Release Notes 2021

Learn SaaS release 3900.6.0: Update to client Production environments

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Released to Production 4 Feb 2021
Original Experience, Original Course View

As part of our commitment to release quality, we’re applying an updated version of 3900.6.0 (full release number 3900.6.0-rel.32+4fc1198) to client Production servers on Thursday, February 25, 2021

Updates in this version include:

• In the Original Course View and the Original Experience, within the Content Editor, a user won't be able to use copy and paste functionalities to transfer images from other sources. The user can include images with the Add Content  workflow, as it used to be before version 3900.0. We've made this change to address performance problems that arose with certain large or numerous images. We’ll review whether it's possible to reintroduce this capability in the future.

Learn SaaS release 3900.6.0: Update to client Production environments

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View, Original Course View

The scheduled Production release of 3900.6.0 (full release number 3900.6.0-rel.27+4fc382c) during off-hours on Thursday, February 18, 2021 includes this additional update.

• In the Original Course View, students were unable to view iframe content in the Notes area for Contacts, Tasks and Glossary posted by their instructor including YouTube and Kaltura uploaded content. We fixed the issue.

Learn SaaS release 3900.6.0: Update to client Production environments

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View

The scheduled Production release of 3900.6.0 (full release number 3900.6.0-rel.24+5fa90d1) during off-hours on Thursday, February 11, 2021 includes one additional update.

• In the Ultra Course View, when an instructor entered grades in each category of rubric for an assignment with rubrics, the page reloaded and the focus was taken away from the comments and/or grade fields. We fixed the issue.

System and Institutional Role Ids

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Experience, Original Experience

Starting with the 3900.6.0 SaaS release, System and Institutional Role Ids will no longer be changeable after creation. This impacts Role management Java and REST APIs and the Learn Administrator user experience for Role creation. Please take extra care when creating your System and Institutional Role Ids.

Client-facing impact:

• For Learn administrators, custom roles created via System Admin > Institution Roles will no longer allow the Role ID attribute to be edited after creation.
• For partner developers, the method blackboard.data.role.PortalRole#setRoleID may no longer be used to change the Role ID of existing roles.

Learn SaaS release 3900.6.0: Update to client Production environments

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Original Course View

The scheduled Production release of 3900.6.0 (full release number 3900.6.0-rel.16+e5c4a95) during off-hours on Thursday, February 4, 2021 includes one additional update.

• In the Original Course View, when an instructor added content to a discussion (forum) thread that contained an iframe, the student couldn't see the content within the iframe. We fixed the issue.

Learn SaaS release 3900.6.0: Update to client Test/Stage environments

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View

We’re applying an updated version of 3900.6.0 (full release number 3900.6.0-rel.15+bd9f50f) to client Test/Staging environments on Tuesday, February 2, 2021.

Updates in this version include:

• In the Ultra Course View, the originality report option was displayed while grading the assessment, when safe-assign was not enabled. We've fixed the issue.

Learn SaaS release 3900.6.0: Update to client Test/Stage environments

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View

We’re applying an updated version of 3900.6.0 (full release number 3900.6.0-rel.12+0cc66df) to client Test/Staging environments on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

Updates in this version include:

• In the Ultra Course View, when an instructor edited a group set's settings and deleted the end date for self enrollment, an error caused the system to close the self enrollment option for students. We've fixed the issue.
• In the Ultra Course View, embedded LTI links returned from deep linking didn't send the custom parameters back. We've fixed the issue.

Learn SaaS release 3900.6.0: Update to client Test/Stage environments

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View, Original Course View

We’re applying an updated version of 3900.6.0 (full release number 3900.6.0-rel.12+0cc66df) to client Test/Staging environments on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

Updates in this version include:

• In the Ultra Course View, instructors were unable to access the rubrics for anonymous assessments. We've fixed the issue.
• In the Ultra Course View, when LTI 1.3 profiles were automatically enabled, a default course tool was created for use in LTI Advantage services that could appear without the administrator's approval. We've made a quick fix to avoid this appearance in the course tools area. In a future release, a profile change will drive this fix.
• In the Original Course View, enterprise surveys with open questions followed by a page break displayed an error when a user tried to move to the next page, and the survey couldn’t be completed. We've fixed the issue.

API updates - Blackboard Premium APIs

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Experience

Premium APIs: In this release, Blackboard’s Premium APIs transition from technical preview to general availability. Blackboard Premium APIs are REST-based application interfaces that add capabilities and value for institutions, partners, and other third-party tool creators beyond simple data exchange and available open standards. The first set of available Premium APIs is a collection called the Ultra Extension Framework (UEF) APIs.

