Release Notes for Learn SaaS
This page contains features and updates currently on Learn SaaS Test/Stage and Production environments. Visit Archived SaaS Release Notes to see features and updates in older versions. Visit In-Product Updates to learn more about in-product updates.
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Learn SaaS release 3900.114.0
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.114.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 11 March 2025 | Release to Production: Thursday, 3 April 2025
Original Course View, Ultra Course View
For full feature details, please review the corresponding notes for the Blackboard 3900.114.0 version included below on this page. Details can be found on Anthology Global Support.
Latest release to Test/Stage servers to take place on 11 March 2025.
For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Anthology Global Support.
The April 2025 - 3900.114 release is robust with features in 7 areas:
- Instructional design;
- Mastery learning and learning pathways;
- Communication and collaboration;
- Gradebook;
- Learner progression and personalized experience;
- Upgrade to Ultra; and
- Premium
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Some features do require administrative action.
Instructors:
- Course Activity improvements: 3000 student limit removed
- Course Activity improvements: Sending messages
- Indicator if student has or has not reviewed feedback
- Enhanced grading experience for group submissions
- Moodle conversion: Improved support for embedded multimedia
- Achievements in student preview
- Video Studio - Analytics for student engagement
- Course Catalog – Award an achievement based on percentage score
Instructors and Students:
- Content Designer: Print Document
- Achievements page hidden from students by default
- Activity indicator color changed to purple
- Improved support for LTI: Resize requests
Students:
- Replace Feedback column with actionable Results column in student Gradebook
- Course Catalog – Access certificate details from student dashboard
Instructors and Administrators:
Administrators:
Instructional Design
Learning Object Repository – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors and administrators
Updated Help Topic: Learning Object Repository
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-3138
The new Learning Object Repository is an institutional repository designed to centralize resources across courses and organizations. Administrators can upload objects to the Learning Object Repository for instructors to copy into their courses.
- Updates to objects in the Learning Object Repository are automatically applied to all associated courses and organizations, saving instructors time and maintaining consistency.
- Changes aren’t applied to courses that are marked complete or with an end date/term end date in the past.
- Only the title, body, and description are synced for objects in the Learning Object Repository. All other settings are set to the default. For example, if the object is set to visible in the Learning Object Repository, the object will default to visible in every course. Instructors can override settings unrelated to title, body, and description if they have the associated permissions.
- For students who were marked incomplete and need to regain access to a course, we recommend extending the student's enrollment date instead of the course enrollment date. Extending the student's enrollment date prevents changes to course objects from the Learning Object Repository when objects are updated.
This is the initial release of the Learning Object Repository. The capabilities of this release are best suited to reusing institutional content. Program or department uses will be better suited to future planned updates.
Good candidates for objects to keep in the Learning Object Repository include:
- technology requirements
- AI policies
- course etiquette
- academic integrity policies
At this time, only Documents are available for the Learning Object Repository. File uploads are coming in a future update. We'll add other objects in future releases. Administrators can access the Learning Object Repository through the Tools page in Blackboard.
Image 1. The new button for the Learning Object Repository is on the Tools page.
Managing objects
By default, users with the System Administrator (Z) role are the only users who have access to the Learning Object Repository to manage objects. To create a custom role or give someone access to the Learning Object Repository, users must be granted the following system privileges:
- Individuals with this privilege can view the Learning Object Repository from the Tools page.
- Individuals with this privilege can create, edit, and delete objects in the Learning Object Repository.
- Individuals with this privilege can insert objects from the Learning Object Repository into courses and organizations.
Inserting objects
By default, users with the Instructor, Course Builder, or System Administration roles are the only users who can insert objects from the Learning Object Repository into a course or organization. To give a user access to insert objects from the Learning Object Repository, administrators must grant the following privileges:
- Course/Organization (Content Areas) > Create Materials
- Individuals with this privilege can insert objects from the Learning Object Repository into courses and organizations.
Instructors
Instructors access the Learning Object Repository through the More options menu on the Course Content page. Instructors can copy an object from the Learning Object Repository, but certain attributes are locked down. For example, instructors are locked out from editing the title, description, and body of a Document.
Image 2. Instructors hover over the Information button to be informed that a Document is managed by their institution, and they have no editing privileges.
Administrator
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: Access to the Learning Object Repository is controlled by privileges. Instructor and Course Builder roles have access to the Learning Object Repository by default. Administrators may want to remove those privileges until their institution is ready to use the Learning Object Repository.
Copy objects into the Learning Object Repository - 3900.114
Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Learning Object Repository
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-3138
Administrators can copy objects to the new Learning Object Repository. Many institutions already have objects that are candidates for this repository, such as institutional policies, support information, technology requirements, and more. This feature allows administrators to copy existing objects directly into the Learning Object Repository, removing the need to create new objects from scratch and saving valuable time. To access the Learning Object Repository, select the Learning Object Repository button on the Tools page. To copy items, select the More options menu.
