you want to delete/print or mark unread.
  • Navigate to the menu on the right top corner of the screen.
  • Select an action from the options available.

 

Ultra: Create a course message

Draft a message on the go using the Blackboard Instructor app.

  • Select your course.
  • Tap Messages.
  • Tap New Message. Add recipient and type your message.
  • Tap the paper plane icon on the bottom right corner to send the message.
  • You can select individual members or All course members as recipients of your message.
  • Simply start to type the name of the recipient in the recipient text box or type All course members.

Ultra: View and reply

If you allow notifications on your mobile device, you get a push notification every time you receive a message from your course instructor or from your course members.

Tap the push notification to view the message or view the message from Courses>Messages>Inbox.

  • From the inbox, tap the message you want to reply to.
  • Tap Reply.
  • Write your reply from the editor.
  • Optionally, you can also add media to your reply from the text editor.
  • When you are ready to send, tap the paper plane icon on the bottom right corner of the screen. Ultra treats your reply as a conversation like any modern-day messaging app.

Ultra: Push notifications 

Every time you receive a new message from your instructor or other course members, you can receive a push notification. These notifications act as an instant communication channel among course members. You can opt to turn the push notification feature on course messages On or Off.  

  • From the Settings menu, tap Push Notifications. 

  • Use the toggle to turn push notifications ON/OFF according to your preference. 

Ultra: Add text and media to your messages 

When you write a new message or reply to one, you can share media formats such as GIFs, PDFs, and images. 

  • From the inbox screen, tap the paper clip icon to add images from your device. 

  • You can also tap the camera icon to use the camera on your device to take a picture and send it to the recipient. 

Ultra course view courses support Blackboard Ultra editor.  

Ultra: Delete a message 

You can delete any course message.  

  • Navigate to your course messages inbox. 

  • Select the message you want to delete. 

  • Tap the menu icon on the right top corner of the screen. 

  • Select Delete.