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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Blackboard SaaS release 4000.4.0

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v4000.4.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 11 November 2025 | Release to Production: Thursday, 4 December 2025
Original Course View, Ultra Course View

For full feature details, please review the corresponding notes for the Blackboard 4000.4.0 version included below on this page. Details can be found on Anthology Global Support.

For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Anthology Global Support.


The December 2025 - 4000.4 release is robust with features in eight areas:  

  • Mastery learning and learning pathways;  
  • Communication and collaboration;
  • Gradebook;
  • Learner progression and personalized experience;
  • Integrations;  
  • Blackboard core;
  • Blackboard Admin; and
  • Premium 

These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Some features do require administrative action.

Instructors:  

Instructors and Students:

Students:

Instructors and Administrators:

Administrators:


Mastery Learning and Learning Pathways

Set release conditions for open or started and for non-assessment content items – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Content Release Conditions
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-638, LEARNU-I-394, LEARNU-I-2551, LEARNU-I-34

We expanded release conditions to include activity on items including non-assessment content. This enhancement allows conditions to be based on whether a student has opened or started content items such as documents, media, or course links. Instructors can now control access based on whether a student has opened or started a prerequisite content item.

Key options for release conditions:

  • Unopened: The student has not accessed the item.
  • Opened or Started: The student has accessed the item.

This enhancement supports flexible learning pathways and mastery-based progression. For example, an instructor can require students to open a reading or watch a video before an assessment becomes available. 

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Communication & Collaboration

AVA – Responses to Student Messages – 4000.4

Impact: Student, Instructor
Updated Help Topic: Messages (Student), Messages (Instructor)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

AVA now responds to common student messages sent to instructors. Students often ask about information already available in the course, which increases instructor workload and delays responses. AVA helps reduce this workload and gives students faster answers to common questions. 

When a student sends a message to an instructor, AVA scans the course from the student’s perspective to find a relevant answer. Instructors can review and clarify AVA’s responses if needed. 

AVA can respond to questions about:

  • Due dates, grades, and course content that is visible to the student
  • Accommodations and exceptions
  • Direct links to relevant course information
  • Learner progress within modules, if progress tracking is turned on 

AVA responds only when the message is sent to the Instructor role or a role marked as “Treat Users with this Role as Instructor.” AVA does not respond if the message includes more than one student or other roles.

Image 1: AVA responding to a student’s message

A student message asking about a due date. In the response bubble, AVA answers in two replies.

Instructors can turn on AVA autoreplies in Course Settings if the feature is enabled in the Administrator Panel. The default setting is off. Instructors can change this setting at any time during the course.

Instructors can review all AVA responses and add context if needed. AVA only responds based on course content. If an item appears in the gradebook, AVA will try to provide details. If AVA can’t find an answer, it will let the student know and suggest waiting for the instructor’s reply. AVA uses the Course Language Pack.

Currently, AVA cannot:

  • Read or extract content from uploaded documents
  • Answer questions about third-party content such as SCORM, OneDrive, or external websites
  • Search the internet or external storage
  • Provide details about institutional resources outside the course 

Administrators 

Availability:  AVA is a premium solution.

Activation:  AVA features are included in your Blackboard license until 30 June 2026. After that, an AVA license is required. The student message response feature is turned off by default.

Configuration: To turn on this feature, go to the Administrator Panel. Select Building Blocks under Integrations, then Installed Tools. Find the AI Design Assistant and Unsplash building block and select Settings. Under the AVA section, select AVA Responses to Students. Once turned on, the feature appears in the Tools menu in the Administrator Panel under Tools and Utilities. Administrators can turn it on globally or by institutional hierarchy. The default setting is off.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Specify participation requirements for Discussions – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Discussions (Instructor)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

Instructors now have greater flexibility when managing student participation in Discussions. With this update, instructors can specify required student responses for a Discussion topic. It can be difficult for students to meet an instructor’s expectations in a discussion if those expectations are not clearly expressed. This enhancement allows instructors to more closely align grading requirements with their pedagogical goals and provides students with clear expectations for each phase of participation.

