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.
Filter the list of features to learn more.
More on Learn with the SaaS Deployment | Export the list of Known Issues | Access the latest API and database documentation | Blackboard Learn SaaS release notes archive | Learn Releases White Paper
Looking for Blackboard Learn 9.1 release notes?
Follow this page to get email updates when we publish new release notes
View the SaaS release schedule
Blackboard SaaS release 3900.123.0
Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.123.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 | Release to Production: Thursday, 7 August 2025
Original Course View, Ultra Course View
For full feature details, please review the corresponding notes for the Blackboard 3900.123.0 version included below on this page. Details can be found on Anthology Global Support.
Latest release to Test/Stage servers to take place on 8 July 2025.
For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Anthology Global Support.
The August 2025 - 3900.123 release is robust with features in six areas:
- Instructional design;
- Communication and collaboration;
- Gradebook;
- Blackboard core;
- Upgrade to Ultra; and
- Premium
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Some features do require administrative action.
Instructors:
- Video Studio: Use Video Studio in Announcements
- Enhance Documents with block styling options
- Increased accessibility in the student Overview page
Instructors and Students:
Students
- Adding Table of Contents to Learning Modules for students
- Course Catalog: Discover important information about courses on redesigned course tiles
- Course Catalog: Clarify enrollment steps with improved prompts and feedback
- Increased accessibility in the student Gradebook
Instructors and Administrators:
- Ensure new courses use the latest Learning Object Repository content
- Ensure consistency with course-level group conversion
- Enhance usability on the Associations page of the Learning Object Repository
- Improve LTI tool management with flexible copy options
Administrators:
Instructional Design
Enhance Documents with block styling options – 3900.123
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Create Documents
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-5171
Instructors
We added block styling to Documents, giving instructors new ways to enhance visual appeal and guide student attention. The styling options feature both color and icons. The style options include:
- Question
- Tip
- Key points
- Next steps
- Highlight
Image 1. Instructors can select styling options from a dropdown menu that appears in Edit mode on all block types.
This update helps instructors create more engaging content.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Ensure new courses use the latest Learning Object Repository content – 3900.123
Impact: Instructors and administrators
Updated Help Topic: Learning Object Repository
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Instructors and Administrators
We enhanced the syncing logic in the Learning Object Repository. Courses that have ended or are marked as complete don't receive updates from the Learning Object Repository. This means Learning Object Repository objects may be updated after a course ends, but before that course is used as a template for a new one, which could cause outdated content to be copied forward.
Image 1. The current sync model can result in an outdated copy of an object.
Now, when content is copied from one course to another, the system will automatically pull in the latest version of each Learning Object Repository object to ensure that new courses always start with the most current materials. As a result, content authors no longer need to manually update Learning Object Repository objects after a course begins.
Image 2. Copied objects are automatically updated in the new sync model.
The new behavior doesn't apply if the destination course is past its end date or has been marked as complete.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Enhance usability on the Associations page of the Learning Object Repository – 3900.123
Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Learning Object Repository
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
The Associations Page has been improved for better clarity and usability.
- Added support for courses with a duration type of "Days from the date of enrollment"
- Fixed an issue where a 0 would display when loading the Associations Page
- Associations that aren't part of a term will now display as "--" under the Term Column
- Accessing an object's associations from the More options menu will now take the user to the tab view of the Associations page
Image 1. The Associations tab now shows a “--” under the Term column.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Track sync progress from Learning Object Repository to courses and organizations – 3900.123
Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Learning Object Repository
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
We added a new task type, "Sync from Repository/Template," to the Tasks and Logs page in the Learning Object Repository. This feature allows users to monitor the progress of updates being applied from the repository to all linked courses and organizations. Users can track when the sync is created, started, and completed. This enhancement helps users confirm that updates have been successfully delivered to the appropriate courses and organizations.
Image 1. The new task type, “Sync from Repository/Template,” is on the Tasks and Logs page.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Improve LTI tool management with flexible copy options – 3900.123
Impact: Instructors and administrators
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Instructors
Previously, LTI tools were only included when performing a full course copy. With this update, users who have the appropriate permissions can now select and copy individual LTIs. This enhancement provides greater flexibility and control for instructors and administrators using LTI tools.
While the LTI standard—particularly LTI 1.3 with LTI Advantage—supports copying tools between courses, the actual behavior of copied LTIs depends on how each provider has implemented the standard. Some tools may function immediately after copying, while others might require manual relinking or configuration to work properly in the new course.
