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Community Engagement 10.37
Continuous delivery 10.37 | Release to production on 25 Jul 2022 and 1 Aug 2022
Here's what the 10.37 release includes:
- New feature
- Updated features
- Bug fixes
New feature
Custom automated messages
- We're introducing custom automated messages in Mass Notifications. Schedule messages with personalised content and communicate regular updates to students and parents just as you send lunch balance or attendance communications. Read more on custom automated messages.
Updated features
Push notification support
- We’ve created a more reliable mechanism to deliver push notifications on Apple and Android devices.
Social media
- We're now allowing users to add their YouTube channels using Username or Channel ID to stream YouTube feeds in MCA.
Bug fixes
We have resolved the following bugs and issues in this release:
Messages
- We fixed an issue where the URLs in SMS were modified when they were delivered. We edited the code so URLs included in SMS would remain intact upon delivery.
- We included Reach to the list of Advanced option settings in Messages. We identified this and removed Reach from the Advanced option settings in Messages.
- URLs added to the website alerts were unresponsive when visitors clicked them on the website. We've fixed this issue so these URLs are accessible.
- The phone number of whoever submitted a tip to the school admins via SMS and calls were included in the tip report email when their identity should have been anonymous. We've fixed this issue by removing the phone number in the report to maintain anonymity.
- We fixed an issue where the organisation names with an ampersand or apostrophe showed as code before saving.
- We fixed an issue with the character count being inaccurate when copying email content to SMS.
- We fixed an issue where users couldn't add content to App Resources.
- When users edit a saved message with an audio attachment, we'd show a prompt to replace the audio attachment or continue with it.
Accounts
- We fixed an issue where apostrophes in account names showed up as code.
Reports
- We fixed a broken image in the charts in the Message utilisation report.
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Mobile Communications App 5.6.19 Release
Continuous Delivery 5.6.19 | Release to Production Jan, 2022
Here's what the Blackboard Mobile Communications App 5.6.19 release includes:
- New feature
- Updated features
- Bug fix
- Maintenance update
New feature
Launch OTP
Users can authenticate with the user name, email address, or phone number linked to their account.
Updated features
We've implemented a safeguard to hide navigation to any HTTP:// web pages without the SSL security certificate. We only show navigation icons that link to HTTPS:// web pages.
Bug fixes
- We fixed a design break on the superintendent biography page.
- We fixed a UI error in the permissions popup of the BB District app School Finder.
- In IOS 15, the headers and settings in the BB District app showed in black instead of blue. We've fixed this issue.
- We have fixed the push notification crash issue in the Android 12 version update.We've fixed the issue with the images not showing from the Blackboard website feed on the mobile app.
Maintenance update
Android 12:
We've upgraded the Android platform support for the advantage of new APIs and capabilities in Android 12.
iOS 15:
We've integrated the iOS 15 SDK and the apps are built on Xcode 13 for a great user experience.
Blackboard Reach 1.4 Release
Here's what the Blackboard Reach 1.4 release includes:
New feature
- Email Digest
- In this release, we've enabled email digest for all users. Users can add email ID in their profile page, opt-in, and eventually subscribe for Reach daily digests. This will improve awareness of available and missed messages from channel and direct messages delivered via email.
Bug fixes and enhancements
- Enhanced user experience
- Fixed issues with modal pixel, DM screen, and search input.
- Removed chat icon from the parent screen for better user experience.
- Improved search results
- Now when users select the Clear All button under the search it will clear all the filters and provide the proper experience.
Blackboard Reach 1.3 Release
Here's what the Blackboard Reach 1.3 release includes:
New feature
- Profile page
- We've enabled a profile page for all users where they can view their personal contact information like login ID, staff ID, first name, last name, etc.
- Users can add or delete a profile picture
- Users can change the preferred language
- Users can add or delete an email ID for digest purposes.
Bug fixes and enhancements
- Message reliability
- Parents and students can reply to a message or send direct messages from the received chat from a channel.
- Parents can search and select the teachers connected to them from Direct Messages.
- Accessibility
- Users can navigate from Reach to the app using Universal Navigation.
- Fixed an issue so now users an login via a Chrome browser and the channel populates respectively.