Instructors  

Instructors can now make clear participation requirements to students. The initial release adds participation requirements to the existing due date(s) for discussions. Instructors can set requirements on the number of required posts and/or replies for a student to fulfil the requirement.

The status of participation requirements is updated through to completion, giving a student a clear understanding of progress made. Participation requirements are linked to progress tracking, so that will be accurately displayed for the student to monitor. Participation requirements are optional but recommended for maximum benefit.

This update does not affect grading workflows or Gradebook structure.

Image 1: Instructors being able to set participation requirements in discussion settings.

Discussions settings page with the participation requirements section highlighted in blue.

Students

The new participation requirements in Discussions give students a clearer understanding of instructor expectations in an assigned Discussions topic. Students can monitor their progress both in the assigned Discussions topic as well as in Progress Tracking.

Image 2: Showing the complete state when all the requirements have been met.

Student view of Discussions page showing the complete state when all the participation requirements have been met.

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


AI Conversation – Remove Originality Reporting – 4000.4

Impact: Instructor
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

The AI Conversation tool in Blackboard supports student engagement through Socratic questioning and role-play activities. Instructors configure settings for each activity, including assessment and grading options. In this release, the Originality Reporting option has been removed from the settings panel. Because the activity involves interaction with an AI persona, Originality Reporting does not generate a meaningful report. Keeping the option could cause confusion, so it has been removed to improve clarity. Improves instructor experience by removing unsupported reporting.  

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Gradebook

Customize grade pills to reflect incomplete/complete status and exemption criteria – 4000.4

Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Default Settings for Courses
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

We updated the grade pill display for the Complete/Incomplete grade schema to improve clarity for instructors and students. Grade pills for incomplete items now appear in gray, making them visually distinct from graded submissions. This change ensures that incomplete statuses are clearly communicated without implying a low score or performance level.

Image 1: Incomplete items have a gray grade pill.

Grades grid in the Gradebook with several students have grades for an assignment. For the assignments with no submissions, the grade pill is gray to show that the assessment wasn't submited

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Apply schema-based gradebook calculations – 4000.4

Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Default Settings for Courses
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

We introduced a type of gradebook calculation that relies on a new Calculated schema option for custom grade schemas. When enabled, gradebook calculations will use the schema’s numeric Grade Names (e.g., 1, 5.7, 6.8) instead of the raw assessment scores. This enhancement supports grading models like the Chilean grading scale, where a zero score should be interpreted as a 1.

Example:

Three assessments are worth 100 points each and are scored as 0, 82, and 97. Each assessment has been set to use a calculated schema that maps those scores to the Grade Names 1, 5.6, and 6.8 respectively. If an Average calculation is performed, it will use (1 + 5.7 + 6.8) / 3  = 4.5, instead of performing the calculation based on the raw assessment scores and having the output translated onto a grade schema.

Image 1: Administrators can configure schema-based Gradebook calculations.

Schema-based gradebook calculation settings

Image 2: Instructors have the schema calculations in their Gradebook.

Schema-based gradebook calculations appear in the Gradebook

Administrators 

Availability: Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation: Admins can enable the system-level Calculated schema option for users via the Tools framework accessed via the administration panel under the heading ‘Grading schema - grade name value calculation’. When enabled:

  • Administrators have access to a Use rounded scores setting that allows control over whether calculated results used in secondary calculations are exact or rounded based on the configured grade pill decimal settings.  The setting is available in Admin > Course Settings > Grade Pill Settings > Calculation Precision and is set to OFF by default. Note that when enabling the setting, all cached calculated grades in the system are cleared and recalculated.
  • Instructors have access to a Use "Grade Name" labels in gradebook calculations’ toggle when they view or edit a grade schema in their course. The toggle controls if grade schema Grade Names are used in gradebook calculations. The toggle is set to OFF by default. This setting is included when Grade schemas are copied as part of course copy workflows.

