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 3900.108.0
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.108.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 10 December 2024 | Release to Production: Thursday, 9 January 2024
Original Course View, Ultra Course View
For full feature details, please review the corresponding notes for the Blackboard 3900.108.0 version included below on this page. Details can be found on Anthology Global Support.
Latest release: 3900.108.0-rel.4+54ea65f to Test/Stage servers to take place on 10 December 2024.
For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Anthology Global Support.
The January 2025 - 3900.108 release is robust with features in 4 areas:
- Instructional design;
- Mastery learning and learning pathways;
- Gradebook; and
- Learn core and security
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Some features do require administrative action.
Instructors:
- Availability of Achievements tab in courses
- Improvements to AI Design Assistant Outputs
- Improvements to AI Design Assistant Image Generation
- Expanded language Outputs for AI Design Assistant
- Show/hide columns from instructors in the gradebook
- Direct grade entry from the Grid view or Submissions page
- Improvements to file uploads for Content Designer: Documents
- Improvements to content blocks for Content Designer: Documents
Instructors and Students:
- Set default automatic zeros to off in the gradebook for new courses
- Add submission attempts for release conditions
Instructors and Administrators
Instructional Design
Improvements to AI Design Assistant Outputs – 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: AI Design Assistant
We improved the following auto-generation features of the AI Design Assistant to have faster and more complex outputs.
- Assignments
- Discussions
- Journals
- Test questions
- Learning modules
- AI Conversation avatars
- Keywords for Unsplash
Our latest optimizations continue the work we did in the December 3900.106 release to optimize rubrics.
Image 1. The learning modules on the left were generated with the 3900.106 release. The learning modules are described with a few sentences. The learning modules on the right were generated with the 3900.108 release. The learning module descriptions are longer and more focused on the topic in 3900.108 than in 3900.106.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Improvements to AI Design Assistant Image Generation – 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: AI Design Assistant
We improved the quality of the images generated by the AI Design Assistant, making them look more realistic. Instructors can generate images faster and the image files require less storage space.
Image 1. The two images on the left were generated by the AI Design Assistant with the 3900.106 release. The prompt used is “construction.” These images are related to tall buildings in cities. The two images on the right were generated by the AI Design Assistant with the 3900.108 release. The prompt used is also “construction.” The images are more realistic and related to the prompt in 3900.108 than in 3900.106.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Expanded Language Outputs for AI Design Assistant – 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: AI Design Assistant
The output languages available for AI workflows now include Greek, Catalan, Croatian, Irish, and Slovenian. For a list of all languages available for AI outputs, refer to AI Design Assistant for Instructors.
Image 1. Changing the output language is available as an advanced option in the AI Design Assistant.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Improvements to Content Blocks for Content Designer: Documents – 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: Create Documents
When instructors create or edit a document, the content block no longer closes when they collapse the menu in the editor. Also, the editor no longer closes when editing table settings.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Improvements to File Uploads for Content Designer: Documents – 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: Create Documents
The default file option when instructors upload files to documents is now View and Download. Also, instructors can now use the Undo and Redo functions for file uploads.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Mastery Learning and Learning Pathways
Add Submission Attempts for Release Conditions – 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors and Students
Updated Topic: Content Release Conditions
Instructors can now use item submission status for a release condition. For example, an instructor who wants students to access a document only after submitting a quiz would use a release condition. Students can access content items without needing to wait for a grade to be posted.
Image 1. The new Attempt submitted option is in the dropdown menu for a gradable item in the Release condition panel.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Availability of Achievements Tab in Courses – 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors and Students
Updated Topic: Achievements
We changed the availability of the Achievements tab in courses. The Achievements tab is now hidden from students until the instructor creates and posts Achievements for students to earn.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Mastery tab in Gradebook availability controls - 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Administrators
Updated Topic: Mastery Tab and Course Settings
System administrators and instructors now have the flexibility to control the availability of the Mastery tab in the Gradebook. This configuration lets institutions align the use of the Mastery tab with their curriculum approach, while also giving instructors control over when and how it is visible to students.
System administrators determine whether the Mastery tab is available for use in courses at the institution-level. System administrators can configure Mastery tab availability in Administrator Tools Panel > Ultra Experience Management.
If the system administrator enables the Mastery tab in Gradebook at the institution-level, instructors can manage the availability of the Mastery tab at the course-level in Course Settings. If the system administrator turned off Mastery Tab at the institution-level, the Mastery tab is not visible for instructors, and Visibility Settings appear as read-only in Course Settings.