At this time, administrators can copy only Documents into the Learning Object Repository. We’re adding file uploads in a future release.
Image 1. The option to copy items is in the More options menu of the Learning Object Repository.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: Access to the Learning Object Repository is controlled by privileges. Instructor and Course Builder roles have access to the Learning Object Repository by default. Administrators may want to remove those privileges until their institution is ready to use the Learning Object Repository.
Content Designer: Print Document – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors and students
Updated Help Topic: Create Documents
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-95
Instructors and students can now print Documents or save them to PDF, providing more ways to engage with content. This new option allows users to:
- Review content offline
- Share content with students or peers
- Physically archive content
To print a Document, select Print. Use the browser to print options to select the following:
- A printer or the PDF option
- The page range
- The layout
When printing from a mobile device, the Document prints as displayed on a desktop web browser.
Depending on the size of some content (for example, images), items may shift to the next page depending on the page layout and scale.
Instructors
- Knowledge check blocks print with all the question and answer options.
- All other blocks print as displayed outside of editing mode.
Image 1. The new Print button for Documents is now available for instructors.
Students
- Knowledge check blocks appear in the same way that they are on the Document page when the student chooses to print.
- If a student hasn’t answered a knowledge check, the block prints as unanswered.
- If a student has answered the knowledge check, the block prints as displayed along with any instructor feedback.
Image 2. The new Print button for Documents is now available for students.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Mastery Learning and Learning Pathways
Achievements page hidden from students by default – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors and students
Updated Help Topic: Achievements
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-5373
Instructors and students
The Achievements page is now hidden by default from students in courses that don’t have any achievements. When an instructor adds the first achievement to a course, the Achievements page will become available to students.
A browser refresh may be needed before the Achievements page is accessible.
This change streamlines the content for students and prevents questions about features that are unrelated to their current courses. Students receive a more focused and relevant learning experience. Privileged users who can create new Achievements can always access the tab.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Achievements in course copies – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors and administrators
Updated Help Topic: Achievements
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-6344
Instructors and administrators
Achievements are now included with course copies. Previously, instructors had to create new Achievements for each course. Copying Achievements has multiple benefits:
- Saves instructors valuable time
- Helps instructors provide students with a more engaging educational experience
- Standardizes the use of Achievements between courses
Achievements can only be copied with whole course copies. Achievements can't be copied in a granular copy where content is selected individually.
Achievements carried over with course copies also includes badges from Anthology Milestone.
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Achievements in Student Preview – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Achievements
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-6049
Instructors
Instructors can now access Achievements through the Student Preview. This helps instructors preview achievements from the student perspective, providing a more accurate representation of the student experience. Instructors can also verify that the Achievements page is available for students in their courses.
Image 1. The Achievements page is now in the Student Preview.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Communication & Collaboration
Course Activity improvements: Sending messages – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Course Activity Report
Instructors
We improved sending messages from the Course Activity report.
- Instructors can now select all students for courses with over 3000 students. Previously, the option to select all students was only for courses with 3000 students or fewer.
- To be more user-friendly, the Recipients field now includes the following group labels:
- All students
- Selected students
- Selected students with alerts
- Selected students without alerts
These enhancements make it easier to communicate with students in large classes, including students with or without alerts.
Image 1. The Recipients field responds to instructor filters.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Activity indicator color changed to purple – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors and students
Updated Help Topics: Navigate Inside an Ultra Course for Students, Navigate Inside an Ultra Course for Instructors
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Instructors and students
The color of the activity indicator for discussions, journals, and conversations is changed from blue to purple to better unify the color scheme of Blackboard. Users now have a more consistent and cohesive experience.
Image 1. The activity indicator now appears in purple beside a content item’s title.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Gradebook
Indicator if student has or has not reviewed feedback – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-1612
Instructors
In the Gradebook, instructors now have enhanced ability to monitor student engagement with assessment feedback. An indicator on the student Overview page now displays whether a student has reviewed the feedback for a given assessment.
When a grade is posted, the indicator includes a label of Not reviewed with the existing Completed label in the Status column. When the student reviews the feedback, the status updates to Reviewed with a review timestamp.
If the new grade indicator is reset for the assessment, such as when a grade is updated or if the assessment has multiple attempts, the timestamp updates when the student reviews the feedback again. If all attempts are deleted, the Not reviewed or Reviewed label is removed.
Image 1: Instructor Gradebook view has Reviewed and Not Reviewed labels in the Status column.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Replace Feedback column with actionable Results column in student Gradebook – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Grades (Students)
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-4329, LEARNU-I-5949
To encourage student to review their submitted assessments in the Gradebook:
- A new Results column replaces the Feedback column
- A View button in the new Results column replaces the Feedback column's purple feedback icon
When a grade is posted and the new grade indicator (purple circle) is turned on, the View button displays for the assessment. By proving a clear call-to-action, students are more likely to review their submission and feedback.