Configuration:

  • Create a custom grade schema and enable the Use "Grade Name" labels in gradebook calculations’ toggle.
  • Configure the grade schema and ensure that the Grade Names used are numeric and conform to locale-specific decimal formatting.
  • Maximum of two decimal places is supported.
  • Add the custom grade schema to all assessments that will be used in grade calculations
  • Use the ‘Add total calculation’ option when performing gradebook calculations. Both points and weighted calculations are supported. Advanced calculations are not supported at this time.
  • Ensure that the configured calculation is set to display in Points.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Improved handling of group membership changes – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

We’ve enhanced Flexible Grading and the Submissions page for group assessments to better handle changes in group memberships. These improvements ensure grading accuracy and reduce confusion when groups are modified after submissions: 

  • On the Submissions page, if all members are removed from a group:
    • The group avatar displays a ? icon.
    • A No members label appears.
    • The group name becomes non-selectable.
  • For active groups, the Flexible Grading interface always shows the current group members for each attempt.

Image 1: On the Submissions page, a No Members label appears in groups with no members.

On the Submissions page, groups with no members have a No Members label

Image 2: The Flexible Grading interface shows the current group members for each attempt.

Flexible Grading interface shows all members in each group

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Aligned gradebook submission counts with Show/Hide Unavailable Students Gradebook setting – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

Gradebook submission counts now align with the instructor’s Show/Hide Unavailable Students setting. When unavailable students are hidden, counts exclude their submissions. When unavailable students are shown, counts include their submissions.

This alignment applies to:

  • Submissions page
  • Gradable items page
  • Student Activity page

Image 1: Instructors can set Student Visibility in Gradebook Settings.

Student Visibility setting in the Gradebook Settings panel

Image 2: Gradebook submission counts align with the Show/Hide Unavailable Students setting, with unavailable students not affecting the submission count.

Submission count aligns with the number of available students

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Standardized tabbed interface in Flexible Grading – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

We improved the Flexible Grading experience by introducing a consistent tabbed interface for all submission types. Previously, tabs were only shown for file-based submissions. With this update, instructors will now see tabs for:

  • Instructions: Always present, even if no instructions are provided (displays “No instructions” when empty).
  • Submission: For text, LTI or mixed submissions (text, images, files).
  • File tabs: Each file submitted appears in its own tab, rendered in Annotate when possible.

This enhancement makes grading more intuitive and efficient by providing a uniform layout across different submission formats. On mobile, navigation buttons appear at the top of the tabbed interface for quick access to previous and next submissions. 

Image 1: Consistent tabbed interface for all submission types.

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Better Audio and Video in Feedback – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors 
Updated Help Topic: Video Studio (Instructor)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

Instructors can now use the full Video Studio workflow when giving assessment feedback or working in Flexible Grading. They can record or upload video and audio directly in the feedback editor, using features like captioning, transcription, and editing to deliver clear, personalized communication.

This update makes feedback more engaging and accessible, and the workflow matches other Video Studio-supported areas in Blackboard Ultra.

Instructors  

Instructors will see the Video Studio button in the feedback editor when grading. They can add media to express tone and intent more effectively. Video Studio supports automatic captioning and transcription and lets instructors edit recordings to improve clarity.

Image 1: Video Studio button available in the instructor feedback panel. 

Student view of Discussions page showing the complete state when all the participation requirements have been met.

Image 2: Video Studio recording embedded in the instructor feedback panel.

Video Studio recording of instructor giving feedback on a student PowerPoint slide. The recording is embedded in the Instructor Feedback on a Student Assignment.

Administrators 

Availability:  No Video Studio license required; available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Learner Progression & Personalized Experience

Improved Automations experience – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Automations
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

We made several enhancements to Automations based on user feedback.