The UEF APIs allow an integrated tool to communicate securely with Learn. With the UEF, integrated tools are aware of where users are in Learn and what they’re interacting with. The UEF is typically used with standards such as LTI Advantage to integrate a tool’s user interface and REST APIs to exchange data. The UEF allows a tool to engage with users when and where they need to rather than hoping that users visit fixed tool locations. Institutions and third parties who use the UEF will have the opportunity to create more personalized experiences in Blackboard Learn than can be achieved in other learning platforms.

The UEF enhances Learn’s Ultra Base Navigation and Ultra Course View with a robust set of capabilities:

• Real-time telemetry provides detailed user navigation behavior information so integrated apps can respond in very personalized ways.
• Help provider registration allows the default behavior of the Learn Ultra help tool (the question mark bubble icon) to be overridden with another support solution.
• User interface element rendering gives integrated applications the ability to populate UI elements and content, including banners, modals, interface panels, and notifications to users only when and where they’re needed, creating unique and tailored experiences for each user.

For more information on the UEF, please refer to https://docs.blackboard.com/learn/uef/getting-started

Using Premium APIs: During technical preview, we handled access to Premium APIs manually for early access participants. Now that they are generally available, access is formally managed in the Developer Portal. Appropriate Developer Groups can give designated applications access to Blackboard’s Premium APIs. Premium APIs are not directly visible to, or usable by, end users.

Blackboard’s Premium APIs, including the Ultra Extension Framework, are available to all clients and Blackboard Partnership Program members at the Bronze level and higher. Developers who want to use Premium APIs must have configured their Developer Portal Groups accordingly. Please, contact Support with your request or send an email to [email protected] if you have additional questions. Visit the Blackboard Partners page for more information about partnership levels.
 

Examples of the use UEF: 

• Qwickly is leveraging the UEF (a Premium API) to provide instructors the option to display the attendance Check-in entry tool from directly within the Ultra course experience. This enhanced integration results in fewer clicks and eliminates the reliance on an external tool launch. 

• EesySoft uses Premium APIs to deliver a highly personalized user experience based on where the user is and what they’re currently doing within the Learn Ultra application. 

Course archive quarantine

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View, Original Course View

We’ve improved the performance of the course archives process when an archive fails due to specific, particular circumstances. 

After three unsuccessful archive attempts, the course will be quarantined for evaluation. Administrators will receive an email notification that a course has been quarantined. Once the email notification is received, the administrator can check the quarantined courses list and reach out to Blackboard Support for further assistance, similar to the process for an export course issue. 

• A notification will be sent to the administrator every time a new course enters quarantine.
• The functionality is enabled by default. To disable it, the system administrator should contact Blackboard Support.

Highlight on bug fixes

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View, Original Course View

The bug fixes in this Learn release include:

• Adaptive Release and Test Exceptions: The text under Test Availability Exceptions and Review Status sections related to organizations and courses is now showing as expected.

• The Group Assignment Submission page was confusing to students: Whenever the first student from a group clicked on the assignment, he/she arrived to a submission page with an option to submit the assignment. If this student navigated away from this page without selecting Cancel, then all group members that log in afterward would see a page with previous submission information (i.e. a "review submission history" page) that suggested there was an ungraded attempt already submitted. The student then had the option to continue.
  Now, the system still shows the Upload Assignment page since no attempt was ever actually submitted.

You can view all maintenance items in Behind the Blackboard. Our Known Issue articles provide information for individual bug fixes, and may include bug descriptions and which Learn versions were affected. You can filter bug fixes by SaaS release for easier navigation. View the 3900.6.0 maintenance issues on Behind the Blackboard.

New navigation tab in the Assessment View

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.6.0 | Release to Production 4 February 2021
Ultra Course View

Instructors and students will find a new navigation tab at the right side of the screen when they navigate the Assessment View. This new navigation tab helps users to access all the options and features available for the current assessment from one single place. This tab will be visible to both students and instructors once a student sends the first submission.

The options available from the new side tab are:

• Originality Report: Users will be able to select their service provider, including SafeAssign.
• Rubrics: Instructors will be able to grade the assessment with rubrics. Both students and instructors can check the grades that have been assigned by the instructor for each criterion. Instructors will also be able to more easily override and undo override actions.
• Feedback: Instructors and peers will be able to provide general feedback about the assessment.