Instructors can manage the availability for themselves and their students. The configuration includes the Instructor Visibility toggle and the Student Visibility toggle. The Mastery goal tab for instructors setting determines if the Mastery tab is available for the instructors in their course. The Mastery goal tab for students setting determines if the Mastery tab is available to students in the course.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: System administrators can configure Mastery Tab in Gradebook visibility in Administrator Tools Panel > Ultra Experience Management. If Mastery Tab in Gradebook is enabled at the institution-level, instructors can configure Mastery Tab in Gradebook visibility in Course Settings.
Gradebook
Show/hide columns from instructors in the gradebook - 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: Ultra Gradebook
Instructors can now configure column visibility for their gradebook view, ensuring a cleaner and more organized workspace when grading. We've added a new Items Management page accessible from the Gradebook Settings panel. From this page, instructors can configure visibility for a single column selection or in bulk.
Visibility settings apply to all gradebook views for non-student users (instructors, TAs, graders), including the Grade page, Gradable Items page, and Overview page. The student view of any grading-related page is unaffected. If an instructor hides a column from their gradebook, that column continues to appear for students.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Set default automatic zeros to off in the gradebook for new courses - 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Updated Topic: Ultra Gradebook
The Assign Automatic Zeros for Past Due Work option is now turned off by defualt for newly-created Ultra courses. Existing courses are unaffected. Changing the default setting to off prevents students from automatically receiving zeros for past due assignments. Instructors can turn on automatic zeros for late submissions in the Gradebook Settings panel.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Direct grade entry from the Grid view or Submissions page - 3900.108
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Instructors can now enter grades directly in the Grid view or Submissions page with improved accuracy and consistency. Previously, grades entered in these views were stored at the override level, which caused confusion as underlying attempts remained ungraded and continued to display the Needs Grading and New Submission flags. This update ensures that grades entered this way are properly mapped to the underlying attempt or submission when applicable.
All grades entered via Grades tab, Submissions page, or file upload continue to be stored a override grades.
Single Attempt Assignments
- Ungraded Attempts. When an ungraded attempt is found, the grade is stored at the attempt level, the Needs Grading and New Submission flags are cleared, and any auto-zero is removed.
- Graded Attempts. If the attempt is already graded, the attempt grade is updated accordingly.
- No Submission. For students with no submission, the grade is stored as an override.
- Existing Overrides. If an override already exists, only the override is updated. No changes are made to the attempt grade.
Multiple Attempt Assignments
- Ungraded Attempts. The Needs Grading and New Submission flags are cleared, and any auto-zero is removed. If all attempts are ungraded, the grade is assigned to the appropriate attempt based on the aggregation model:
- First: The grade is assigned to the first attempt.
- Last: The grade is assigned to the last attempt.
- All (Min, Max, & Average): The grade is assigned to the last attempt. All other attempts are excluded.
- Graded Attempt. For a single graded attempt, the attempt grade is updated.
- Multiple Graded Attempts. If more than one attempt is graded, the grade is stored as an override. The Needs Grading and New Submission label remain unchanged.
- No Submission. For students with no submission, the grade is stored as an override.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Turned on by default.
Configuration: None needed.
Learn Core & Security
Manage course access from Course Settings – 3900.108
Blackboard SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Updated Topic: Course Settings
Instructors can now manage course access state settings through the Course Settings page. This change streamlines administrative tasks and enhances usability for instructors teaching courses.
Instructors or users with appropriate privileges can set the course state from Course Settings. This functionality was previously called Course is Open/Private and found in the Details & Actions panel.
Course access states are as follows:
- Open. Course content is available to students.
- Closed. Course content is not available to students. Previously called Private.
- Complete. No changes can be made by students or instructors.
Image 1. The Course Settings page now has a section called Course Access where instructors can set a course as Open, Closed, or Complete.
At the top of a course, the current course access state is displayed as a colored pill next to Course Settings. This change makes it easier for instructors to manage course states.
Image 2: At the top of a course, there is now an indicator that displays whether a course is Open, Closed, or Complete.
Additionally, instructors can access Course Settings from the Courses page. From the three dot menu, the instructor can select Course Settings.
Image 3. Course Settings option from the course card edit menu.
Administrators:
Availability: This feature is available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: The Course Access section is turned on by default, but only available to privileged users.
Configuration: These changes in the user interface require changes to role privileges, detailed in Course completion and new privileges for course access management – 3900.108. Instructors need the course settings privilege for Course Settings to display in their course: Course/Organization Control Panel (Customization) > Properties
New role privileges for course access management – 3900.108
Blackboard SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Administrators, Instructors
Updated Topic: Roles and Privileges, Course Settings
There are new and updated privileges to support the new Course Access section of the Course Settings page.