Instructors

  • Better visibility of Automations actions
    • Users can now check the status of each automation directly from the list.
    • Each automation now displays who executed it, increasing transparency in multi-instructor courses.
  • Cleaner interface and more intuitive interactions, including:
    • Pagination on the automation list for smoother navigation.
    • Improved error messaging and validation when configuring numeric inputs.
    • Minor layout and usability improvements for the automation rules panel.
    • String and localization improvements.

Image 1: There is an indicator of the status of each automation in the list (active or inactive). The last person to execute the action is stated under each automation, and an error message is displayed for an automation that is incorrectly configured.

A list of automations, showing an active or inactive tag for each one. Below each automation is information about either who last edited or who last ran the automation. At the bottom of the list, there is an error message that states "This automation has an invalid item reference."

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  Automations are off by default. Administrators can turn them on by going to the Administrator Panel. Select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module. Select Automations to turn automations on or off.

Users need the following privileges to work with automations:

  • Course/Organization > Automations > Add allows users to create new automations.
  • Course/Organization > Automations > Delete allows users to delete automations.
  • Course/Organization > Automations > Edit allows users to edit existing automations.
  • Course/Organization > Automations > View allows users to view existing course automations.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Integrations

Enhance Control Over LTI Proctoring Tools with Institutional Hierarchy – 4000.4

Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Institutional Hierarchy
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

This enhancement applies only to proctoring tools that are using our Ultra Proctoring Service integration based on IMS's LTI 1.3 integration flow.

Institutions using Blackboard’s Institutional Hierarchy (IH) can now manage LTI proctoring tool placements at the node level. Previously, proctoring tools were managed globally, which limited how large organizations—such as university systems or multi-campus institutions—could tailor proctoring solutions for specific campuses, departments, or academic units. Administrators now have more flexibility to manage tool access, improving governance and the instructor experience.

Key improvements include:

  • Administrators can turn proctoring tool placements on or off for individual nodes in the Institutional Hierarchy. For example, a central Blackboard administrator can assign different proctoring tools to different universities or departments within the same system. Each unit only accesses tools relevant to its contracts or instructional needs.
  • Instructors configuring assessments only access proctoring tools available for their node. Tools not assigned to a node don’t appear in assessment settings, reducing confusion and streamlining the experience.
  • Support for multiple deployments of the same LTI proctoring tool. Administrators can register and manage several deployments and assign them to specific nodes for more precise control.
  • Familiar configuration workflow using the “Manage Tools” experience.

Image 1: This flowchart shows how institutions using Blackboard’s Institutional Hierarchy can manage LTI proctoring tool placements at the node level.

Flowchart showing how institutions using Blackboard’s Institutional Hierarchy can manage LTI proctoring tool placements at the node level.

This update supports complex governance models and phased rollouts by managing feature access at campus, department, or faculty levels. It also reduces administrative overhead and helps instructors focus on relevant tools aligned with institutional agreements and instructional needs.

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses using Institutional Hierarchy. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  Administrators configure proctoring tool access and deployments in the Tools section of the Administrator panel and within Institutional Hierarchy node settings.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Support Inline and Display Formulas in MathJax – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors and Students
Updated Help Topic: Math Editor (Instructor), Math Editor (Student)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

MathJax support in the Content Editor now includes additional LaTeX delimiters for rendering mathematical formulas. This update improves compatibility with standard STEM workflows and simplifies uploading exam content without changing source files.

Instructors and students can now use:

  • \(...\) for inline equations
  • \[...\] for display equations

These options are in addition to the existing $ delimiters. Expanded support improves the experience of working with mathematical notation in Ultra courses and enhances visual clarity for complex expressions such as integrals, sums, and products.

