Release Notes for Learn SaaS - 2023
Learn SaaS release 3900.71.0
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.71.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 11 July 2023 | Release to Production: Thursday, 3 August 2023
Original Experience, Ultra Experience
Original Course View, Ultra Course View
For full feature details please review the corresponding notes for the Learn 3900.71.0 version included below on this page. Details can also be found on Behind the Blackboard.
Latest release: 3900.71.0-rel.35+2d54bde to Production servers to take place on 17 August 2023.
For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Behind the Blackboard.
August 2023 – 3900.71 Release
The August 2023 - 3900.71 release is replete with features in seven areas:
- Assessment and grading;
- Richer course and content;
- Data and analytics;
- Groups;
- Communications & social engagement;
- Mobile app; and
- Integration, extension, and management
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Some features do require administrative action.
Instructors:
- Flexible Grading
- Gradebook: New default cell status in grid view
- Increased visibility of Gradebook ‘Move Item’ icon
- Bulk download of anonymous submissions
- Rubrics: Editing improvements
- Course Banner image improvements
- Learning Module image
- Replace files in course content
- Students with alert flags in the Course Activity report
- Ultra Accessibility Checker
Instructors and students:
- Assessment Submission Receipt improvements
- Groups in the top navigation bar and Group Spaces
- Unread Message indicator
- Group Messaging improvements
- Google Integration: Google Workspace files
- Replacement of Connect SMS notification service
- Course status and date improvements
All users:
- Removal of Welcome guidance for first-time login and attendance user experience pop-ups
- Course status indicators
- Messages Off indicator
- Active Session Termination
- Concurrent Session Control
Administrators and Instructors:
Administrators:
Assessment and Grading
Flexible Grading – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topics: Flex Grading Assignments, Flex Grading Tests
Flexible Grading is a new, efficient assessment grading experience. The new experience:
- provides intuitive and streamlined navigation,
- eliminates artificial barriers,
- saves time and effort when navigating from student to student or question to question.
Flexible Grading capabilities:
- Grade by question or student
- Filter on grading status of choice
- Navigate between students and multiple submission attempts
- Keep track of your grading process
- View both the attempt and the final grade for each assessment
- Provide meaningful feedback with or without a rubric
- Grade inline using Blackboard Annotate
- Collapse side panels to view more of the student submission
- Post all grades when ready
Supported assessment grading configurations:
- Individual student test and assignment submissions
- Single and multiple attempts
- Grading with rubrics
- SafeAssign
Other assessment configurations will continue to route through to the current grading experience. There is no loss of grading functionality for these configurations:
- Anonymous submissions
- Group submissions
- 2 graders per student
- Peer review
Flexible Grading will come to these assessment configurations in future releases.
For more information and to download a copy of the Flexible Grading adoption resource, please refer to the Community site blog post: https://community.anthology.com/blogs/8/1242
Image 1: Instructor view of grading a test by question; the Needs Grading filter is applied to filter out any automatically graded questions
Image 2: Instructor view of grading a test by question
Image 3: Instructor view of grading an assignment with a rubric
For administrators: This feature is available in Ultra Experience Management. We will turn on the feature for test/stage sites between 9-10 am EST on July 12, 2023. The feature will go to production on August 4, but we will not turn on the feature until Monday, August 7. The feature is on by default to ensure that the Flexible Grading interface is available to users at launch. You can turn off the Flexible Grading interface by setting this feature to Off.
Gradebook: New default cell status in grid view – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topics: Assign Grades
Instructors have varying preferences of the gradebook view. Some prefer the gradebook grid view to get an overview of student performance or locate new submissions. In the past, the gradebook grid view displayed "Grade Now" in each cell even when no submission had been made. This was confusing.
To remove confusion, the default state of a given cell in the gradebook grid view has changed from “Grade now” to “-” (a single dash). This change reduces the cognitive load on users working in the gradebook. This change also makes new submissions more obvious.
There is no change in gradebook functionality. Instructors can still select a given cell and enter an override grade.
