What’s New in Blackboard Learn Ultra – June 2024
The Blackboard® Learn team at Anthology has been at work once again this month on new features and updates. The Blackboard Learn 3900.95 release is an exciting one, with feature improvements in the areas of Test and Assignments, Gradebook, Communication and Collaboration, Learn Core and Security, Flexible Grading, and more. These improvements impact administrators, instructors, and students. Read on to discover highlights from this latest Blackboard Learn release!
1. Tests & Assignments: Print answer key for assessments
Instructors can now print an answer key for their assessments, which is helpful for grading any printed assessment.
Printing provides a convenient solution for a variety of use cases:
- Accommodating students with specific needs or limited technology access
- Providing a printed assessment for testing in designated centers
- Backup and record keeping
- Conducting offline assessment
- Documentation and compliance
- Maintaining security and integrity
The print answer key option is available in Tests and Assignments with questions. Instructors may also save answer keys as a PDF.
To print an answer key from an assessment, navigate to the assessment. Select Print from the Content and Settings tab.
We plan to support printing question pools and printing from the mobile app in upcoming releases.
Print answer key option
Select desired print options
2. Gradebook: Improved navigation when accessing feedback
Some instructors choose to add feedback on both a student’s overall submission and individual attempts. We've improved students' access to this valuable feedback, so now students can view overall and attempt-level feedback right from the gradebook.
Student’s gradebook with the Grade & Feedback panel displaying the overall submission feedback for Assignment 1; the student can also select the feedback icon on Attempt 1 to review feedback specific to that attempt
3. Communication & Collaboration: Send a copy to email when scheduling announcements
Managing communication with students is an important instructor task, and instructors often plan certain communications in advance. Now instructors can schedule an announcement for a future date and select the option to send an email copy as well. The announcement tool will send the email copy on the day and time that the announcement(s) is posted.
In the past, instructors could schedule an announcement that would present to students on the selected day and time. Instructors could also immediately post an announcement and send an email copy to students at the same time, but not schedule an email copy to be sent in advance.
4. Learn Core & Security: ‘Reply to Email’ feature for Messages
We aim to support institutions' specific policies and procedures about email communications. To help, administrators can now control how users interact with Messages sent as emails. When allowed, users can reply to Messages sent as an email.
There are two new settings for Blackboard Learn Ultra Messages:
- Allow email replies to messages from non-students/non-participants (instructors/leaders, administrators)
- Allow email replies to messages from students/participants
When drafting the message, instructors may choose whether they want to allow replies. When selected, replies from students will be directed to the instructor's email address registered in the system. Allowing replies helps interactions to be more efficient and will foster smoother communication.
Messages for Organizations and Courses configuration from Administrator Tool Panel
5. Flexible Grading: Recording audio and video when adding per-question feedback
When grading by student or question, instructors can now provide contextual feedback as recorded audio and video. Instructors have the option to add this recorded feedback to all question types. Question-level feedback promotes deeper understanding and personal growth among students, and also enhances overall submission feedback and automated feedback for auto-graded questions.
Question feedback recording option when grading a test by student
Instructor view of the question feedback recording option when grading a test by question
Explore these updates and more in the full Blackboard Learn 3900.95 release notes.