Release Notes for Learn SaaS - 2023
Learn SaaS release 3900.56.0
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.56.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 6 December 2022 | Release to Production: Thursday, 5 January 2023
Original Experience, Ultra Experience
Original Course View, Ultra Course View
For full feature details please review the corresponding notes for the Learn 3900.56.0 version included below on this page. Details can also be found on Behind the Blackboard.
Latest release: 3900.56.0-rel.31+e33c6d6 to Production servers to take place on 26 January 2023.
For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Behind the Blackboard.
January 2023 – 3900.56 Release
The January 2023 - 3900.56 release is complete with features in five areas:
- assessment and grading;
- richer course and content design;
- mobile app;
- integration, extension, and management; and
- course upgrading;
These improvements primarily impact instructors and students. Some features do require administrative action.
Instructors:
- See and edit grades for anonymous submissions prior to posting
- Essay Question Model Answer
- Non-posted grades included in Grade History
- Test Question and Page Randomization
- Progress Tracking: Status and filters for group submissions
- Original Course View: “Needs Grading” flow kept when AWS auto-scales
- User Interface Improvement-Microsoft OneDrive Integration
- Course Upgrading: Convert Test Passwords to Passcodes
- Course Upgrading: Remove Unsupported Text Colors
- Course Upgrading: Preserve Text Sizes
- Base Navigation: Activity Stream New Submission link improvement
- Bb Annotate: Create categories inside the content library
- Assist banner update
Instructors and students:
- Show icons for Third-Party app content (LTI) in Gradebook and Grades
- Discussions – No Activity After Due Date
- Improvements to Messages recipient types by course role
All users:
- Expand and Collapse Course Faculty, Details & Actions, and Course Content sections
- Custom HTML/CSS content blocks in Institution Pages
- Base Navigation: Visibility controls for the Course and Organization Catalog; Hide Organizations tab
Other - Support roles:
Bb Annotate
Bb Annotate: Create categories inside the content library - 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience, Ultra Course View
Original Experience, Original Course View
Impact: Instructors
Creating and reusing comments is a useful practice for instructors. When using Bb Annotate, instructors can use the content library to store comments across courses. Now instructors can also organize comments into categories. Categories helps instructors find the comments they want to use. The process of providing student is more efficient with the new option. Existing comments will be part of a general comments category until instructors decide to move them to a new one.
Now instructors will be able to:
- Create as many categories as needed
- Move comments to new or existing categories
- Collapse or expand the categories to easily locate the comments
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Assessment and Grading
See and edit grades for anonymous submissions prior to posting – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Anonymous grading is an important practice to ensure fair and consistent grading. In the past when anonymously grading, instructors could view grades on the Submissions page only after posting grades. This prevented instructors from editing grades before students could view grades.
Now instructors can view grades on the Submission page before they post grades. Student anonymity is still preserved until the grades are posted. To edit a grade, an instructor can open the attempt.
Image 1. Grades are viewable on grading submissions page when anonymously grading
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Essay Question Model Answer – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Instructors want to ensure that they grade students’ work fairly and consistently. This can be especially challenging when evaluating student responses to essay questions. Instructors like to have a reference while grading. Now instructors can include a model answer for essay questions. Instructors and graders can see this when grading.
Image 1. Model answer when authoring essay questions
Students can see the model answer when reviewing their results if the test is configured to show correct answers. Students do not see the model answer when they take a test.
Image 2. Student viewing the model answer along with their own response
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Non-posted grades included in Grade History – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Grade history provides a log of changes to grades in a course. This is important in situations such as grade challenges and ensuring grading errors were not made. The grade history now includes non-posted grades. Including non-posted grades supplies greater insight into grade changes in the course.
Image 1. Grade history download file with non-posted grade information
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Test Question and Page Randomization – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Instructors randomize test question to improve academic integrity. In the past, instructors couldn’t randomize questions if the test contained text blocks, files, or images.
Now instructors can enable randomization when the test has text blocks, files, or images. The non-question elements are locked in place. The test randomizes questions between those non-question elements.
Image 1. Instructor sets randomize option for a test with non-question elements
Instructors can also randomize questions in a test that contains page breaks. Questions randomize within their assigned page. If a page contains non-question elements, the questions randomize between those elements.
When there are pages for the test, instructors can also randomize page order. If instructors randomize the page order, they can also lock the first page into position. This is useful when the first page is a cover page or contains test instructions.
Image 2. Instructor selects to randomize both questions and pages
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Progress tracking: Status and filters for group submissions– 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Instructors need clear information about the status of group progress on an assessment. In the past, the submission view of assessments and discussions included two status columns:
- Student status
- Grading status
Now we also show both in the group submission page. This gives instructors greater clarity into group work status. We also separated the filter to allow compound filtering of student and grading statuses. The default filter shows everything. The filter resets every time an instructor accesses the submission view.
