Release Notes for Learn SaaS

Learn SaaS release 3900.80.0

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.80.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 7 November 2023 | Release to Production: Thursday, 7 December 2023
Original Experience, Ultra Experience
Original Course View, Ultra Course View

For full feature details please review the corresponding notes for the Learn 3900.80.0 version included below on this page. Details can also be found on Behind the Blackboard.

Latest release: 3900.80.0-rel.13+dde816e to Test/Stage servers to take place on 28 November 2023.

For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Behind the Blackboard.

 

Learn SaaS release 3900.78.0

Blackboard Learn SaaS Continuous Delivery v3900.78.0
Release to Test/Stage: Tuesday, 10 October 2023 | Release to Production: Thursday, 2 November 2023
Original Experience, Ultra Experience
Original Course View, Ultra Course View

For full feature details please review the corresponding notes for the Learn 3900.78.0 version included below on this page. Details can also be found on Behind the Blackboard.

Latest release: 3900.78.0-rel.23+5efc216 to Production servers to take place on 30 November 2023.

For more information on updates and bug fixes, please visit Behind the Blackboard.

 

December 2023 – 3900.80 Release

The December 2023 - 3900.80 is robust with features in 8 areas:

• Instructional design;
• Tests and assignments;
• Flexible grading;
• Gradebook;
• Integrations;
• Learn core and security;
• Mobile app; and
• Upgrade to Ultra

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

Instructors:

• Authentic Discussion and Journal prompts
• Large rubric support
• Group assessment due date exceptions
• Goal alignment to questions in banks
• Prevent students from earning full credit when selecting all answers choices on a multi-select question with partial credit
• Sorting controls in Students and Questions tab
• Grid view sorting controls
• Automatic zero gradebook improvement
• Canvas conversion improvements: Support for Multiple Grade Schemes

Instructors and students:

• Additional image insertion and generate options
• Mobile App: Enhancements to Grades

All users:

• Removal of First Time User Experience pop-ups
• Improved mobile experience for Course Content page

Administrators:

• Gradebook API: Accessing grading dates
• Enhanced user data retrieval with secondary IDs via REST API
• REST API for accessing assessment passwords
• Converting Building Block content to LTI
• Building Block Management page displays removal details

Integrations

Gradebook API: Accessing grading dates – 3900.80

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs

In a previous release, we introduced a feature that allows users to retrieve date-related grading data. Now, we incorporate two more fields into the response of all gradebook APIs: first and last relevant dates.

"firstRelevantDate" determined as:

• The first recorded date when an attempt is scored.
• The most recent date in which a final score is overridden.

"lastRelevantDate" determined as:

• The date of the most recent modification of a grade when an attempt is scored.
• The most recent date in which a final score is overridden.

We also introduce the following query parameters:

• firstRelevantDateCompare
• lastRelevantDateCompare

These parameters allow users to filter and refine the results.

Return to December 2023 – 3900.80 Release description

Enhanced user data retrieval with secondary IDs via REST API - 3900.80

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs

The option to retrieve user data is crucial for administrators and support roles. User data retrieval is important for a host of reasons. For example, it allows institutions to ensure access control, user support, and data security.

In the past, retrieving user data depended on a single ID. Now, we are expanding the capabilities of the users' REST APIs to support secondary IDs. This will provide more flexibility and control when accessing user information.

Users can now use a secondary ID:

• Contact Email: Users can now use the "contact.email" secondary ID to retrieve user data. This enhancement allows users to access their information by their institution/personal email address.
• Student IDs: The "studentId" secondary ID is now supported in the GET /users public endpoint. You can use this feature to access user data using their student ID.
• "Name" as New Attribute: Users can now retrieve user data based on attributes such as the user name. For this, we have the new query parameter "?name=". This will allow filtering by full names (first names, last names, middle names, or usernames).

These changes provide a significant improvement in the way users can manage user data via REST APIs.

Return to December 2023 – 3900.80 Release description

REST API for accessing assessment passwords - 3900.80

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs

In Learn, assessments can be protected with access codes. Access codes help provide integrity and security for assessments.

