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
- Activity indicator color changed to purple
- Improved support for LTI: Resize requests
- Ally - Math Support for Microsoft Word Documents Now Available for HTML Alternative Formats - 2.13
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.
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.
Ally - Math Support for Microsoft Word Documents Now Available for HTML Alternative Formats - 2.13
Production: March 19, 2025
Impact: Instructors and Students
Idea Exchange ID: not applicable
As part of our ongoing efforts to support students through the power of flexibility and choice, Ally's document conversion process has been upgraded to include the first version of support for Office Math found in Microsoft Word documents. Students downloading the HTML and BeeLine Reader Alternative Formats will now see the math equations rendered as MathML via MathJax in their browser. This is an important first step to support math content in a wider range of Ally Alternative Formats and means that students will no longer be missing important math equations when downloading their preferred HTML option.
Image 1: HTML Alternative Format with rendered Math.
This conversion happens automatically as part of Ally's processing pipeline and does not require any configuration from the administrator. To be considered for conversion, the math content must be inserted as an equation in Word. Otherwise, Ally will not recognize this as math.
This is the first of multiple releases to support math within Ally's Alternative Format options. Support for additional formats, including Audio and Immersive Reader, will be handled in subsequent releases in order to continue to provide immediate benefits to the students. Support for math in PowerPoint will also be included in a future release.
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.
Looking for older release notes?
Check out the Blackboard Learn Release Notes Archive for more information on past releases.