In this release, course access settings moved from the Details & Actions panel to the Course Settings page (refer to Manage Course Access from Course Settings – 3900.108). Course availability to students and course completion are clearly demarcated as separate states:
- Open/Closed. Course content is not available to students. Previously called Open/Private.
- Complete. No changes can be made by students or instructors.
This change makes course access management easier for instructors.
Administrators
Availability - Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation - The Course Access section is turned on by default but only available to users assigned the new privileges.
Configuration - The privilege allowing a user to change course availability and completion is now two separate settings. In the Administrator Panel, Privileges, assign these new and updated privileges to users:
- Course/Organization Control Panel (Customization) > Properties, Availability (updated privilege)
- Change Completion Status (on/off) (new privilege)
- Partial Change Completion Status (on) (new privilege). This privilege allows a user to mark a course as complete, but they can’t revert this change.
Review Manage course access from Course Settings – 3900.108 for instructor-facing changes to course access options.
Learn SaaS release 3900.106.0
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.106.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 26 November 2024 | Release to Production: Thursday, 5 December 2024
Original Course View, Ultra Course View
For full feature details, please review the corresponding notes for the Learn 3900.106.0 version included below on this page. Details can be found on Anthology Global Support.
Latest release: 3900.106.0-rel.36+f7d939c to Production servers to take place on 5 December 2024.
For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Anthology Global Support.
The December 2024 - 3900.106 release is robust with features in 8 areas:
- Instructional design;
- Communication and collaboration;
- Learner progression and personalized experience;
- Flexible grading;
- Gradebook;
- Integrations;
- Learn core and security; and
- Upgrade to Ultra
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Some features do require administrative action.
Instructors:
- AI Design Assistant: rubric generation improvements
- Moodle conversion improvement: images in question text
- Improvements to grading assignments: New labels for late submissions
- Grade override improvements
- Group management: performance improvements
Instructors and Students:
Students:
Instructors and Administrators
Administrators:
- Deploy Role Play separately from Socratic Questioning for AI Conversation
- Copy items from courses improvement
- Performance Goals Scale via Public REST API
- Additional Grader Information for Grade Export Tool
All users:
Instructional Design
Deploy Role Play Separately from Socratic Questioning for AI Conversation – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related Topic: AI Design Assistant and Unsplash Configuration
We listened to your feedback and adjusted the AI Conversation toggle in the administrator panel. Previously, Socratic Questioning had to be turned on so that Role Play could be selected. Administrators can now choose to deploy Role Play separately from Socratic Questioning.
Image 1. The AI Design Assistant and Unsplash configuration screen
For administrators: Turning AI Conversation off after deployment will stop AI Conversation services. Therefore, any AI Conversation activities visible to students won't operate as expected.
Video Studio: skip to a specific part of a recording - 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students
Related Topic: Video Studio (instructor page), Video Studio (student page), Video Studio (administrator page)
In Video Studio, users can skip to a specific part of a recording, giving them more control over viewing. By selecting a time stamp in the transcript, the recording plays from the time selected.
For example, a student who views a recorded lecture can skip forward to a specific portion of the video. They can also replay any part of the video by selecting the desired timestamp in the transcript.
Image 1: Select a timestamp on the transcript and the recording plays from that part of the video
For Administrators: Video Studio is a premium solution. 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 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. In the Administrator Panel, select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module. Select Enable creating/uploading videos using Video Studio. Beyond this date, your institution will have to purchase Video Studio to continue using it.
Group Management: Performance Improvements– 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related Topic: Create and Manage Groups
Groups are an important part of managing students in a course, especially in large courses. We improved performance so saving groups is now 80%-90% quicker. This gives instructors more time for other course activities.
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Navigation Added for LTI and SCORM Items within Learning Modules – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Students
Related Topic: Learning Modules
Instructors use learning modules to guide student progress through diverse types of course content. For easier navigation, students can now select arrows to the left and right of LTI or SCORM items to move through learning modules.
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
AI Design Assistant: Rubric Generation Improvements – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related Topic: AI Design Assistant
We optimized our AI Design Assistant rubric generation. Rubrics generated by the AI Design Assistant will now have more complex outputs. The AI Design Assistant will also work faster. Instructors can expect better rubrics, even for long, complicated assessments.
Image 1. Rubric generated by the AI Design Assistant in 3900.104
Image 2. Rubric generated by the AI Design Assistant in 3900.106
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Communication & Collaboration
Discussion Enhancement: New Post Indicator – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors and Students
Related Topic: Discussions
We added a "New" indicator that displays next to posts and replies that a user has not yet accessed. This helps direct engagement by making new discussion activity easier to find and access.