To improve the integration with proctoring services, we extended the access code option via REST API.

Now, users can retrieve the access password configuration settings. The configuration setting is for both Ultra and Original courses. This information includes the following key fields:

• Enabled: Flag that indicates whether the assessment is password-protected or not.
• Password: This field contains the 6-digit passcode. The password is available in plain text, simplifying the integration process.

Furthermore, these fields will be accessible through the following Content endpoints:

• GET /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents
• GET /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}

Return to December 2023 – 3900.80 Release description

Converting Building Block content to LTI (Echo360 Course Content) - 3900.80

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Original Experience
Original Course View
Impact: Administrators

In the past, some clients relied on building blocks to enhance course content. To help clients transition from building blocks to LTI tools, we created a Content Migration Tool. This tool focuses on helping clients migrate Kaltura content within Original courses.

We have now updated the migration tool to support the conversion of building blocks content to LTI. This change helps mitigate challenges with migrations from Original to Ultra courses.

Now, administrators can also convert Echo360 content from building blocks to LTI.

This conversion supports the Building Block content present within the iframe. This includes Mashup links within the content editor:

• wikis, journals, discussions, groups
• assessments, assignments, test questions, and question banks
• announcements

As before, administrators can access the Building Block to LTI content conversion service through Administrator Tools.

Image 1. Converting Building Block Content to LTI

Image 2. Migration Service Settings

Administrators can select from a drop-down menu the building block to be configured. The options are Echo360 and Kaltura.

Administrators can configure the required IDs and custom parameters for the conversion details.

Image 3. Migration settings for Echo 360 and Kaltura

Building blocks mappings are displayed. Administrators can select whether they want to edit, delete, or turn off the building block for the conversion tool.

Image 4. Building block mappings

Once configurations are set, administrators can manage the placements. They can select for the specific Building Block the courses to which they want to convert the content.

Image 5. Migrate courses with building block content

Finally, at Migration Run Status, users can monitor the status of the conversion process for each course.

Image 6. Migration run status

Return to December 2023 – 3900.80 Release description

Learn Core & Security

Building Block Management page displays support details – 3900.80

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Manage Learn SaaS Building Blocks

Three years ago, we announced the end of support for third-party integrations using Building Blocks. Starting in January 2024, most third-party Building Blocks will no longer be supported. Some Building Blocks have been granted extensions for limited continued support.

To help administrators understand what third-party tools will no longer work in January, we've updated the Building Block management page. Now, each Building Block will have a support indicator. These appear under the header “Support Status” on the Building Block management page.

• ONGOING: These Building Blocks are part of Blackboard Learn and are not third-party. Anthology continues to support these.
• EXTENDED: These are third-party Building Blocks with approved extended support. Support will end sometime in the future. This includes Building Blocks with both announced and unknown support end dates, such as:
  • Exceptions, or currently no known end of support date.
  • Extended support to specific dates as published on Behind the Blackboard. We will provide updates to support statuses for these Building Blocks in future releases of Blackboard Learn.
• ENDS JAN 2024: These third-party Building Blocks can no longer be used starting with the January 2024 release (3900.82).

Image 1. The Support Status column indicates if support is ongoing or when it will end

This functionality was not included in the Nov. 7 Test/Stage release. It will be included in the Nov. 14, 3900.80 SaaS Test/Stage release.

Return to December 2023 – 3900.80 Release description

Mobile App

Enhancements to Grades – 3900.80

Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Instructors, Students

In response to user feedback, we've made improvements to the Grades page. The Grades page now offers more comprehensive information for students and instructors. We enhanced both the appearance and functionality.

For Instructors:

• Upcoming Grading
  • Upon expansion, instructors find items that need grading.
• Concise View
  • We've limited the display to only three items at a time.
  • A Show More link is available, leading to the gradebook for that course.
• Efficient Navigation
  • Instructors can access grading tasks by selecting the respective item.
• In the past, grade pills were black. Now grade pills display corresponding grade colors.

