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Mobile Web Services

Blackboard Learn 9.1
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery
Original Experience, Ultra Experience, Building Blocks

The Blackboard Mobile Web Services Building Block enables users to connect to their courses through Blackboard's mobile applications: Blackboard app and Blackboard Instructor. The latest version of the Mobile Web Services Building Block is 94.9.12. Check these links for the best available version for your installation.

Mobile Web Services release notes for all versions

Cumulative Update1 for Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018

Cumulative Update 1 for Q2 2018 is now available.

Blackboard is committed to protecting the privacy of all users. Due to changing regulations globally concerning use of data and privacy, including the European Union General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), this release includes updates that impact user experience. Administrators should evaluate the impact this may have for their users. 

More information is available on Behind the Blackboard

Available in Q3: Cloud storage integration

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

Instructors can copy files from their favorite cloud storage solutions when authoring Content Items or creating Assignments. Students can submit assignments from their favorite cloud storage solutions. Cloud storage that is supported includes OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, Google Drive including G suite accounts, Dropbox, and Box. 

More on how instructors add content from cloud storage

Cloud Services integration isn't compatible with the generally available version of 9.1 Q2 2018 (build 3400.0) or SaaS Q2 2018 Flexible Deployment Option release. A Cumulative Update will be required to enable the feature. This feature is available in Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery environments.

Create recording for feedback

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

An instructor or grader can create personalized feedback recordings for individual assessment attempts or manual gradebook items. Each recording can be up to 5 minutes long and can be both video and audio. The option appears in the third row of the Content Editor as a microphone icon. 

Administrators need to update their bb-config.properties file. For more information, please see behind the Blackboard. 

The following feedback locations are supported:

  • Assignment 
  • Test 
  • Graded Discussion 
  • Graded Wiki 
  • Graded Blog 
  • Graded Journal 
  • Feedback in a manual grade column

Students will see icons representing recordings that they can select to start streaming playback of the video on their computer or mobile device. 

More on how instructors use the feedback recording tool

More on the Recording Creation tool in Blackboard Learn

 

Learn 2016 theme grade center enhancements

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

The Learn 2016 theme now has an improved grade center. Instructors will now be able to:

  • View full titles of Grade Center columns, making it easier to distinguish between similarly-titled items,
  • View as many columns as the size of their window will allow, and
  • Enter into Grade Center full-screen mode to make the most of their desktop experience.

More on the Learn 2016 Theme

Learn 2016 theme mobile optimization

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

Tests and the learning modules tool are now optimized for web on mobile devices. In the Learning Modules tool, the table of contents will always be pinned to the bottom of the page and can be expanded or collapsed.

In tests, additional question types have been optimized for use on mobile devices.

More on the Learn 2016 Theme

Learn Tomcat Java JVM Code Cache Updates

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

To meet Java 8 default performance requirements, we recommend that Blackboard Learn system administrators for Self-Hosted environments increase code cache settings for Tomcat JVM. These changes help maintain application performance.

You can find and update the settings using these steps:

1.    Open bb-config.properties 

2.    Locate the following properties and update the values:

  • bbconfig.jvm.options.codecache.reserved=240m
  • bbconfig.jvm.options.codecache.initial=128m

3.    Save the changes and run PushConfigUpdates.sh to apply the changes to your environment.

LTI System and Course tool updates

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

The Assessment option under Course Tool placement has been removed. There is now a setting for Student Tool and Content Type. Placements previously set to use the Assessment placement type will continue to display in the same way. If the placement is edited, the course tool type will be changed.

New REST APIs and enhancements

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

This release includes new REST APIs and enhancements to previously-released web services, including:

  • Course Roles
  • System Roles
  • Course copy
  • Course tasks/status
  • LTI configure domains
  • Gradebook attempts
  • Grade schemas
  • Other gradebook improvements
  • Grading periods

More on REST APIs in the Developer Portal

Password reset enhancement

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

When using Learn's password reset function, the password reset URL sent through email now expires in 15 minutes for greater security.

Record attendance in Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

Institutions and instructors want to track attendance for various purposes, including at-risk detection, federal financial aid and accreditation compliance, and to support instructor pedagogical preference where being present is a component of a course grade.

With this release, instructors can track attendance in both experiences. In Learn courses, a gradebook column is added when the instructor begins taking attendance. The Attendance column provides the overall attendance score in the gradebook, where it can be included in the student’s overall grade.

Based on your data region, some Blackboard Learn features may not be available. Attendance isn't supported on Internet Explorer 11.

More about attendance in Blackboard Learn

Security fix

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

This release contains a security fix to the login page that could interrupt the way third party SSO solutions pass user credentials from a client portal to Blackboard. A one-time nonce value has been added to the login form. This nonce must be passed back to the server with any POST to the login page. Third-party solutions which rely on posting usernames and passwords directly to /webapps/login/ will fail. This is by design. Clients using supported SSO methods including SAML and CAS aren't affected. Clients experiencing difficulty with custom SSO solutions should file a support ticket on Behind the Blackboard.

 Xythos ulimit update

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018 

To accommodate Xythos content tasks, administrators are encouraged to increase the parameter limit to 30000 in the bb-config.properties file. This increase will ensure a sufficient limit of the number of opened files. Root privileges are required to change this setting.

More on bb-config.properties

Update for Gradebook SOAP WSDL

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018

The SOAP WSDL for Gradebook includes two new fields for Big Decimal. Partners and developers using SOAP web services for integration who leveraged the Gradebook services should recompile using the updated WSDL.

Branding and color configuration in the Learn 2016 Theme

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3300.11.0 | Release to Production 9 March 2018
Original Course View

This release includes additional options for users who wish to configure the Learn 2016 theme in all courses. In the Blackboard Learn 2016 theme, Course Menu and Theme color customization is now available through the entire interface.

Instructors and course designers can configure the course colors in the course control panel when using the Learn 2016 Theme. The course menu area appears in these colors in both desktop and mobile experiences. Extended menu areas such as the Control Panel for instructors and My Groups menu for students remain in the gray and white color scheme.

These enhancements apply to courses using the Learn 2016 theme in an Original experience environment.

More on the Learn 2016 Theme

Clear multiple choice selection

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3300.11.0 | Release to Production 9 March 2018
Original Course View

Students are now able to clear a selection from multiple-choice questions. This lets students avoid a penalty when they’ve made an initial selection and negative points are associated with answer choices.

More on submitting a test attempt in Blackboard Learn

Additional attempts in Anonymous Grading

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3300.6.0 | Release to Production 12 January 2018
Original Course View

Instructors can now grant an additional attempt for scenarios when the student needs one and the prior attempt can't be cleared because it is in an anonymous state.

More on Anonymous Grading

LTI Names and Roles services

Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q2 2018
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3300.6.0 | Release to Production 12 January 2018
Original Course View, Ultra Course View

Integrated tools can retrieve course roster information to support assessment activities or provide better information about the class within the tool. This ability is formerly known as LTI Membership Service.

More on Learning Tools Interoperability