- Helper message appears as a banner on the login screen if the school isn't available in the application.
- Reports
- Fixed an issue where the date range was accepting the future date.
- The platform access count properly updates, based on user login, under reports.
- The count of members in each channel is consistent across the application.
- UI and UX improvements
- Channel and Direct Message sections don't have a minimum height. Both sections are scrollable.
- Column headers are aligned properly to fit the mobile screen.
- Text editor is more responsive.
- School order sorted appropriately.
- Settings
- Proper channels are selected or deselected based on the appropriate action.
Blackboard Reach 1.2 Release
Here's what the Blackboard Reach 1.2 release includes:
- Blackboard Reach student access
- Posting message reliability
- Fixed an issue where Reach Notification is displayed in BbComms under Library and Saved user.
- Messages read count is updated properly after it's read.
- Reports
- Appropriate messages and text displays when a search result has no value.
- Mobile app configuration
- Clicking on the received push notification now navigates to the Reach home screen appropriately.
- New layout appears for the push notification.
Community Engagement 10.18
Here's what the 10.18 release includes:
- New features
- Bug fixes
- Minor enhancements
New features
- In this release, we have added detailed delivery information for social media post in UI. Users can now able to see a detailed delivery status report in "Details" tab under message tracking for social media post. This enhancement will provide users precise information on delivery status when posted to multiple social media accounts
Bug fixes and enhancements
We have resolved the following issues in this release. We’ve listed the issues as they were originally entered and, in the order, that they were reported.
- Fixed an issue in the COPE interface where the messages with multiple delivery methods locked up up the TinyMCE editor.
- Fixed an issue related to flagging accessibility errors in Tip Line.
- Fixed an issue related to attendance history where terms attendance details weren't available for few students.
- Fixed an issue where Automated daily attendance email is only pulling student first names even though the [STUDENT_NAME] merge tag is being used.
Blackboard Communications HQ Mobile App 5.5.0
New or updated for iOS
- Added the ability to mark all unread notification messages as read.
- Added support for iPhone X.
- iOS 10 is the minimum version.
- Added 167x167 icons for iPad Pro support.
Bug fixes for iOS
We resolved the following issues in the 5.5.0 release:
- Navigation bar became unreadable when sending an email.
- Top Stories header wasn't translating to other languages.
- Facebook and Google text overlapping.
- UI enhancements to the Students account profile when logged in via Facebook.
- Logos appearing stretched on splash screens.
- Image attachments weren't displaying with the message body.
New or updated for Android
- Added the ability to mark all unread notification messages as read.
- Implemented a new GPS utility to assist with locating Tip line, Bus routes, and School finder.
- Migrated GCM to most recent version of FCM to continue to support push notifications.
Bug fixes for Android
We resolved the following issues in the 5.5.0 release:
- Feed entries inserted around daylight savings would crash the app.
- Google sign-in wasn't working
- Opening the Tip line caused the app to crash.
- Text in Top Stories was cut off at the bottom on small screen resolutions.
- Images in Top Stories weren't displaying correctly.
- Google API caused the app to occasionally error.
- Images weren't opening on the activity screen.
- Logos appearing stretched on splash screens.
Community Engagement 10.9
Import threshold monitoring
In this release we added threshold monitoring to client imports. Now, if 10% or more of your records are ignored because they are bad, a notification is sent to the Import Monitoring Email you set in Organization Config for individual institutions.
If an email isn’t set at the school level, it rolls up to the value at the district.
From Settings select Organization Config. Select the name of the organization you want to update. Provide the Import Monitoring Email address and select Save.
Community Engagement 10.8
Data import monitoring
We improved processing when importing data. Now imports don’t fail when processing a bad record and individual records that failed to process are captured properly.
Geo Mapping
Made improvements to the user interface to more easily distinguish Institutions (schools) and the pin dropped when searching for an address when selecting recipients from a map when crafting a message using COPE.
Bug fixes and improvements
- Fixed an issue when Emergency SMS was enabled, the character count wasn't updated
- Fixed an issue where double quote was not being escaped properly for import, causing import to fail for good records
- Fixed an issue where user received a permissions error when re-authenticating Facebook
Community Engagement 10.7
Data import monitoring
- Added a new “Import monitoring email” field that supports tracking of data import failures with email. If an import fails, an alert is sent to this email address.