Students
When students select the View button, the new grade indicator turns off, and students are redirected to their submission. If no submission is made, the side panels with feedback opens. The View button remains unless the instructor deletes the graded submission and all attempts.
Image 1: Previous view of the student Gradebook included Feedback column with feedback icon and new grade indicator when feedback is available for review.
Image 2: New view of the student Gradebook includes an actionable Results column, with the new grade indicator turning off after the student views the feedback.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Enhanced grading experience for group submissions – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Grade Group Assignments
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
We migrated group grading to Flexible Grading. Instructors now have a more streamlined experience when grading group assignment and test submissions in Flexible Grading. This update allows instructors to benefit from the more efficient grading interface and workflow of Flexible Grading when evaluating group submissions.
Some capabilities for individual submissions, such as per question feedback on group test submissions and pop-out rubric on group assignment submissions, will be added to group submissions after this initial release.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Learner Progression & Personalized Experience
Course Activity improvements: 3000 student limit removed – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Course Activity Report
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Instructors
We removed the limit to how many students were included in the Course Activity report. Courses with over 3000 students now correctly include all students in the report. Previously, courses with over 3000 students would only include the first 3000 students in the Course Activity report. Managing larger courses is now more accurate and user-friendly for instructors.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Upgrade to Ultra
Moodle conversion: Improved support for embedded multimedia – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Migrate from Moodle
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Instructors
All embedded audio, video, and images are now accessible after converting a course from Moodle to Blackboard. Previously, there were some cases where the embedded audio, video, or images didn’t convert. We resolved this issue, and instructors can be confident that their materials are transferring correctly.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Improved Support for LTI: Resize Requests – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors and students
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
LTI providers can now specify their desired height for embedded LTIs in Blackboard. Previously, all embedded LTIs were set to a fixed height, which often resulted in excessive white space below content.
- Adjusting height for embedded LTIs is supported through the lti.frameResize post message. This applies to all locations where LTIs can be embedded within the rich content editor.
Instructors and students
This enhancement ensures a more visually appealing interface for users. The cleaner layout helps users focus better on the content.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Premium
Video Studio - Analytics for student engagement – 3900.114
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Video Studio (Instructors)
Idea Exchange ID: not applicable
Instructors using Video Studio can now access analytics to gain valuable insights into student engagement with recordings. With user analytics, instructors can make data-informed decisions about their recording content and instructional strategies to promote engagement with a course.
Instructors
An instructor can access recording analytics from the editing workflow. Select Edit Content and then the pencil button that appears when you hover over or tab to the recording screen. On the panel that appears, select Analytics.
- Total Views: Track the total number of times a recording has been accessed by students.
- Individual Users: Identify the unique users who have opened a recording.
- Average Time Viewed: Monitor the average duration students spend listening to or watching a recording.
- Total Watch Time: Know the total duration of time students spend listening to or watching a recording.
These analytics can reveal which parts of a recording are most and least engaging by analyzing engagement patterns and timestamps. Once a user has accessed a recording, it may take up to 20 minutes for this data to be represented in the analytics.
If analytics data is not yet available for a specific video, the Analytics tab is displayed, but each metric will show dashes as placeholders. For GovCloud clients, analytics are not available, and the Analytics tab is not displayed.
Image 1: Instructors can now view user analytics when they select the Analytics menu item in the Edit Contents page.
Administrator
Availability: Video Studio is a premium solution.
Activation: We are offering customers a free trial until June 30, 2025. This trial provides access to the full version of Video Studio. Video Studio is set to OFF as a default in test/stage and production environments. If you want to enable it in your institution’s environment, you can do that for free until the end of June 2025.
Configuration: In the Administrator Panel, select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module. Select Enable creating/uploading videos using Video Studio. Beyond June 30, 2025, your institution will have to purchase Video Studio to continue using it.
Course Catalog – Access certificate details from student dashboard – 2.15
Test/Stage: week of March 24th; Production: week of March 24th
Impact: Students
Updated Help Page: Dashboard
Idea Exchange ID: not applicable
Students can now access details about a course certificate by selecting the certificate tile on the student dashboard. A pop-up appears with details about the certificate, including certificate requirements. This empowers students with a clear understanding of how to earn certificates.
Students
When a student selects a certificate tile on the Achievements page, a pop-up window appears. This window displays
- certificate status
- course that the certificate is aligned with
- certificate requirements
If the certificate is earned, its expiration date and a download button appear. The student selects Download to download a PDF copy of the certificate.
Image 1. A pop-up window now displays details about the certificate.