To ensure a smooth experience, we recommend testing all copied LTI links, especially those involving grade synchronization, user data, or other course-specific functionality.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Communication & Collaboration
Video Studio: Use Video Studio in Announcements – 3900.123
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Video Studio (Instructor)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Announcements now support video and audio content through Video Studio. This update, including a new Video Studio button in the Announcements content editor, replaces the Capture tool. This feature is integrated in the core Blackboard product and doesn’t require a separate Video Studio license. Video Studio in Announcements makes video and audio creation more consistent across the platform, improving both usability and accessibility.
Instructors
Instructors can use Video Studio in Announcements to record or upload video and audio. The redesigned Video Studio button launches the standard Video Studio workflow, which automatically generates captions and transcripts. This makes content more accessible and supports personalized, engaging communication.
Administrators
Availability: Included as part of Blackboard. This feature doesn’t require a Video Studio License.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Ensure consistency with course-level group conversion – 3900.123
Impact: Instructors and administrators
Updated Help Topic: Create and Manage Groups
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Instructors and administrators
We streamlined the process of converting groups from activity-level to course-level to improve consistency and ease of use for instructors.
All activity-level groups are now automatically converted to course-level groups:
- During course conversion from Original to Ultra.
- When course materials are copied into a new course.
All group associations with content items are preserved, so instructors don’t need to manually reassociate groups with content. Course-level groups offer more consistent group management and are easier to use across the course. This update ensures a smoother experience for instructors managing group activities.
Group behavior for exact copies hasn’t changed.
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Gradebook
Increased accessibility in the student Gradebook – 3900.123
Impact: Student
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
To improve accessibility, we updated the student Gradebook to use a semantic HTML table structure. This change replaces the previous layout, which relied on stacked <div> elements. The new structure improves screen reader support and keyboard navigation.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Increased accessibility in the student Overview page – 3900.123
Impact: Instructors
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
To improve accessibility, we updated the student Overview page to use a semantic HTML table structure. This change replaces the previous layout, which relied on stacked <div> elements. The new structure improves screen reader support and keyboard navigation.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Turn on DirectSubmit functionality – 3900.123
Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: DirectSubmit
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
The DirectSubmit feature allows instructors to submit papers directly to SafeAssign for originality checking, even outside of student assignments. With this update, administrators have the ability to manage faculty access to DirectSubmit based on institutional preferences. By default, DirectSubmit remains available, ensuring seamless access to SafeAssign’s plagiarism detection capabilities.
This update to DirectSubmit includes several additional enhancements:
- Instructors can delete submitted items.
- Mobile app callbacks improve integration.
- A new column provides direct links to download original submissions.
- A workflow for suggesting URLs enhances content comparison.
- Grading icons now align with updated design standards.
Instructors
When administrators set DirectSubmit as available, instructors can delete submitted items, access original submission downloads, and benefit from consistent grading icons. These enhancements streamline the workflow and improve usability.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: This feature is turned on by default. Administrators can turn it on or off by going to the Administrator Panel. Select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module. Select SafeAssign Direct Submit to turn on or off.
Blackboard Core
Adding Table of Contents to Learning Modules for students – 3900.123
Impact: Students
Updated Help Topic: Learning Modules (Student)
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-159
A table of contents for the instructor view is coming in a future release.
We’ve redesigned the Learning Module experience for students by adding a collapsible Table of Contents. This update improves navigation, orientation, and progress tracking. As part of this improvement, assessments now open in a full panel instead of a smaller panel. These updates create a more consistent and focused user experience.
This feature will be released to test environments in July and production in August. Institutions can opt out during the initial rollout.
Students
Students now have a simplified way to navigate and track progress in Learning Modules. Updates include:
- A table of contents for the items in a Learning Module. Select Contents to open and collapse the table of contents
Image 1: Learning Modules now contain a Table of Contents panel to orient students within Learning Modules for their courses. The panel can be collapsed with the arrow button at the top of the Table of Contents.
- Easy navigation between items
- Manual or automatic item completion tracking from within the Learning Module
- Next and Previous buttons moved closer together at the top of the page for an improved experience.
Image 2: The navigation buttons Previous and Next now appear closer to each other in the user interface within Learning Modules to give an improved user experience.