Image 1: Instructor view of the gradebook grid view where cells without submissions are displaying “-” (a single dash); cells where there are new submissions still display the New Submission label
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Increased visibility of Gradebook ‘Move Item’ button– 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topic: Navigate Grading
Instructors may need to reorder items in their online gradebooks to align with the sequencing and structure of their course. Instructors can reorder items in their gradebook from the gradebook list view. In the past, this option was not obvious to instructors. Instructors had to hover over the option for it to become visible.
Now, the option to move an item in the gradebook list view is always visible.
To move an item in the gradebook, select the Move button for the item you want to move. Drag the item to the new location and release. The order you choose is also reflected in the gradebook grid view and in students' view of the gradebook.
Image 1: Instructor view of the gradebook list view with the Move option visible
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Bulk download of anonymous submissions – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topics: Anonymous Grading, Download Assignments, Grade History
Sometimes instructors and graders want to download students' assessment submissions for offline viewing. Downloading submissions for offline viewing provides flexibility and convenience. In the past, this option was not available for anonymously graded assessments.
Now, the Download Submissions option is available for anonymously graded assessments. Download submissions from the item's menu in the gradebook grid view.
Image 1: Instructor view of the Download Submission option for anonymous assessments
Image 2: Selecting the Download Submissions menu option generates a ZIP file with all students’ submissions.
When the ZIP file is ready, the system sends a message with a link to the instructor. Instructors can access the message from Messages and select the link to download the ZIP file.
Image 3: Message with a link to the ZIP file
To preserve anonymity, the system renames the downloaded files based on the submission receipt number. To map a submission back to a given student attempt, use the Submission Receipt lookup option in the gradebook.
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Assessment Submission Receipt improvements – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Related topics: Submissions Receipts (students) Submissions Receipts (instructors)
Assessments can be stressful for students. Some instructors require students to submit attachments as part of the assessment requirements. Students need reassurance that they have attached the correct file for the right assessment. Students also desire confirmation that their submission was successful.
Based on direct feedback from students, we added the new information to the existing submission receipts:
- Course name and ID
- Assessment name
- Submission size - only included for file-based assessments and tests with essay questions
- Auto submit indicator - this indicator is present only if the assessment is automatically submitted by Learn as part of a timed assessment or the Prevent Late Submission assessment setting
Students can view the additional submission receipt information in:
- The confirmation modal displayed upon a successful submission
- The text file students can download from the confirmation modal
- The automatic email confirmation
Image 1: Student assessment submission receipt confirmation
Image 2: Student assessment submission receipt confirmation text file
Image 3: Student assessment submission receipt email confirmation
The additional information in submissions receipts is also helpful to instructors. Instructors can look up a submission for a given student in the gradebook. The auto submit indicator reminds instructors that an assessment was auto-submitted as part of a timed assessment or because of the Prevent Late Submission assessment option.
Image 4: Instructor view of the submission receipt lookup; receipt displays the auto submit indicator on the student’s attempt
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Rubrics: Editing improvements – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
A grading rubric provides a clear and transparent framework for evaluating student work. Rubrics ensure consistency and fairness in grading. Rubrics also provide a means for giving effective feedback.
Instructors can edit any rubric not yet used for grading. In the past, selecting outside of an editable area would save edits and automatically exit out of edit mode. This made selecting text and editing rubrics difficult. Now, if users select text inside the rubric edit box and drag out of the edit box, the edit mode does not close.
Image 1: Instructor view of editing a rubric
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Richer Course and Content
Removal of Welcome guidance for first-time login and attendance user experience pop-ups – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: All users
First-time user experience guidance provides users with instructions and tips. This guidance shows users how an application works so they can start using it right away. To provide a better user experience, we are updating some of the guidance in Learn Ultra. Some guidance that is no longer needed is being removed. We'll be making these updates over a series of releases.
In this release, we are removing the Welcome guidance for first-time login. This is a series of three scrolled screens before a user reaches the base navigation. This guidance is no longer applicable. Its removal provides immediate access to the base navigation after users log in.
Image 1: First-time user experience guidance that will be removed from the welcome screens
To streamline marking attendance, we are removing first-time user experience messages from the attendance tool.
