Content Designer: Video Studio in Documents – 3900.100 

Blackboard Learn SaaS 
Ultra Experience 
Ultra Course View 
Impact: Instructors, Students, Administrators 
Related Topic: Video Studio (admin page), Video Studio (instructor page)

Video Studio is a premium solution. We are offering customers a free trial until June 30, 2025. This will provide access to the full version of Video Studio as a feature flag. Video Studio is set to OFF as a default in test/stage environments. If you want to enable it in your institution’s production environment, you can do that for free until the end of June 2025. Customers will have to purchase Video Studio to continue to use it beyond this date.

Instructors have recording capabilities in Announcements and Feedback features. Now they have the ability to upload or record audio and video within Documents. The lightweight, deeply integrated Video Studio solution promotes a more engaging learning experience.

When creating a Document, a new block option is available to create audio and video files from a camera, audio recording, or from screen recordings. Additionally, it is possible to upload audio and video files.

Image 1. New Audio/Video block in a Document 

Adding a content block in enhanced Document

Image 2. Recording and uploading options available in Audio/Video block for a Document

Options for recording a content block in an enhanced Document

When a user starts recording, there is a 3 second countdown before the recording begins. Users can pause, resume, retake, or end the recording as needed.

Image 3. Start recording process

Instructor getting ready to record a video

After a user ends the recording, the uploading process begins. During this time, the user can preview the result and edit the title. Users can select Save to add the audio or video into a Document. After saving the video, auto captioning for videos is available.

Image 4. Add video details, preview, and save options 

Uploading an enhanced document video with options to edit title and description

Image 5. Automatic captioning for videos is available

Instructor displayed on recording in an enhanced Document

For administrators: These new video capabilities require a license for Video Studio. Also, the "Enable support for customizing Ultra document layouts." setting on the Ultra Experience Management page in the Administrator Panel must be on. The videos created using Video Studio will not count towards your existing storage entitlement. The following existing privileges are used for the Video Studio solution:

  • Course/Organization (Content Areas) > Create Materials: To create videos. Includes all operations like save, finish, check Video upload Status. Not needed for playback.
  • Course/Organization (Content Areas) > Delete Materials: To delete videos. 

Return to September 2024 – 3900.100.0 Release description