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  To turn on MathJax rendering for LaTeX formulas in the Content Editor, go to Tools in the Tools and Utilities module in the Administrator Panel. Locate MathJax for LaTeX (Ultra Only) and set Availability to ON for Course Tool and/or Organization Tool, based on your institution’s preference.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Blackboard Core

Learning Module Table of Contents – Instructor View – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Learning Modules (Instructor)
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-159

Instructors now have access to a collapsible Table of Contents panel in Learning Modules. This update mirrors the student experience and supports consistent navigation across roles. Instructors can quickly move between module items and access content that isn’t yet available to students—without switching to Student Preview or changing availability settings.

This streamlined workflow helps instructors review and organize course content more efficiently, saving time and improving course management.

The Table of Contents panel includes all items in a module. Select Contents to open or collapse the panel. Instructors can navigate the full module structure and align course design with the student experience.

Image 1: Instructor view of a Learning Module with the Table of Contents panel open.

Instructor view of a Learning Module with the Table of Contents panel open

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  Opt-out during rollout. To opt out, go to the Administrator Panel, select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module, and switch off Content navigator. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Blackboard Admin

Import and Export Privileges for System and Course Roles – 4000.4

Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Course and Organization Roles
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

Administrators can now manage role privileges more efficiently in Blackboard by importing and exporting privilege sets for System and Course roles. This update simplifies how permissions are reviewed, edited, and updated across the institution. 

In the Administrator Panel, select either System Roles or Course/Organization Roles. Identify the role you want to update and select Privileges from the role's edit option. Updates include: 

  • A new Export All option on the Role Details page to download all assigned privileges for a selected role as a CSV file. The file includes the privilege name, scope (YES/NO), and privilege ID. 

  • Privilege files can be edited offline to adjust permissions. 

  • The Import option on the role's list of privileges updates privileges by uploading a modified CSV file. 

Image 1: The page that lists privileges for each system or course role now contains options to Export and Import privileges.

List of privileges page for a course role in Administrator Panel. The options to Import or Export privileges is highlighted in blue.

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra and Original courses

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Use New Spectator Role (Course Role) – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors & Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Course and Organization Roles (Administrator)
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNO-I-35

The Spectator course role gives institutions a flexible, read-only option for course access. Use this role for auditors, observers, or external reviewers who need to review course content without making changes or accessing administrative features. This role supports secure, non-intrusive access to course materials and improves oversight and collaboration. 

The Spectator role applies at the course level and grants read-only access to all course content. Users with this role cannot edit, delete, grade, or change course settings. 

The role uses the same permission checks as the Viewer system role but only applies to courses where the user is enrolled as a Spectator. Spectator users do not have access to administrator privileges or system-wide data. 

Assign the Spectator role from the Role Management page using the course role selector. Administrators manage which courses a Spectator can access and for how long through enrollments. 

Common uses include: 

  • Assigning Spectator to external auditors for accreditation reviews 

  • Giving department chairs or instructional designers access to observe course delivery 

  • Providing temporary, read-only access for peer review or compliance checks 

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Switch on or off Discussion tool visibility - 4000.4

Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

Administrators can now manage the visibility of the Discussion tool for both Courses and Organizations in Blackboard. A new toggle on the Tools page lets administrators show or hide the Discussion tab and related components in the Ultra Course View interface. When the tool is turned off, all discussion-related elements—including the Discussion tab, content creation options, group discussions, and activity stream notifications—are hidden from users. Existing discussions are not deleted and will reappear with no data loss if the tool is turned back on. 

Feature behavior includes: 

  • When turned off, all discussion components are hidden from the interface, including during content creation and in group settings. 

  • Graded discussions remain visible in the Gradebook but are non-selectable and inaccessible. Grades can still be changed, and the grade column can be deleted. 

  • Discussion activities are hidden from the Activity Stream. Previously recorded activities reappear when the tool is turned back on. 

  • No data is lost when toggling the tool off or on. 

It’s strongly recommended to turn off the Discussion tool only for new courses and organizations. Turning it off in courses with existing discussions—especially graded ones—may cause issues. Links to discussions will no longer work, and content links or URLs will break. 