Image 2: First-time user experience guidance that will be removed from the attendance
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Course Banner image improvements – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topic: Course Banners
The course banner image provides a sense of identity for the course. The image establishes a connection between the content and the course participants. To provide a better user experience, we have improved the image setting workflow:
Image 1: Before (left) and after (right) - the panel is renamed, and the default course image is now clearly marked as such
To add a course image, select the Image button.
Image 2: Select image source – drag and drop or select ‘Upload file”
The image appears in preview. This helps the instructor ensure that the desired image is selected.
Image 3: Image preview
Instructors can drag the image and modify the zoom to select the image's focal point.
Image 4: Drag or zoom the image to select the focal point
The instructor can mark the image as decorative or provide appropriate alternative text.
Image 5: Image accessibility settings
For administrators: There are no configurations needed. This feature is available for all Ultra and Original courses.
Learning Module image – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topic: Create Learning Modules
Learning Modules provide a way to organize and structure content. To enhance the visual aesthetics of a course and to aid in content identification, we now support the option to add images to Learning Modules.
To add an image to a Learning Module, instructors can edit the module.
Image 1: To edit the Learning Module, select edit from the Learning Module ellipsis menu
Image 2: The instructor can select ‘Add image’ or the image button
Instructors can drag and drop an image of their choice or upload one from their device.
Image 3: Drag and drop the image or select 'Upload file’
The image appears in preview. This helps the instructor ensure that the desired image is selected.
Image 4: Image preview
Instructors can drag the image and modify the zoom to select the focal point of the image.
Image 5: Drag or zoom the image to select the focal point
Instructors can mark the image as decorative or provide appropriate alternative text.
Image 6: Accessibility settings for Learning Module image
Image 7: Learning Module image on Course Content page
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Replace files in course content – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topics: Add Files, Images, Audio, and Video,
Edit and Manage Content
Responsible use of storage space matters to institutions. Before, when an instructor replaced a file in the course, the system created a new file version. Now, the system replaces the file. The system no longer creates new versions, freeing up storage space.
Image 1: Replace Options for files
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Data & Analytics
Students with alerts flags in the Course Activity Report – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topic: Course Activity Report
Identifying students at risk is challenging. This challenge is compounded when teaching multiple courses and large numbers of students.
Now, a flag appears for students with alerts in the Course Activity Report. Instructors can customize their course alerts based on the following:
- Number of days a student is inactive in the course
- A student’s overall grade in the course is below a specific percentage
Image 1: Define alert settings
The instructor may hover over a flag to view the alert type.
Image 2: Course Activity report for all students; students with alerts have the flag indicators
Instructors can filter alerts for:
- All students
- Students with alerts
- Students without alerts
Instructors can identify students with alerts in other views of the Course Activity Report.
- In the chart, purple dots indicate students with at least one (1) alert. Instructors can select the dot to display student information. An alerts section explains the applicable alerts for the student.
- In the CSV download, the Low overall grade and Last access alert columns indicate when a student has an alert.
- As before, activity stream notifications summarize students with alerts per course. Instructors may select these notifications to open the Course Activity Report. When accessing the report via notifications, the filter “Students with alerts” is auto-applied.
Image 3: Students with alerts highlighted in the course activity chart
Image 4: Students with alerts identified in the CSV download
Image 5: Students with alerts activity stream notification
Key considerations:
- Instructors define Alerts Settings at a course level so that each course can have its own alerts values
- Five is the default value for the number of days a student is inactive alert; there is no default setting for overall grade alert
- Course alerts can be added, edited, and deleted at any time
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Groups
Groups in the top navigation bar and Group Spaces – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Related topic: Group Spaces for Instructors, Groups for Students
Groups are essential for fostering collaboration, promoting active learning, and deepening understanding of course material. In the past, instructors could define groups and group sets. Instructors could also create group assessments. This release includes improvements aimed at helping all users make better use of groups.
We've moved Groups from the Details & Actions menu to the top navigation bar. This improves the visibility and prominence of Groups.
Image 1: Groups in the top navigation bar of a course
This release also introduces a new feature for Groups: Group Spaces. This first milestone of Group Spaces provides a list of all assessments by group.