Assessments within Learning Modules. Assessments now open in a full panel, providing a consistent and distraction-free experience.
Image 3: The Assessments pages within Learning Modules now appear as a full-sized panel.
Forced sequence in Learning Modules. When sequencing is enforced, students must use the Next and Previous buttons to move through content in order. Students can’t jump ahead using the table of contents unless they have already completed the item they are navigating to. Skipping ahead without completing a Learning Module item is disabled in this mode.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: Opt-out during rollout. To opt out: in the Administrator Panel, select Configure in The Ultra Experience is Here! module. Select and switch off Content navigator to navigate between learning module items.
Configuration: None needed.
Use SIS integration to bulk update course completion status – 3900.123
Impact: Administrators
Updated Help Topic: Managing Course Terms and Access
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Administrators can now use the Student Information System (SIS) integration to update course and organization completion status in bulk. This builds on last month’s update, which added bulk completion management via the Administrator Panel. With this enhancement, administrators can automate completion and uncompletion actions through SIS, improving consistency and reducing manual work.
Data can now be added to a new column in their SIS flat file called Complete. Use Y to mark a course or organization as complete, or N to mark it as incomplete. This update applies only during SIS update operations—not during course or organization creation.
To use this feature, go to Data Integration in the Administrator Panel, then select Student Information System Integrations. Select Upload Feed File and upload your file.
Administrators
Availability: This feature is available for all Ultra courses and organizations. It can be used for Original Course View, but setting an Original Course to complete will turn off notifications and might block future updates.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Upgrade to Ultra
Enhance visual consistency for embedded LTI tools – 3900.123
Impact: Instructors and students
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Instructors and students
Previously, the width of embedded LTI tools was determined by the dimensions specified by the provider. This often led to unused space and grey letterboxing on either side of the content within Blackboard. With this update, all embedded LTIs now default to 100% width. This ensures that responsive tools make full use of the available space and aligns their behavior with standalone LTIs on the Course or Organization Content page, which also use 100% width by default.
This change brings visual consistency across Blackboard and enhances the user experience by eliminating unnecessary spacing and improving content presentation.
Attention LTI Providers: With our recent update, all embedded LTIs now default to 100% width. This ensures responsive tools utilize the full available space. We strongly encourage providers to test their integrations and make any necessary changes to ensure proper display and compatibility with this new behavior.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed.
Premium
Course Catalog: Discover important information about courses on redesigned course tiles
Test/Stage: week of 14 July 2025; Production: week of 14 July 2025
Impact: Students
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Redesigned course tiles now display important information for guests and logged-in users, preventing the need to open the course details panel to access that information about the course. A consistent Learn More call-to-action button now appears on each tile to provide a consistent look and feel throughout the catalog. These updates make course information more accessible to all students.
Students
Each course tile now clearly states:
- whether the course is free or paid
- how many badges and certificates are associated with the course
- if an access code is required to enroll in the course
- if admin approval is required to enroll in the course
Each tile also includes a Learn More button that provides a consistent look and feel throughout the catalog.
Image 1: The course tile shows the course is free, that one certificate is associated with it, and that an access code is required to enroll. It has a Learn More button for students to discover more details about the course.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Course Catalog courses
Activation: None needed
Configuration: None needed
Course Catalog: Clarify enrollment steps with improved prompts and feedback
Test/Stage: week of 14 July 2025; Production: week of 14 July 2025
Impact: Students
Updated Help Topic: Not applicable
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
We improved the enrollment experience to reduce confusion and streamline the process for both guests and logged-in users. These updates clarify next steps and provide better feedback during key interactions. They create a smoother, more predictable path from course discovery to enrollment for students.
Students
- Redesigned enrollment prompts provide relevant information about the course, such as whether admin approval is required or an access code must be entered.
Image 1: A window appears that informs the student that the course requires admin approval to enroll and provides a Continue button.
- A confirmation message is displayed after enrollment is complete, giving the user a success message and a choice of actions: Browse Catalog or Go to Dashboard.
Image 2: A confirmation message is displayed after the student enrolls that offers them the options to Browse Catalog or Go to Dashboard.
- When a guest selects an enrollment action and signs in, the system now remembers the original action. After the user signs in, a window appears that prompts them to complete the action they started.
Image 3: A window appears that prompts the user to continue with the action they started before they signed in.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Course Catalog 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.