Image 1. Group submission filters
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Original Course View: “Needs Grading” retains tasks when AWS auto-scales – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS, Learn 9.1
Original Experience
Original Course View
Impact: Instructors
Because Learn SaaS is in the cloud, the application scales on demand. When more users are on Learn, the cloud provides more resources. In the past in Original Course View, this cloud scaling could disrupt instructors grading student work. Instructors navigating to their next task in “needs grading” would see an error.
Now instructors can navigate to their next task even when the application scales. In some cases, instructors can’t return to completed tasks. If this happens, instructors receive clear instructions to return to the Grade Center where they can review these submissions.
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Richer Course and Content Design
Improvements to Messages recipient types by course role - 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
In the past an “all course members” recipient type appeared for all course users. Students could send messages to all course users, on accident or on purpose.
Now students can only send messages to:
- all instructors
- selected course members
Instructors can send messages to:
- all course members
- all instructors
- all students
- selected course members
Image 1. Instructors can send messages to all course members, all instructors, all students, or selected users
Image 2. Students can send to all instructors or selected users
Image 3. Selected recipients appear to the author of a Message
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Discussions - No Activity After Due Date – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
In the past students could continue posting in Discussions after the due date had passed. This created problems for instructors when grading discussions. Now instructors may lock the discussion after the due date has passed. When selected, students can’t create, reply to, or edit posts after the due date. Students with a due date accommodation can continue to create, reply to, and edit posts after the due date.
Image 1. Instructor view of the “Stop discussion activity after due date” setting
Image 2. Student view of Discussion once the due date has passed
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Integration, Extension, and Management
Assist Banner update - 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Base Navigation
Ultra Assist View
Impact: Instructors
To better align with feedback and needs from clients, we updated the Assist banner. We have made the following changes:
- Removed Space Dog Banner banner image
- Removed "Blackboard" from the title
- Modified the Assist page to have greater visual consistency with other aspects of the base navigation
Image 1. Blackboard Assist banner
For administrators:This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Show icons for Third-Party app content (LTI) in Gradebook and Grades – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
In the past, it has been difficult for users to differentiate between third-party app content (LTI tools). In the December 2022 release (3900.54), we began displaying icons selected by the third-party app provider or an administrator. Now we display icons in the following additional areas:
- Gradebook grid view
- Gradebook list view
- Gradable Items tab
- Students Grades Overview
- Grades tab on Base Navigation
Image 1. Third-party app icon added by a System Administrator
Image 2. Third-party app icon in Gradebook grid view
Image 3. Third-party app icon in Gradebook list view, Gradable Items tab
Image 4. Third-party app icon in Student Grades Overview
Image 5. Third-party app icon Grades tab on Ultra Base Navigation
For administrators:We recommend Administrators review LTI placement configurations after this release because icons will now display to users in more places. Icons set for the placement type Deep Linking Content Tools will display in the Course Content and Gradebook areas. Other placement types will continue to display generic icons. Tool providers may also set the icons. An administrator can retrieve icons set by tool providers using the “Synchronize placements” action. When the provider sets icons, they will replace and override institutional icon choices because they are the owner of their branding.
Blackboard Learn Mobile App
Expand and Collapse Course Faculty, Details & Actions, and Course Content sections – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Mobile App
Ultra Course View
Impact: All users
In the past users on a mobile device had to scroll through the Course Faculty and Details & Actions sections to see course content. Now users can collapse these sections, making it easier and faster to access course content.
Image 1. Collapsible sections
For administrators:This feature is available for all users of the Mobile App. No action is needed from users who have enabled automatic updates on their devices. Users who have disabled automatic updates on their devices must download the update.
Integration, Extension, and Management
User Interface Improvement - Microsoft OneDrive Integration – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Instructors can embed OneDrive files in a course. These files may be read-only for students or allow collaboration for students and instructors. In the past, instructors accessed the option to create these files under Cloud Document in the Create Item panel.
We heard from users that these options were not obvious. Acting on client feedback, we updated the user interface. Now instructors will find two options as separate items in the “Create Item” panel:
- Embedded Cloud Document – this creates a link to a read-only file
- Cloud Collaboration – this creates a document that students and instructors can edit together
Image 1. Before improvements to the user interface
Image 2. After improvements to the user interface: Access the two items in one click
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. For clients who have already enabled the Microsoft OneDrive integration, you will need to resynchronize the LTI 1.3 tool and LTI tool placements for this enhancement to take effect. This can be done by following these steps:
1. Administrator Panel – Integrations - LTI Tool Providers
2. Select Synchronize LTI 1.3 Tools
3. Search for Microsoft OneDrive LTI Tool in the main tool list
4. Select Manage Placements – Synchronize Placements
Custom HTML/CSS content blocks in Institution Pages – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Impact: All users
Institutions can target personalized content to users with Institution Pages. Now administrators can create custom HTML/CSS content blocks in Institution Pages for even greater flexibility. Content blocks will size automatically for better display. Content blocks are served in an iframe from a separate domain to keep Blackboard Learn secure.