Image 1. Instructor view of Grades

For Students:

• Upcoming Due Items
  • When expanding the section, students now find items that are due within a week.
• Recently Graded
  • Expanded sections display items that have been recently graded.
• Concise View
  • To avoid clutter, we've limited the display to only three items at a time.
  • A Show more link is available, leading to the gradebook for that course.
• Quick Access
  • By selecting any item, users can navigate to the specific assessment or activity.
• In the past, grade pills were black. Now grade pills display corresponding grade colors.

Image 2. Student view of Grades

Return to December 2023 – 3900.80 Release description

Canvas conversion improvements: Support for Multiple Grade Schemes – 3900.80

Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Instructors

The Canvas Learning Management System allows instructors to create Grade Schemes. Grade schemes can use point or percentage ranges. Each point or percentage range has a name value.

Image 1. A Grade Scheme in Canvas

In the past, Grade Schemes in Canvas did not convert. We have updated the conversion so that Grade Schemes from Canvas are now preserved. Instructors no longer need to rebuild Grade Schemes when converting a course from Canvas.

Return to December 2023 – 3900.80 Release description

November 2023 – 3900.78 Release

The November 2023 - 3900.78 release contains features and improvements in eight (8) areas:

• Instructional design;
• Tests and assignments;
• Communication and collaboration;
• 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:

• Matching question updates: partial credit auto-distribution and other updates
• Tab navigation for Journals
• Anonymous grading in Flexible Grading view
• Grading optimization for file-based Assignment submissions in Flexible Grading
• Edit/Regrade in Questions view
• Sorting controls for Student Name, Overall Grade, Assessments, and Manual Columns in grid view
• Gradebook grid view performance improvements
• Canvas conversion improvements: Support for equations

Instructors and students:

• Image insertion option for Ultra Documents, Journals, Discussions, Assessment attempts, and Course Messages

Students:

• Late submission indicator in submission receipts

All users:

• Accessibility link before and after authentication
• Self-enrollment via URL

Administrators:

• Data state management from Administrator Panel
• Multiple LTI Deployments
• Content management: Blank page handler supported via REST API
• Institutional Hierarchy: Move child nodes to new parent node via REST API
• Calendar REST API: Enable non-3LO users to manage personal, course/organization, and institution calendars

Integrations

Data state management from Administrator Panel – 3900.78

Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience and Original Experience
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Data Source Key Overview

In the past, the York DSK tool allowed users to change record row status and the data source key for records. This was helpful because users could make these changes without using the SIS Framework or REST API calls.

Now, users can change data integration one at a time or in bulk in the LMS. This functionality is critical since the York DSK tool is no longer available.

Learn administrators can change the Data Source Key and enable or disable by bulk the following items:

• Users
• Courses
• Organizations
• Enrollments

Users with permission can modify the data source key or change the status from the administrator panel by selecting the “Integration” button

Image 1. Change Row Status or Data Source Key by batch

Image 2. Data Source Key by item

Each time the administrator changes the row status or data source key, the administrator is asked to confirm the change.

Image 3. Confirmation of change to row status or data source

When the administrator disables a user, course, or enrollment, no changes are applied to it. The administrator needs to enable the item first so that changes can be made.

For administrators: This feature is available for all Ultra and Original courses/organizations, users, and enrollments' administrator pages. There are no configurations needed.

Return to November 2023 – 3900.78 Release description

Multiple LTI Deployments – 3900.78

Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience and Original Experience
Ultra Course View and Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Managing LTIs

Some instructors like to integrate content tools so they have more options in their courses. Institutions can integrate third-party tools through LTI. Blackboard Learn had a model of one deployment of a tool to a single domain. Administrators managed that single domain when a tool provider was registered.

Now, administrators can register third-party integrations. After that, they can create multiple deployments of the same tool. These deployments create unique deployment IDs for managing different access credentials. Institutions can now license multiple versions of the same third-party tool. This provides benefits allowing integration for distinct parts of an organization.

Image 1. The Manage Deployments option in tool provider menus

Administrators can assign Deployments IDs to nodes based on the organization hierarchy and its integrations.