Twitter character count
- Updated the Twitter max character count from 140 to 280 characters
Client & Known Issues / Maintenance
- Fixed an issue where importing from a file with IDs would timeout
- Fixed an issue where parents were receiving attendance calls referencing incorrect schools
- Fixed an issue where WebloginIDs were changing due to a loginID conflict
- Fixed an issue where Smore login page shows when trying to create a new newsletter in Safari
- Fixed an issue where message categories containing Unicode characters causes red bar on message screen
- Fixed an issue where demographic imports were causing errors and account cross-linking when users were imported manually
Blackboard Communications HQ Mobile App 5.5
We are excited to announce the release of a new version (5.5) of our Blackboard Communications HQ app.
Now available to teachers!
Districts with our Blackboard Teacher Communications product can now offer a mobile version of our SEND MESSAGE interface to their teachers.
- User Management for Teachers
- Teacher selected individuals will now be populated in the recipient’s section for email, phone and SMS
- Teacher ability to edit the list of recipients that I have previously selected
- Added search functionality for Teachers to search through recipients
- Added a visual indication of the “who” teachers are sending the message to (groups, students, parents, classes)
- Added a visual indicator to indicate which role type a Teacher is sending a message to
- Added the ability for teachers to select groups/individuals
- Composing Messages for Teachers
- Added subject and body of my email communication
- Ability to attach photos to my email communications
- Ability to record audio messages
- Added text-to-speech
- Added the ability to save a copy of a message on the HQ app to the miscellaneous folder for future use
- Recipients added to a message are now saved along with the draft of message
- Message Editing for Teachers
- Ability to be able to delete text to speech recordings
- Ability to listen to the text to speech message
- Ability to edit Delivery Address
- Message Sending for Teachers
- Ability to Send to the users selected when pressing the send button
- Ability to send Text Message communications
- Added the ability to configure the send time of a message
- App Options/Configuration for Teachers
- Added the ability to configure the language of message notifications to the users preferred language
- Updated app to make sure that the delivery methods set per school are respected on the App, so teachers can only send approved messaging types
- App UI improvements
- General UI improvements to the app
Bug fixes
- Improved search functionality in Recipients
- Fixed an issue where the app would sometimes crash when selecting and deselecting recipients
- Fixed an issue where sent messages not saved in Saved messages when sent on Android device
- Fixed an issue where Groups for Teacher Send should display organization name for teachers that tie to multiple organizations
- Fixed an issue where the ‘Recipients’ section search, under Classes, the ‘All Classes’ sub-heading is not displaying the total number of classes
- Fixed an issue where Class selections become hidden when submenu is accessed and back is tapped
Community Engagement 10.5
Smore integration
Introducing the Smore newsletter integration within Bb Comms COPE messaging interface. Blackboard Admins now have the ability to leverage Smore email templates to create newsletters to email internal and external stakeholders.
Security
Security improvements identified from security audit.
GeoMapping
COPE message publishers can now adjust their messaging radius when selecting recipients from a map. By entering a value in the radius box users can now specify exact measurements to send communications to targeted individuals/groups.
More on searching for recipients by map
Client & Known Issues / Maintenance
- Fixed an issue where some Twitter accounts were unable to be added to a school on the Settings page.
- Fixed an issue where some clients were unable to access their meta data page for single sign-in authentication .
- Fixed an issue where some messages batches were delayed in becoming active messages.
- Fixed an issue where some teachers utilizing the Blackboard Teacher Communications tool were unable to view their classes.
- Fixed an issue where some client's grades were not appearing for parents.
- Fixed an issue where data parse styles were sometimes unable to save changes.
Community Engagement 10.4.2
An upgrade to Blackboard's data import process and tools. The goal of this development work is three fold:
- To improve the stability and efficiency of data imports into the Blackboard system
- To provide additional flexibility for importing data
- To speed up the overall data implementation process
While most of the work completed in this release is "behind the scenes" there were a few updates that may or may not be noticeable by your organization. A quick summary of those updates are as follows:
- Renamed the "System Messages" subtab to "Automated Messages"
- Re-designed the page layout of the new Automated Messages page.