Image 1. Custom HTML content type in Institution Pages
Image 2. HTML module authoring page for Institution Pages
For administrators:
- You’ll see the Add HTML option in Institution Pages if an alternate domain configured.
- Contact product support for help if an alternate domain isn’t configured. Browser security can prevent external links from opening in an iframe. We recommend configuring your HTML to open links in a new browser window.
Base Navigation: Visibility controls for the Course and Organization Catalog, Hide Organizations tab – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Impact: All users
Institutions have different policies and use different tools. Some institutions do not use Organizations. Previously, administrators couldn’t hide the Organizations tab in Base Navigation. This could confuse users. Now, the availability of the Course Catalog and Organization Catalog can be configured independently. This lets administrators configure how Organizations are used at the institution:
- If an institution doesn’t want to use Organizations, they should turn off the Organization Catalog and not enroll users in Organizations. This will hide the Organizations tab in Base Navigation from all users.
- If an institution wants to use Organizations for some users but hide the Organizations tab from others, they should turn off the Organization Catalog. Administrators would then enroll appropriate users into Organizations. When a user has an active enrollment in an Organization, they see the Organizations tab in Base Navigation. Users without an Organization will not see the Organizations tab in Base navigation.
- If an institution wants all users to see the Organizations tab in Base Navigation, they should turn on the Organization Catalog. This is the default setting.
Image 1. Ultra Experience Management panel: options to display links for Course and Organization Catalogs
Image 2. Ultra Base Navigation without Organizations Tab
For administrators: Set your preferences for displaying links to the Organization or Course Catalog on the Ultra Experience Management page in the administrator panel. Users always see the Courses tab in Base Navigation even if the Course Catalog is not available.
Activity Stream new submission notification improvement – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Impact: All users
For instructors, the Activity Stream includes notifications for new submissions from students. In the past, these links directed the instructor to the Submissions List View of that assessment in Ultra Course View. Now these links direct the instructor to the Submissions List View with the "Needs Grading" filter already applied. This improves grading efficiency.
Additionally, the instructor can add a browser bookmark for the Submission List filter views. This provides faster access to the instructor's preferred filtered view.
Image 1. Submissions view filtered by Needs Grading
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Privileges: Support role can access Course Content page without progress setting privilege - 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Support roles
Users with system role privileges may be configured to access courses. In the past, these support users couldn’t access the Course Content page if they were missing the privilege Course/Organization Control Panel (Customization) > View Progress Tracking Configuration. These users would see an error and the course page would close.
Now support users without this privilege who have the privilege Course/Organization (Content Areas) > View Material Settings can view the Course Content page.
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Course Upgrading
Convert Test Passwords to Passcodes – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
The Original Course View allows instructors to add passwords to Tests. In the past when an instructor converted an Original test to Ultra, the passwords were lost. Now a generated passcode replaces passwords when the Test is copied. Instructors can view the new access code in Test settings. They may need to update references to passwords in the course.
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Additional Improvements to Unsupported Text Color Removal – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
The Original Course View allows instructors to choose any color for text. This content may be difficult to read or not accessible. Ultra Course View has a curated set of text colors to ensure readability: black, gray, purple, blue, and green. During conversion, we remove unsupported text colors. This text becomes black. This release adds several areas where text colors are corrected for readability:
- Journals
- Groups within group sets
- Tests
We remove unsupported text colors during conversion from the following:
- Announcements
- Discussions
- Assignments
- Documents
- Journals
- Groups and Group Sets
- Tests and Question Types
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Preserve Text Sizes – 3900.56
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
In the past, the text copied from Original to Ultra Course View did not support different text sizes. During the conversion process, text would be set to size 14 pixels. Now we preserve text sizes during the conversion process using the following logic:
- If text size is less than or equal to 10, set to 10 pixels.
- If text size is 11 or 12, set to 12 pixels.
- If text size is 13 or 14, set to 14 pixels.
- If text size is less than 17, set to 14 pixels.
- If text size is greater than or equal to 17, set to 18 pixels.
- If text size is less than 22, set to 18 pixels.
- If text size is greater than or equal to 22, set to 24 pixels.
- If text size is less than 31, set to 24 pixels.
- If text size is greater than or equal to 31, set to 36 pixels.
- If text size is less than 43, set to 36 pixels.
- If text size is greater than or equal to 43, set to 48 pixels.
Text sizes are different in the Original and Ultra Content Editors. The conversion logic preserves similar text sizes to reduce cleanup.
Sizes are preserved when converting text associated with the following items:
- Announcements
- Discussions
- Assignments
- Documents
- Journals
- Groups and Group Sets
- Tests and Question Types
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