Image 2. Create a Deployment ID

After submitting the form, the new deployment IDs display on the “Manage Deployments” page.

Image 3. Deployment ID created

Multiple LTI Deployments are available for item creation for course content. LTI links can be added to the course content page. This implementation applies to deep linking and cloud documents. We are planning support for multiple LTI deployments for Books and Tools and the content editor in an upcoming release.
This implementation will be available for LTI 1.3 Tools.

For administrators: This feature is available for System Administrator and System Support. There are no configurations needed.

Return to November 2023 – 3900.78 Release description

Content management: Blank page handler supported via REST API – 3900.78

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Original Experience
Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs

The blank page content type is a versatile tool. With this tool, educators can create engaging and interactive teaching materials. In Original courses, the blank page can incorporate files, images, and text as links. But we had no supported integration with REST APIs, creating inefficiencies in content management.

Now, users create and organize blank pages directly from the Content REST API. We have added support for the blank page handler (resource/x-bb-blankpage). This streamlines the content management process.

Users can perform the following content operations using the blank page handler:

• GET for the following endpoints:
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/attachments
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/attachments/{attachmentId}
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/attachments/{attachmentId}/download
• POST for the following endpoints:
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/children
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/attachments
• PATCH for the following endpoints:
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}
• DELETE for the following endpoints:
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}
  • /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents/{contentId}/attachments/{attachmentId}

For administrators: The required entitlements for Content API remain unchanged.

Return to November 2023 – 3900.78 Release description

Institutional Hierarchy: Move child nodes to a new parent node via REST API – 3900.78

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs

Institutional hierarchy is a valuable tool for some institutions. It provides a framework that reflects the institution's structure. This helps administrators to manage schools, departments, or academic programs in Learn.

We have improved the hierarchy management experience in Institutional Hierarchy. Users can move a child node to a new parent node via REST API.

Now, users can restructure their institutional hierarchy using the following endpoint:

• PATCH /public/v1/institutionalHierarchy/nodes/{nodeId}

This feature helps users streamline the organization of courses, organizations, and users.

For administrators: Nodes cannot be moved into themselves, their child node, or parent nodes. The required entitlements for Course Content API remain unchanged.

Return to November 2023 – 3900.78 Release description

Calendar REST API: Enable non-3LO users to manage personal, course/organization, and institution calendars – 3900.78

Blackboard Learn SaaS, Blackboard Learn 9.1
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Administrators
Related topic: Learn APIs

Calendars play a vital role in helping users manage academic schedules and deadlines. With calendar integration, users gain greater control and flexibility in managing their events.

In the past, the Three-Legged OAuth (3LO) access rule caused limitations. This affected users who wanted to integrate external calendaring systems with Blackboard Learn. It was also difficult to develop integrations via API that synchronize calendar events.

Now, with the latest enhancements for Calendar API, non-3LO users can:

• retrieve
• create
• update, and
• delete calendar events in Learn.

Moreover, users can integrate external calendar systems with the Learn Calendars. This includes Personal, Course/Organization, and System calendars.

For administrators: To use the endpoints, the REST integration user must have full calendar privileges. To enable integration with Learn calendars, users do not have to be enrolled in a course. When users attempt to create a Course Schedule or Office Hours event, course membership will be checked for that event type.

Return to November 2023 – 3900.78 Release description

Upgrade to Ultra

Canvas conversion improvements: Support for equations – 3900.78

Blackboard Learn SaaS
Ultra Experience, Original Experience
Ultra Course View, Original Course View
Impact: Instructors

The Canvas Learning Management System provides instructors with a LaTeX Math Editor. The Math Editor is accessible from the content editor. Instructors can use the Math Editor to create equations and expressions.

Image 1. The Math Editor in Canvas

In the past, equations created using the Math Editor in Canvas did not convert. We have updated conversion so that equations from Canvas are now preserved. Instructors no longer need to rebuild equations when converting a course from Canvas.

For administrators: This feature is available for all Original and Ultra courses. There are no additional configurations needed.

Return to November 2023 – 3900.78 Release description