Administrator
Availability: Available for all Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Course Catalog – Award an achievement based on percentage score – 2.15
Test/Stage: week of March 3rd; Production: week of March 3rd
Impact: Managers
Updated Help Page: Create an Offering
Idea Exchange ID: not applicable
Managers
Managers can now award achievements based on a percentage score in addition to awarding based on points. They can make this selection based on the Blackboard configuration for the grade item. Managers save time awarding certificates or badges because they no longer need to convert percentages to total points in the Assign Certificate panel.
Image 1: A percentage of 100% now appears as an option along with points next to a grade item's name in the Gradebook Items menu.
Administrator
Availability: Available for all Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Learn SaaS release 3900.112.0
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.112.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 11 February 2025 | Release to Production: Thursday, 6 March 2025
Original Course View, Ultra Course View
For full feature details, please review the corresponding notes for the Blackboard 3900.112.0 version included below on this page. Details can be found on Anthology Global Support.
Latest release to Test/Stage servers to take place on 11 February 2025.
For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Anthology Global Support.
The March 2025 - 3900.112 release is robust with features in 10 areas:
- Instructional design;
- Mastery learning and learning pathways;
- Tests and assignments;
- Communication and collaboration;
- Gradebook;
- Learner Progression & Personalized Experience;
- Integrations;
- Learn core and security;
- Upgrade to Ultra; and
- Premium features
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Some features do require administrative action.
Instructors:
- AI Design Assistant: Energy-saving image generation improvements
- AI Design Assistant: Learning module generation improvements
- Analytics: New Course Goals reports
- Release conditions panel: Due dates now included
- Usability improvements to Mastery tab in Gradebook
- Copy Banners Between Courses
- Canvas conversion: File upload improvements
- Pop-out rubric when evaluating an attempt
- Enhancements to hiding students with unavailable membership records
- Show/hide calculation columns in the gradebook
- Enhanced Turnitin Report parameters
- Course Access user experience improvements
Instructors and Students:
- Usability improvements for discussions
- Video Studio - Upload 360° videos
- Video Studio - Access transcript in one-quarter size video block
Students
- New student submission review page for tests
- Course Catalog - New student dashboard configuration - 2.14
- Course Catalog - Student achievement notifications - 2.14
- Course Catalog - Correct header levels applied - 2.14
Instructors and Administrators
Administrators:
- Progress tracking REST API - Read-Update student status for non-gradable items
- Pagination added to the Grading Security Settings page
- Grade Export v2 - Choose a default function type for calculated columns
All users:
Instructional Design
AI Design Assistant: Energy-saving image generation improvements – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Add Files, Images, Audio, and Video
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-5580
Instructors
We changed how the AI Design Assistant presents generated images. Instead of presenting four at a time, the AI Design Assistant now generates only one. Each time another image is generated, it is saved so that instructors can select previously generated images. When an instructor selects an image or exits image generation, all images are cleared. This new method saves processing power and is more environmentally friendly.
Image 1. The AI Design Assistant generates one image at a time and saves previously generated images.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
AI Design Assistant: Learning module generation improvements – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Create Learning Modules
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-2763
Instructors
We made two enhancements to the user experience when generating learning modules. If an image isn't generated with a learning module, the title and description will no longer shift to the left. A placeholder image is now used to ensure a consistent reading experience.
Image 1. Learning modules generated in 3900.110 lacked a placeholder image.
Image 2. The new placeholder image in 3900.112 appears beside the title.
We also added a refresh button to learning module images so instructors can easily generate a new image. This feature is particularly useful for modules where images were not created or for regenerating images that the instructor doesn’t want to use.
Image 3. The new refresh button displays on the lower right corner of the image.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Mastery Learning and Learning Pathways
Analytics: New Course Goals reports – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Course Reports
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-1388, LEARNU-I-4464
Instructors
We added two goals reports to the Analytics page in Blackboard.
Course Goal Coverage Report
- Provides a comprehensive view of goal coverage for a single course.
- Displays both covered and gap values for all associated curricular areas.
- Includes a detailed breakdown of course items aligned with goals.
Course Goal Performance Report
- Evaluates how a course meets selected goals.
- Includes overall averages and detailed breakdowns for individual students and goals.
Instructors can gain deeper insights into how course content aligns with institutional goals. They can also assess student progress more effectively.
If a course has no goals, instructors will receive a report with no data.
Image 1. The new Goal Reports are located in the Course Reports tab of the Analytics page.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Release conditions panel: due dates now included – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Content Release Conditions
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-1886
Instructors
When instructors customize release conditions for a content item, the due date for the item is now included with the date and time fields. Instructors are no longer required to go back to the item to check the due date, which saves time and reduces errors.