From Manage groups, instructors still have access to:
- Group lists
- Show Members
- Group management options
To access a Group Space, instructors should select Enter Group Space from the group’s three-dot menu.
Image 2: Instructor view - Access to Group Spaces from Group Management
Instructors can access Group Spaces from the three-dot menu from Manage Groups.
Image 3: Instructor view - Group Space for a group with a list of assessments
Students can access their assigned groups on the Groups landing page. From there, students can view all student members of their group.
Image 4: Student view - Group list, showing members of the Futures Group
To access a Group Space, students should select the group's name. Once in Group Spaces, students can access all assessments aligned to their Group.
Image 5: Student view – view of a group assessment from Group Spaces
Future milestones will include synchronous communication and project management tools for students.
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Communication & Social Engagement
Unread Message indicator – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Related topic: Messages for Instructors, Messages for Students
Messages are an important means for course communication. The Message tab on the Base Navigation now displays courses with unread messages first. We removed the terms feature from the Message tab because users often missed messages from other terms. This experience is more aligned with how other messaging applications work. Users can now clearly identify courses with unread messages.
We have also increased the visibility of unread messages within Ultra Courses. The Messages tab now includes an unread message indicator. On the Messages tab, messages are displayed with the newest messages at the top. Unread messages are clearly marked.
Image 1: Messages tab in Base Navigation, courses with unread messages listed first
Image 2: Messages tabs in a course – messages are sorted with the newest messages at the top, and unread messages are clearly indicated; a new message indicator also appears on the Messages tab
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Group Messaging improvements – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Related topic: Messages for Instructors, Messages for Students
Communication and collaboration between group members is key. An instructor can now send a message to any group or group set. Instructors can also select more than one group as recipients of a message. Students can select their groups as message recipients.
Those in the message can view the groups or group sets that received the message. Recipients can view who sent the message.
The Groups page now includes a message icon that provides an easy means for messaging a group. The message auto-populates the recipient with the selected group. Users can change the recipients as appropriate.
Image 1: Instructor view - button to draft/send a message to specific groups
Image 2: Student view - button to draft/send a message to specific groups
Image 3: New Message page with a group in the recipient list
Image 4: Group message thread, with the group name in the recipients' list
For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra courses. There are no configurations needed.
Mobile App
Course status indicators – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience
Impact: All users
Related topic: Courses and Organizations (Mobile)
The Blackboard Learn mobile app provides easy access to course material whilst on the go. We have enhanced the course list with status indicators for each course. These indicators help users to identify the status of each course.
Course status indicators include:
- Private (the student cannot access the course)
- Open
- Complete
Image 1: Course landing page enhanced by the course status indicator
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.
Messages Off indicator – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Impact: All users
Related topic: Course Messages (Mobile)
Administrators can now turn off Messages for individual courses. When an administrator turns Messages off, the app displays 'Messages off' as appropriate.
Image 1: Messages landing page with ‘Messages off’ indicator for the applicable course(s)
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
Course status and date improvements– 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: All users
The Courses page is a popular entry point to courses for instructors and students. For both list and tile views of Courses, we've added course start dates or start now prompts. These indicators help users understand what's happening with each course.
Now the course status appears both in the image on the course and as text beneath the course title. When a course is Private and has a start date defined in the future, the date also displays.
Image 1: Course tile view – before (left) and after (right): private course with a start date in the future
If a student has not yet accessed, and Open course with a start date in the past, a Start Now indicator appears. Once the student accesses the course, the Start Now indicator disappears.
Image 2: Course tile view of an Open course that a student has not yet accessed
For administrators: This feature is available for all courses. There are no configurations needed.
Ultra Accessibility Checker – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related topics: Ultra Accessibility Checker (Instructor),
Anthology Ally (Administrator)
Accessible content ensures inclusivity and meaningful engagement for diverse learners. To help instructors create accessible content, instructors can now use the Ultra Accessibility Checker (Powered by Ally). The Ultra Accessibility Checker scans content in the content editor for Ultra Documents. This helps instructors identify and fix accessibility issues.