- Created the ability to setup Auto Imports that setup and run immediately based on a received file.
- Removed SIF as an import method
- Removed the name "ParentLink" from the interface. Replaced it with "Blackboard"
Notable Bug Fixes included in this 10.4.2 release
- Fixed an issue where 6 days attendance threshold messages were not delivering successfully.
- Fixed an issue where the CLASSES tab was not loading for parents and students successfully
- Fixed an issue where student accounts where not merging correctly
- Fixed an issue where Lunch Balances messages were not delivering successfully if balance was below a negative number
- Fixed a broken link on the home screen that took you to Bb Comms Webinar trainings
- Fixed an issue where library book photos were not displaying correctly on district apps
- Fixed an issue where a large import of new accounts was presenting a memory error
- Fixed an issue where manually deleting an account gave the user an error
- Fixed an issue where Time Zones were getting mixed up on the Automated Messages page
- Fixed an issue where system permissions were not allowing school admins to add Custom Message Content.
The roll out of this release is scheduled to occur on May 22nd. Not all systems will be updated at once as we methodically rollout these changes.
Community Engagement 10.3.0
- All Products
- Added the ability to export more than 20k rows at a time for Blackboard reports
- Added ability to trigger messages for late/missing files and small/missing automated messages
- Removed the ability for users to change the role type of another user when that role was originally created by an import
- Added Student ID as an available merge tag when creating messages
- Removed the ability to add, edit, or remove imported Terms from the web interface
- Removed confusing interface language about Connect 5 email and SMS deliveries
- Mobile Communications App (MCA)
- Improved performance to App Building tools
- Fixed issue with Push Notifications including an image
- Teacher Communications
- Added icons to teacher saved messages that show which are system, admin created or user created
- System Created – Can't be edited, copied, or deleted
- Admin Created – Can be copied only
- User Created – Can be edited, copied, and deleted
- Removed the carbon copy (CC) option for teachers, still available for admins
- Updated URL's for help options seen by teachers
- Improved performance to the Teacher Messages report
- Added icons to teacher saved messages that show which are system, admin created or user created
- Blackboard Mass Notifications
- Added Alt-text requirement for all inserted images when creating messages
- Added the ability to see schools inside a boundary when selecting recipients from a map
- Fixed an issue where organizations weren't sorted alphabetically in the advanced group creation
- Added the ability for school administrator accounts to send On Screen Alerts directly from the messaging (COPE) interface
- Added back student specific merge tags when the Send to parents of students option is selected
- Fixed issue where SMS blocked addresses in a Personal File Cabinet were not displaying correctly
- Made user improvements to the Schedule Report tool
- Improved performance when needing to export a large Contact report
- Improved performance to the system Auto Search tool
Mass Notifications
- Added an administrator page that outlines methods for improving email delivery rates. To learn more, see Improve Email Delivery.
- Directions for setting up a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record
- Directions for setting up DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), encrypted signature
- Directions for setting up Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC), destination email server policy
- Fixed an issue where bad phone extensions were not being attempted
- Fixed an issue where incomplete caller ID numbers were violating Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations
- Made performance improvements to Text-to-Speech engine
- Improved final phone status accuracy of exportable Comma-Separated Values (CSV) reports
- Fixed a problem with email deliveries to Microsoft® Outlook
- General performance improvements to email deliveries
Teacher Communications
- Added new field of information to the teacher messages. Messages include the Regarding Student and From Teacher to all text messages.
- The SMS/Text messages for the Teacher Communications feature are limited to 120 characters.
September 1, 2017
- All Products
- Added the ability to see cafeteria balance, library information, bus routes, and custom uploaded data on the Student Account page.
- Administrators can now use Google to login to the Blackboard Communications HQ web interface.
- Teacher Communications
- Added training video to the Teacher Communication Send Interface.
- Blackboard Mass Notifications
- Now, you can setup and use several custom caller IDs for phone messages, and several reply-to-email addresses and sender names for email messages. When your district or school wants certain message replies to be sent to a specific group of staff members, you can setup and use the response phone numbers or email addresses.
- Fixed an issue where abbreviations played differently on test call than on the live call.