Image 1. The due date of a content item now displays after the date and time fields.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Usability improvements to Mastery tab in Gradebook – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Mastery Tab in Gradebook
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-5385, LEARNU-I-6071
Instructors
We made several improvements to the appearance of the Mastery tab in Gradebook. Goal titles were crowded by icons and longer goal titles were cut off. To address this, we adjusted how goal titles are displayed above columns:
- Icons were removed.
- There are now two lines for goal names.
- There’s now hover text above goals that displays the full name of the goal.
These changes ensure that instructors can easily read all goal titles, improving their overall experience with the Mastery tab in Gradebook.
Image 1. Hover text appears over a goal title to display the full name.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Tests & Assignments
Anonymous discussions: New privilege to reveal author – 3900.112
Impact: All users
Updated Help Topic: Create Discussions (Instructor), Discussions (Student)
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-4139
All users
System administrators or other users with the assigned system role privilege can now reveal the identity of the author of an anonymous discussion post or reply. This enhancement addresses instances where the anonymous feature is misused, such as bullying or other inappropriate behavior. Instructors can create anonymous discussions with confidence that any misuse can be quickly resolved.
Instructors and students
There’s now a warning that informs users that their identity can be revealed by an authorized user.
Image 1. The new warning is associated with the Post anonymously option.
Administrators
System administrators or other users with the assigned system role privilege can reveal the author of an anonymous discussion post or reply. Select the More options menu for a post, then select Reveal author. Administrators or other users with the assigned system role privilege must provide a reason for the anonymous reveal. There’s no indication for other readers of the discussion that the administrator revealed the author's user details.
Due to the sensitive nature of this action, the administrator’s user details are recorded in the system log with the reason. The information in the system log includes:
- Date of reveal
- Time of reveal
- Username of user requesting
- Course Name of revealed post/posts
- Discussion Name of revealed post/posts
- Reason given
If the administrator refreshes the page, the user is once again anonymous.
Image 2. From the administrator’s view, the user’s name is included with text that reads “Revealed.”
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: System Administrators are the only users who can reveal anonymous authors by default. The privilege can be assigned to other system roles if more extensive use is required. To access this privilege, go to the Administrator Panel. Select System Roles. Go to the Course/Organization Outline section. In Discussions, select the privilege for Reveal Anonymous Author.
Usability improvements for discussions – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors, Students
Updated Help Topic: Discussions (Instructor), Discussions (Student)
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-3567
We made several improvements to enhance the overall usability and efficiency of discussions, benefiting both instructors and students.
Instructors and students
- Improved visibility: Posts now have a gray background to stand out better against the page.
- Full post display: Long discussion posts are now fully visible without the need for scrolling, enhancing readability.
Image 1. A long discussion post displayed in its entirety with a gray background.
Instructors
We made several optimizations to enhance the accessibility of key features on the discussion home page.
- Participation metrics: The number of posts and replies is now listed directly on the discussion home page, replacing the total response counter. This change makes important information more immediately available.
- Direct edit option: The Edit button is now directly accessible from the post, saving instructors time.
Image 2. The changes made to the discussion home page included the addition of an Edit button and a count of posts and replies.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Gradebook
Pop-out rubric when evaluating an attempt – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: Grade with Rubrics
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-745
To enhance grading efficiency, instructors can now pop out the grading rubric into a separate window when grading an assignment submission. The pop-out rubric is a separate, moveable window and formatted in a grid view. Previously, the rubric was only available in a side panel and formatted in a stack.
This update makes it easier to navigate and grade student submissions by providing a clearer, more comprehensive view of the rubric. Popping out the rubric lets instructors view the student submission and the rubric side-by-side for a more efficient grading experience. Instructors can quickly select performance levels and provide feedback in the rubric while viewing the student submission.
Image 1: Instructors can pop out the rubric by selecting the expand icon in the rubric panel.
Instructors
Instructors can access the pop-out rubric when reviewing a submission.
- Bulk Performance Level Selection: Instructors select a performance level heading to apply it across all relevant criteria, streamlining the grading process.
- Cell Selection and Syncing: Selected rubric cells are highlighted, and the associated grade pill updates to reflect the chosen score. When the instructor selects Save, performance levels and feedback appear in the gradebook, as it has prior to this update.
- Feedback Section Focus: Once a rubric cell is selected, the criterion feedback section automatically focuses on the textbox for immediate feedback entry.
- Navigation Warning: A warning appears if instructors have unsaved changes in the pop-out rubric and they attempt to navigate to another student or attempt.
- Grade Override Warning: If the grade is overridden, the rubric popout is inactive. A banner appears, showing that the grade was overridden, with an option to regrade using the rubric.
- Printing: Instructors can print a blank or completed rubric using the browser's print function.
When the pop-out rubric is open, the ability to add Overall Feedback and grade with the rubric in the main grading interface is inactive. This prevents an instructor from editing the same information in two separate places simultaneously.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
New student submission review page for tests – 3900.112
Impact: Students
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-1415
We are introducing a new and enhanced student-facing submission review page for tests. This review page is similar to the review page for assignments, which we introduced in the 3900.100 September 2024 release.