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Ultra courses and organizations

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  Administrators manage the Discussion tool from the Tools page in the Administrator Panel.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Permanent “Course Complete” Banner in Closed Original Courses – 4000.4 

Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

When an Original course is marked as complete, a permanent banner now appears on all course pages stating: This course is complete. No further modifications are allowed.

This banner provides clear visual confirmation that the course has ended. It aligns Original courses with Ultra courses, where this banner already exists.

Currently, the banner is informational only—users can still make edits. In an upcoming release, editing completed Original courses will be restricted.

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Original courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Premium

Video Studio: Recording Minimize Workflow – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors and Students
Updated Help Topic: Video Studio (Instructor), Video Studio (Student)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

Users can now minimize the camera view and Video Studio controls during a recording session. This update helps instructors and students focus on screen content while keeping the camera visible in a smaller overlay. The minimized view can be restored at any time, supporting flexible presentation styles.

This workflow is especially helpful when giving feedback. It supports clearer communication and stronger engagement.

Image 1: Instructors can now minimize Video Studio recording workflow to focus on a desired screen with a Minimize option.

An instructor in a minimized window presenting on a screen. The screen is showing a page of technical writing instructions

Instructors can minimize the camera and controls while recording feedback or lectures. The camera appears as a small overlay, giving more options for presenting. Instructors can pause, resume, or restore the full camera view during the recording. This workflow is available wherever Video Studio is supported, including assessment feedback and flexible grading. Automatic captioning and transcription are included.

Image 2: Instructors can minimize Video Studio recording workflow for a more agile approach to recording and presenting instruction to students.

An instructor in a minimized, inset window presenting on a screen in a course.

Students benefit from more focused instructional content and feedback. The minimized view helps follow on-screen demonstrations while keeping a visual connection with the instructor. Students can also create polished, professional presentations.

Administrators 

Availability:  Included with Blackboard Ultra; no Video Studio license required. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Video Studio – Record Screen and Camera Simultaneously – 4000.4

Impact: Instructors and Students
Updated Help Topic: Video Studio (Instructor), Video Studio (Student)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

Users can now record their screen and camera at the same time in Video Studio. This update supports more engaging and immersive recordings, helping instructors and students create content that reflects live presentations and lectures. 

Instructors and Students 

Instructors can record themselves while sharing their screen, making it easier to deliver lectures, walkthroughs, or demonstrations with both visual context and personal presence. Students can use this feature to present their work in a more expressive and professional format. 

This feature is part of Blackboard Core and works for announcements and feedback without a Video Studio license. 

Image 1: Split-screen recording showing the instructor and shared screen content.

An instructor in a minimized, inset window presenting on a screen in a course.

Administrators 

Availability:  Requires a Video Studio license. Available as a part of Blackboard Core in instructor feedback and flexible grading. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  None needed.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description


Course Catalog: Use Trust Payments to pay for courses – 4000.4

Test/Stage: week of 17 November 2025; Production: week of 17 November 2025
Impact: Students
Updated Help Topic: Payment Gateway v2
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable

We added Trust Payments as a payment service provider. This gives students the option to use Trust Payments to purchase courses from Course Catalog. As we continue to add more payment service providers, students gain greater flexibility and choice when paying for courses.

Students

When students select Buy for a course, they now see Trust Payments as one of the payment options if it is implemented by their institution.

Image 1: Trust Payments is now one of the listed payment methods. (Only payment methods available at an individual’s institution will be listed.)

Payment methods are listed, including Cybersource, Trust Payments (highlighted in blue), WPM, and TouchNet.

Administrators 

Availability:  Available for all Course Catalog courses. 

Activation:  None needed. 

Configuration:  To set up the Trust Payments integration, you will need to access support through a support case.

Return to December 2025 – 4000.4.0 Release description



Looking for older release notes?

Check out the Blackboard Learn Release Notes Archive for more information on past releases.

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