- Blackboard Communications App Release
- Added a new SMS (text message) number for emergency messages so users don't opt-out of emergencies when they opt-out of an informational call.
August 8, 2017
- All Products
- Added the ability for all accounts to use SAML to login. Previously, teacher accounts were not supported but they are now.
- Staff can now login to their account on the web interface using their Google account.
- The Reports page has been redesigned.
- Login report is now in the Accounts section.
- Auto-complete recipient selection on the Send Message interface will have images or initials displayed next to accounts.
- Teacher Communications
- The Send Message page and the Teacher Messaging report have been updated in this release.
- The Send Message page has been redesigned for easier use. You can send messages to any of your students, the entire class, all your classes, or just to parents.
- The Teacher Messaging report displays how many teacher messages each student receives, the number of parents contacted, and which delivery method was used.
- With the Teacher Communications program, administrator have a new ability to hide student contact information from teachers.
- Blackboard Mass Notifications
- Fixed an issue where sometimes the wrong status would show in the Message Tracking report.
- Blackboard Communications App Release
- Fixed an issue where sometimes push notifications would not be delivered.
Blackboard Communications HQ Mobile App
This release includes new enhancements for Blackboard Mobile Communications app:
- Notifications Redesign
- Added the ability to upload custom student data for those with the integrated mobile app.
- Added support for SAML login.
- Added support for Learn More and Signup Now for Peachjar Fliers.
The following issues have been resolved in the Blackboard Mobile Communication app:
- Fixed an issue where PDF files did not display on some Android devices.
- Fixed an issue where audio continued playing after moving to another screen.
- Fixed an issue where when a user selected a MailTo link, it would not work on Android devices in app browsers.
- Fixed an issue where the Activity Stream would display HTML code instead of RSS posts.
Mass Notifications, April 2017
- Added the ability to record messages using the microphone on your computer.
Mobile Communications App, April 2017
- Added the ability to show/hide different student information from the app.
March 10, 2017
- All Products
- For districts that import user information, you now have the option to update the user login names and passwords through the import. This setting is available in the Authentication page.
- Mobile Communications App
- Fixed an issue where deleted Peachjar fliers still appeared in the Blackboard Mobile Communications App.
Blackboard Communications HQ Mobile App
- Added the ability to edit Saved Messages.
- The app now matches the Blackboard Communications HQ web interface and not longer includes expire times for messages.
- Added SAML support (Security Assertion Markup Language) to the app.
- Several features that have been available to Apple devices are now also available to Android devices. These features include:
- Ability to send On-Screen Alerts to Web Community Manager websites.
- Improvements to message details.
- Confirmation of app messages to be set to public when recipients have been chosen.
- Icon for the app has been updated to standard Blackboard Mass Communications icon.
Mass Notifications
- Added the ability to upload a list of opt-out phone numbers, SMS/text numbers, and email addresses for the Do Not Contact list. These numbers and addresses aren't sent in any messages.
- Added the ability for administrators to create custom merge tags for messages. Using an uploaded file you can create a voice recorded message with your own merge tags. When you are creating the message in the Send Message interface, you will be able to import a comma delimited file with your information.
February 10, 2017
- All Products
- The Advanced Options feature in the Send Message interface no longer includes the Use all supported automatic translations option.
- The name and logo of the district/school has been removed from the homepage. The name has been added to the top navigation bar.
- To improve the performance of the System Statistics report, the Delivered and Attempted fields have been removed. The Messages field lists all the messages sent by the system.
- Blackboard Mass Notifications
- Added the ability to create a voice recorded message with merge tags. The merge tags will help you to send personalized messages with only one recording.
- Added the ability to listen to audio via a scheduled or exported Excused Absences report. The report will now include a link to the parent's recorded message (internet access is required).
- Fixed an issue where sometimes phone numbers and email addresses were not flagged as bad data when they should have been.
January 13, 2017
- All Products
- Added the ability to schedule messages to be sent multiple times.
- Fixed an issue where sometimes the Headlines and Announcements in Web Community Manager would appear when they should not be there.
- Blackboard Mass Notifications
- Fixed an issue where on the Message Tracking and Details feature a deactivated text number was appearing as Not attempted. Now it will be listed as SMS number deactivated.