The new review page for tests ensures that all feedback is clearly laid out and easy for students to identify.
Image 1: The student view of the graded test submission includes a submission timestamp, submission receipt, and feedback for individual questions.
Students
Students can access the new test submission review page from these locations:
- The gradebook feedback button for the test
- The small panel that displays when students access a test from the Course Content page
If a student submits multiple attempts, they can review each attempt on the submission review page. The instructor defines which attempt to grade in the test's final grade calculation setting.
The new test submission review page displays the following information and feedback formats:
- Test content
- Student submission with question-level grades and feedback
- Submission timestamp
- Submission receipt
- Final grade and calculation model
- Attempt grade and feedback
- Override grade and feedback (if applicable)
Students can access all feedback on their submission, even if the assignment is hidden by a release condition.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Enhancements to hiding students with unavailable membership records – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-5556
Instructors can now hide or show students with unavailable user or membership records in the Mastery Gradebook tab in the gradebook.
Image 1: The Hides students in the gradebook who no longer have access to the course option in Gradebook Settings is not selected, and the avatar for unavailable students has a strikethrough.
Image 2: Avatars for students appear in the Students list of the gradebook.
Instructors
- Mastery Gradebook: The Hide students in the gradebook who no longer have access to the course option in Gradebook Settings now hides students with unavailable membership records in the Mastery Gradebook tab.
- Student Avatars: Avatars for students with unavailable membership records now display a strikethrough in the gradebook.
- Students List in Gradebook: Avatars are now added to the Students list in the gradebook, and students with unavailable membership records display a strikethrough on their avatars.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Show/hide calculation columns in the gradebook – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Instructors can now configure visibility for calculated columns from Items Management.
This enhancement streamlines the grading process and creates a cleaner, more organized grading workspace. To ensure that essential grading information is always available, the Overall Grade column cannot be hidden.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Grade Export v2 - Choose a default function type for calculated columns – 3900.112
Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Page: Incoming Settings
When setting up a calculated grade column for Ultra courses through Grade Export v2, administrators now have the option to choose the default function type. Previously, the function type was always set to Average.
Choosing a default function type prevents unnecessary work and streamlines the grade column setup. Administrators can choose the correct function when they set up the grade column rather than requiring them to change the function after the grade column has been created.
To configure Incoming Settings, an administrator goes to Platform Extensions in the Administrator Panel, then selects Grade Export v2, Edit Settings. From the Default Calculation Function menu, they can choose between these available functions:
- Average
- Minimum
- Maximum
- Total
- Variable
Image 1: The Default Calculation Function in the Edit Settings page for Grade Export v2 now has several default options: Average, Minimum, Maximum, Total, and Variable.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Integrations
Enhanced Turnitin Report parameters – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Turnitin is a third-party tool that integrates with Blackboard to improve student writing by providing instructors with originality reports on student writing. Turnitin now receives groups, user names, and roles data from Blackboard for submissions from the Assignments integration.
Instructors
There is no direct customer impact from this change, however Turnitin will use this information in the future to provide better match information to instructors. These enhancements will be communicated to customers by Turnitin.
Administrator
Availability: The Turnitin Integration is available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed. Instructions for Turnitin LTI set up can be found on the Turnitin page for administrators.
Progress Tracking REST API – Read/Update student status for non-gradable items – 3900.112
Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Page: Blackboard APIs
The new Progress Tracking public API allows third-party applications and integration platforms to efficiently retrieve and update student progress statuses for non-gradable activities.
The progress tracking function allows instructors to track student course progress related to course content. This is automated for gradable content, such as Tests and Assignments, but doesn’t include non-gradable activities. Students must manually update the status for non-gradable items. Non-gradable items include Documents, links, or uploaded files displayed on the Course Content page or within Folders or Learning Modules. If students don’t manually update these non-gradable items, it makes the automated progress tracking system less accurate and complete.
If students fail to manually update the status of their non-gradable activities, an automation using the API can correct those issues. The API simplifies progress tracking, making it easier for educational institutions to maintain accurate data and improve overall student engagement monitoring.
The progress tracking API includes methods to retrieve data from single content entities (such as links and uploaded files) and parent entities parent content entities (such as Learning Modules and folders). The data is retrieved by GET by ID:
GET by ID (single content):
/learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/states/{userId}
GET by ID (parent content):
/learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/children/states/{userId}
The API also allows for updating content entities through PATCH:
PATCH:
/learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/states
Administrator
Availability: This feature is available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Learn Core & Security
Course Access user experience improvements – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Course Settings, Managing Course Terms and Access
We have improved the user interface for managing course access for users. We have clarified the labels for hiding a course listing on the instructor view of the Courses page. We have also clarified the functionality of Course Status within Course Settings. No changes have been made to the underlying functionality of course access. These improvements make it easier for instructors to manage course visibility and access for users.