Image 1: Instructor view - Ultra Document content editor with Score Gauge indicator
The Score Gauge indicator is visible when instructors are active in the content editor of Ultra Documents. Instructors can select the Score Gauge to view the Instructor Feedback panel. This panel provides suggestions to fix accessibility issues at scale. Instructors can also view the content editor in a preview. The Score Gauge provides a live score and flags accessibility issues during content creation and editing.
The Score Gauge displays only while an instructor is actively creating or editing content in the content editor for the Ultra Document. The Ultra Accessibility Checker does not provide any additional checking or guidance for files, reporting, or alternative formats.
Image 2: Instructor View - Score Gauge and suggestions for fixing accessibility issues
Image 3: Administrator view – Ally Integration Settings
For administrators: If your institution does not have an Ally license, the Ultra Accessibility Checker Powered by Ally will be on by default.
If your institution has an active Ally license, note that the Ultra Accessibility Checker Powered by Ally is a new configuration and is off by default. You don't need to turn this setting on. If you turn on this new setting, your Ally Service Availability will turn off. To avoid issues, we recommend not turning on Ultra Accessibility Checker Powered by Ally.
Supporting LTI deep-linking from the Calendar - 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View Calendar
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs
The Calendar tool is important for displaying due dates and tasks in a course. Today Calendar items auto-populate in Learn or via the REST API framework. Administrators can use the Calendar REST API to populate calendar entries from third-party solutions.
To deepen a seamless user experience, we've enhanced the Learn Calendar REST API. Now third-party applications can add LTI deep-linking requests to calendar entries. LTI deep linking is important for third-party applications that require user authentication. The Calendar will display links in the course. Links will also be displayed in the Calendar accessed from the Ultra base navigation. This is specific to Ultra courses only.
Image 1: Calendar Link shown in Ultra Course Calendar
Image 2: Calendar Link shown from Activity Stream
Image 3: LTI launch from Calendar link
For administrators: The REST integration user must have these privileges: “course/organization Control Panel (Tools) > Calendar > Create Entry” and "course/organization Control Panel (Tools) > Calendar > Edit Entry.” The REST integration user must also be enrolled in the course. These improvements are available for Ultra courses only.
Google Integration: Google Workspace files - 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Related topic: Google Workspace for Instructors, Types of Course Content
We have partnered with Google to create a new LTI integration for Google Workspace tools in Learn. This new intuitive workflow allows instructors to add Google Workspace files to:
- The course content area
- Learning Modules
- Folders
File linking for Google Workspace is important for many reasons:
- File linking provides a link to a Google Workspace file. Linking reduces duplicate copies of a file in courses. This helps to reduce on-screen clutter and storage space usage.
- Linking allows instructors to edit the file, with all links to the file reflecting the most current version. This approach provides greater efficiency and saves the instructor time.
- Google Workspace files can be edited inline, improving the user experience.
- File linking enhances the student experience since access to the file is in context.
The instructor may need to sign into their Google Workspace account to view and select their files. After adding the Google file, the instructor can allow Class conversations to the file and align Goals and Standards. The instructor can also add a description before saving. Instructors can view and edit the Google file inline. The instructor can rename the file and control the student visibility.
When the instructor makes the file(s) visible to the student, their view is read-only.
Image 1: Add a Google Workspace file to the Course Content
Image 2: Select the Google Workspace file
Image 3: Define the file settings
Image 4: Define student visibility settings
Image 5: Editing Google Workspace file inline
For administrators: Please register the LTI Tool Provider in the Administrator Panel.
Manage Messages at the Course level – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience
Ultra Course View
Impact: Administrators, Instructors
Institutions often have policies about how students communicate with others in their courses. We strive for Learn to have the flexibility to support institutional policies and decisions. As such, Administrators can now configure instructor control of the visibility of the Messages tool at the course level. When permitted, instructors can configure the Messages tool in the Course Settings.