Image 1. The "New" indicator alongside a post and a reply
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Learner Progression and Personalized Experience
Link to Attempt Log Added to Activity Log – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors and Administrators
Related Topic: Student Activity Log
Users may now directly go to the attempt log for any test or assignment from the activity log by selecting the Attempt Log button associated with the item.
Image 1. The new Attempt Log button in the activity log.
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Flexible Grading
Improvements for late submissions – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related Topic: Grade Assignments with Flexible Grading
To help instructors quickly identify late submissions in the attempt banner, late submissions now have a Late indicator. We also updated the wording from Submitted late <date> to Submitted <date>.
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Gradebook
Grade override improvements - 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related Topic: Override Grades
To increase transparency when overriding grades, we added an Override indicator to overridden grades on the Grades & Participation screen for Discussions.
We implemented the Undo Override workflow on the Discussion grading interface, mimicking the Undo Override workflow in the Journal grading interface.
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Additional Grader Information for Grade Export Tool – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related Topic: Grade Export
Exporting grade data helps institutions create reports, perform audits, or integrate with information systems. The Grade Export (v2) tool allows institutions to manage this data exchange in bulk. Gradebook column data in an export file now includes additional information about the last grader for each grade. The name and email of that last grader appear as new columns in the extract file. This indicates the owner of the current grade value. These data enable institutions to follow up on grade questions or create reports on staff task completion. The new column headers in the extract file are:
- User.GRADER_FULLNAME indicates the full name of the last grader of the gradable item.
- User.GRADER_EMAIL indicates the email of the last grader of the gradable item.
For administrators: This data is extracted for all courses, Ultra or Original. There are no configurations needed. Administrators manage the Grade Export (v2) tool by selecting Platform Extensions in Administrator Panel.
Integrations
Performance Goals Scale via Public API – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Course View & Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related Topic: Blackboard APIs
A new Blackboard public REST API lets developers retrieve the Goal Performance Scale configuration. Third party applications can access the defined performance scale for goals aligned with assessments. Instructors can reference the Goal Performance Scale while working with integrations to better track and analyze student goal performance. Configuration fields include range, label, and color.
Users can access to this information through the following endpoint:
- GET /learn/api/public/v1/courses/settings/goalperformance/scale
For administrators: No configurations or specific entitlements needed.
Learn Core & Security
Mobile app sessions renew without requiring authentication – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Course View & Original Course View
Impact: All users
Related topic: Account Lock
After the Blackboard App 9.11 is released on December 6, 2024, mobile users must update the Blackboard App on their devices to ensure proper functionality. A red banner indicating session expiration will display for any user who does not update their app.
Administrators can now define the maximum length of time a user can access the mobile app before they are required to login again. This time limit is controlled through an authentication token. The token allows the app to automatically renew a session without re-authentication, as long as it hasn't expired.
To set the length of a token, go to the Administrator Tool Panel, select Account Lock Settings, and then Mobile App Token Timeout. By default, the mobile token lifetime is set to the maximum of 336 hours (about 2 weeks). The minimum setting is 1 hour.
Image 1. Mobile Token Timeout configuration from Administrator Tool Panel
For administrators: The verification process that ends inactive sessions runs every hour. If Use same value as Inactive Session Timeout is selected, and Maximum Activity is less than 60 minutes, the session timeout may not be precise to that value. However, the session timeout will occur in no more than an hour. For security certifications, select Use same value as Inactive Session Timeout to end sessions in the same timeframe. This option works independently of the type of device used to log in. Use these values for the Inactive Session Timeout: FedRAMP Moderate: 30 minutes; IL4: 25 minutes.
Upgrade to Ultra
Copy Items from Courses Improvement – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Original Course View
Ultra Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related Topic: Copy Content from Other Courses
We updated the copy workflow in Blackboard to make copying easier. Now, users with the following privileges can copy from any course that they have access to, even if they’re not enrolled:
- Administrator Panel (Courses) > Courses > Copy Course
- Administrator Panel (Organizations) > Organizations > Copy Organization
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Moodle Conversion Improvement: Images in Question Text – 3900.106
Blackboard Learn SaaS
Original Course View
Ultra Course View
Impact: Instructors
Related Topic: Migrate from Moodle
Images in quiz questions are now preserved during conversion from Moodle to Blackboard. Previously, images were not retained during the conversion process
For administrators: There are no configurations needed.
Looking for older release notes?
Check out the Blackboard Learn Release Notes Archive for more information on past releases.