Instructors
Course Settings page
In Course Settings, the previous toggle switch for opening or closing a course has been replaced with radio buttons labeled Open and Closed. This change better indicates course status for enrolled students.
Image 1: Course Status is now controlled by radio buttons labeled Open and Closed within the Course Settings page.
Courses page
On the Courses page, the label Hide course has been changed to Hide course from me. This change clarifies that the action only hides the course from the instructor on the Courses page, not from enrolled students.
Image 2: On the Courses page for instructors, the option to hide a course within the Courses page is now labeled Hide course from me.
Once a course is hidden from instructor view on the Courses page, the dropdown menu for Filters lists Hidden from me as an option. Selecting this option makes any hidden courses appear again on the Courses page.
Image 3: When a course is hidden on the Courses page, the dropdown menu for Filters now lists Hidden from me as an option.
Administrator
Availability: This feature is available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Pagination added to the Grading Security Settings page – 3900.112
Impact: Administrators
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-5103
The Grading Security Settings page on the Administrator Panel now includes pagination to improve the user experience. Now a longer list of profiles is displayed across multiple pages. This eliminates the need for page scrolling to find the desired profiles. This improvement provides a more efficient experience for administrators and makes the Grading Security Settings page more consistent with other Administrator Panel pages.
Image 1: The Grading Security Settings page within the Administrator Panel is now paginated to eliminate excessive scrolling through longer lists of profiles.
Administrator
Availability: Available for all Ultra and Original Blackboard Courses
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Upgrade to Ultra
Copy Banners Between Courses – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Copy Content from Courses
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-3481
Instructors
Instructors now have the option to copy banners between courses. This is ideal for instructors who prefer to copy course content in parts rather than performing a full course copy. This saves instructors time during course setup and rollover. Banners can be copied from Ultra or Original courses.
Image 1. The Copy Items page now has the option to select the course banner under Settings.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Canvas conversion: File upload improvements – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Page: Migrate from Canvas
Instructors
We resolved issues related to file conversions from Canvas to Blackboard. Previously, files with special characters in their names and files referenced multiple times within the same course were not converting correctly. These issues have now been addressed, ensuring accurate file preservation during conversion.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra and Original courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Premium
Video Studio - Upload 360° videos – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors and Students
Updated Help Page: Video Studio (Instructor), Video Studio (Student)
Instructors
Instructors can now upload 360° videos to Video Studio. 360° videos can pan to the left or right, providing a real to life experience. These immersive videos can introduce students to situations that would otherwise be out of reach. For example, a student could view a distant location or a scenario that might be dangerous.
Students
Students can view 360° videos in both full screen and windowed modes. To add accessibility for keyboard users, students can also use keyboard navigation using the W, A, S, D keys. There’s also a navigation aid on the video for mouse users.
Image 1. The instructor upload screen for a 360° video.
Image 2. A student’s view of a 360° video. The navigation aid is a circle.
We’re working to enhance the video playback quality to support higher resolution videos. This update will be part of the next release.
Administrators
Availability: Video Studio is a premium solution.
Activation: We are offering customers a free trial until June 30, 2025. This trial provides access to the full version of Video Studio. Video Studio is set to OFF as a default in test/stage and production environments. If you want to turn it on in your institution’s environment, you can do that for free until the end of June 2025.
Configuration: In the Administrator Panel, select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module. Select Enable creating/uploading videos using Video Studio. Beyond June 30, 2025, your institution will have to purchase Video Studio to continue using it.
Video Studio – Access transcript in one-quarter size video block – 3900.112
Impact: Instructors, Students
Updated Help Page: Video Studio (Instructors), Video Studio (Students)
Video Studio now allows users to access transcripts for recordings that are displayed in one-quarter size in Documents. When an instructor resizes a recording to one quarter size, a user accesses the transcript via a modal window that is displayed when they access a recording transcript. This improvement ensures that instructors and students can use a transcript at all display sizes.
Resizing the display of Video Studio recordings to one quarter size of the default full width display is possible when creating recordings within Documents. On the Course Content page, Video Studio recordings are displayed at full width. If a user reduces the size of the browser window, the recording can be reduced to a minimum of half width of the full size.
Instructors and Students
A user isn’t able to skip forward or backward in a Video Studio recording that is sized at one-quarter size.
The user interface and functionality for accessing a transcript from a recording at one-quarter size is identical for instructors and students, except that the instructor view includes the Edit Content button.
When user opens a Video Studio recording that is one-quarter size, a button that says View Transcript is displayed below the recording.
Image 1: For a Video Studio recording that is sized to one-column in a Document, the user displays the transcript by selecting View Transcript, which is located below the recording.