Image 1: Instructors can manage the Messages tool in the Course Settings option
When instructors are not permitted to configure settings, the settings appear in view-only mode
Image 2: View-only mode for Messages in Course Settings
Learn more about how Messages function when the tool is off
For administrators: The Ultra Base Navigation must be enabled to control the Messages tool at the Course or Organization level. Course Messages are ON as Course and Organization tools by default. Administrators can modify the availability and Scope of Change settings by unlocking the padlock.
Active Session Termination – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: All users
Related topics: Session Management
We have upgraded our security measures to enforce user re-authentication, enhancing data security. Users are now required to log in again during their session, regardless of activity. After a time specified by the administrator, the session expires, logging out the user. Before the session ends, users receive a warning and have the option to save their work.
Image 1: Session expiration message
Image 2: Session expiration message for mobile users
Image 3: Administrator view - Active Session Termination settings
For administrators: The feature is enabled by default for FedRAMP institutions and disabled for others. This setting can be managed in the Administrator Tool Panel > Security module > Account Lock Settings option. The maximum amount of time a user session can be active has a default value of 12 hours. This timeout can be configured between 3 to 24 hours.
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 turned off automatic updates on their devices must download the update.
Concurrent Session Control – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Impact: All users
Related topics: Session Management
We have updated our system to enhance security and meet IL4 certification requirements. Administrators can now restrict users from accessing Learn on more than one device at the same time. At login, users receive a notification that they will be logged out from any other devices.
This feature can benefit institutions that would like to increase academic honesty during assessments by restricting the number of devices used by a single user.
Image 1: Concurrent session notice
Image 2: Concurrent session notice for mobile users
Image 3: Administrator view - Concurrent Session Control
For administrators: The default value is unlimited for every institution. Administrators may define their preference in the Administrator Tool Panel > Security module > Account Lock Settings option.
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 turned off automatic updates on their devices must download the update.
REST APIs to read Gradebook Logs – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs
We are excited to introduce two public API endpoints for the Gradebook. These new endpoints provide access to historical Gradebook information. These endpoints offer enhanced visibility and analysis for grading history and specific Gradebook columns.
The first endpoint retrieves the complete Gradebook Log history for the specified course. With this endpoint, users can access a comprehensive record of grading events such as:
- grade modifications
- updates,
- and other relevant activities.
By leveraging this endpoint, educators can perform audits and track changes.
The second endpoint retrieves all the log entries related to the specified Gradebook column in a course. This provides a detailed view of the Gradebook actions specific to the selected column, such as:
- changes made to ratings,
- comments,
- or any other modifications.
This detailed log history enhances transparency and accountability and helps ensure that users have a robust and reliable grading system.
For administrators: To make use of the new endpoints, the REST integration user must have the following privileges:
"Course/Organization Control Panel (Grade Center) > View Grades,”
“Course/Organization Control Panel (Grade Center) > Full Control,” and
“Course/Organization Control Panel (Grade Center) > All Grading.”
Replacement of Connect SMS notification service (from Finalsite) to Anthology SMS Microservice – 3900.71
Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Clients who leverage the Connect SMS notification service
Blackboard divested the Connect SMS Service to Finalsite in 2021. Our agreed service continuation contract with Finalsite is expiring in the coming months. Some North American Blackboard Learn clients continue to use the Connect SMS Service provided through Finalsite.
We have implemented a microservice and partnered with an SMS provider to provide those clients with continuity. This will allow us to continue supporting clients who use SMS notifications in Learn today.
SMS notifications are now provided through the new microservice.
- Self-hosted instances are not supported on the new microservice.
- Managed-hosted instances are not supported on the new microservice.
- Text-to-voice is not supported in the new microservice.
Learn more in the Behind the Blackboard article No. 000077570
Existing user SMS notification settings will remain in place for students and instructors. Text-to-voice options will be removed for Original navigation environments. We have updated the SMS notification setting screen wording to reflect where the messages originate. We have also simplified the administrator settings to reflect the new microservice.
Image 1. Example of end-user SMS notification settings
Image 2. Example of the administrator settings for SMS notifications
For administrators: The new microservice is included in the 3900.71 release and is available on your test/stage environment while we finalize work with the new SMS provider. While we don’t anticipate any delays, we will communicate any changes as we approach the production release scheduled for August 3, 2023.