Selecting View Transcript opens a modal window containing the recording transcript in read-only mode. The transcript editing functionality is unchanged for a recording displayed at one-quarter size of the default full width.
Image 2: The transcript for a recording sized to one column displays after selecting View Transcript.
Administrator
Availability: Video Studio is a premium solution.
Activation: We are offering customers a free trial until June 30, 2025. This trial provides access to the full version of Video Studio. Video Studio is set to OFF as a default in test/stage and production environments. If you want to enable it in your institution’s environment, you can do that for free until the end of June 2025.
Configuration: In the Administrator Panel, select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module. Select Enable creating/uploading videos using Video Studio. Beyond June 30, 2025, your institution will have to purchase Video Studio to continue using it.
Course Catalog – New student dashboard configuration – 2.14
Test/Stage: week of February 3rd; Production: week of February 24th
Impact: Students
Updated Help Page: Dashboard
The student dashboard displays courses and achievements in their own tabs. Each tab now has filters that students can use to control the status or type of course or achievement that is displayed.
Each dashboard tile has an indicator of the item’s status. Previously, the courses and achievements tabs were broken into nested tabs to show different statuses and types of each. The student couldn’t control the view and needed to individually select each course and achievement to learn the status of each.
The new dashboard reduces confusion, allows more student control over the user experience, and is more responsive and accessible.
Image 1: The dashboard now has a single tab for Achievements with filters for Status and Type.
Students
Students use the Status filter on the Courses tab to choose which courses to display on screen. They use the Status and Type filters on the Achievements tab to choose which achievements to display.
Administrator
Availability: Available for all Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Course Catalog – Student achievement notifications – 2.14
Test/Stage: week of February 3rd; Production: week of February 24th
Impact: Students
Updated Help Page: Dashboard
Idea Exchange ID: LEXT-I-14
Students now receive an in-app notification when they earn a new certificate. The notification congratulates them and prompts them to view their achievement in the student dashboard.
Previously, the only way students could determine whether they had earned a certificate was to navigate to the Achieved tab within the Certificates tab of the student dashboard. The new notification alerts the student, provides a sense of achievement, and makes it quick and easy for them to access the details of their certification.
Image 1: An in-app notification appears when students achieve a new certificate.
Students
The notification appears the next time the student logs into the Course Catalog after completing the certification. On the notification, they select the View Achievement button to access the Achievements tab on the student dashboard.
Administrator
Availability: Available in all Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Course Catalog – Default language selection on single-language sites – 2.14
Test/Stage: week of February 3rd; Production: week of February 3rd
Impact: Managers and Administrators
Idea Exchange ID: CC-I-3
Multiple Course Catalog menus now default to the configured language on single-language sites.
Managers and administrators no longer must choose the language from many of the language drop-down menus on single-language sites. These menus include those for creating catalog items and administrative catalog settings. This change saves time for managers and administrators performing multiple tasks, such as creating offerings, configuring catalog settings, and setting up notification emails.
Managers
If a site has only one language configured, many of the language menus are always set to that language.
Administrator
Availability: All Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Course Catalog – New Skip to Content buttons – 2.14
Test/Stage: week of February 3rd; Production: week of February 3rd
Impact: All Users
We added a Skip to Content button to all pages in the Course Catalog to make content more accessible. Multiple links appear before featured content on each page, which previously caused keyboard and screen reader users to navigate through repetitive and irrelevant links. Skip to Content provides a way for these users to quickly access the main content and avoid frustration.
Students and Managers
When users navigate the site using the keyboard or a screen reader, Skip to Content displays at the beginning of each page. Users of screen readers or keyboard navigation can select Skip to Content to move past links and quickly access page content.
Image 1: A Skip to Content button appears for keyboard and screen reader users.
Administrator
Availability: All Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Course Catalog – Accessibility improvements to carousel – 2.14
Test/Stage: week of February 3rd; Production: week of February 3rd
Impact: All Users
Users can now navigate through the carousel of featured course tiles on the homepage in the correct order using a keyboard or screen reader. Previously, the focus order of the items in the carousel was not the same as the visual order. This discrepancy caused confusion for users who access the site with assistive technologies. The corrected focus order improves the site’s accessibility.
Administrator
Availability: All Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Course Catalog – Correct header levels applied – 2.14
Test/Stage: week of February 3rd; Production: week of February 3rd
Impact: Students
Heading levels are now correctly applied based on the content hierarchy. Previously, many pages used inappropriate heading levels that disrupted semantic structure and navigation for assistive technologies. The corrected heading structure improves the user experience and complies with WCAG standards.
Students
Students will find it easier to navigate the site with assistive technologies.
Administrator
Availability: Available for all Course Catalog courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Looking for older release notes?
Check out the Blackboard Learn Release Notes Archive for more information on past releases.
