Anthology accelerates personalized LMS experience with all-new Blackboard Learn app
Mobile app launch and expanded student self-expression, accessibility tools drive a more modern, simplified experience on any device
Boca Raton, Fla. October 4, 2022 – Anthology, a leading provider of education solutions that support the entire learner lifecycle, today announced an all-new version of the Blackboard® Learn mobile application. The new app is underpinned by Learn Ultra’s responsive web design and equipped with all the new features rolling out to Learn Ultra’s desktop version, providing a learning platform with a more personalized experience from any device. The announcement comes as Anthology continues to rapidly advance the development of its flagship learning management system, tripling resources for development and delivering a record number of new features in July.
“Today, we know learning isn’t confined to a classroom or a laptop,” said Jim Chalex, Vice President of Product Management, Teaching and Learning at Anthology. “We’re all-in on delivering a personalized experience for every learner and this new mobile app is just another way we’re empowering students to learn in a way that fits their needs.”
The app was developed relying on client input and combines what were formerly separate student and instructor applications into one version. Learn Ultra was originally built with mobile responsiveness as a cornerstone, distinguishing it from other learning management solutions that are retrofitted into mobile applications. The new mobile experience supports all Learn implementations, but as Anthology accelerates features developed for Learn Ultra, institutions deploying Learn Ultra will gain added enhancements and upgrades. The result is an app that allows learners and instructors to seamlessly move their learning experience from their desktop to mobile and back again while simplifying the user experience.
"Navigating tests is simple,” said Keegan Macdonald, a college student and member of Anthology's Student Advisory Council. “The new app makes learning easier with features like the ability to select individual students from class groups, as well as discussion board navigation that just works.”
The new app is part of Learn Ultra’s broader strategy to provide a learning experience tailored to each student and instructor’s needs. An empowering teaching and learning environment starts when students can be who they are. Learn Ultra’s self-expression tools, like the ability for learners to select their pronouns and record their name pronunciation, are core to the product and critical in fostering an open, supportive environment. Later this month, Anthology will continue to expand its self-expression functionality by enabling learners to choose either their given name or an additional name and select how it’s displayed to those in class.
The mobile app experience is also optimized to create more inclusive learning environments for every student and instructor. Utilizing the Learn Ultra experience with Anthology Ally can improve reading comprehension for all students, particularly for language learners and students with learning differences like dyslexia. Content developed in Learn Ultra is automatically formatted to be mobile responsive and, coupled with Anthology Ally, alternative formats like tagged PDFs, translated versions and audio files allow students to choose content that meets their needs in the moment.
The new Blackboard Learn application can be downloaded on The Apple Store or Google Play and is available now.
About Anthology
Anthology offers the largest EdTech ecosystem on a global scale for education, supporting more than 150 million users in 80 countries. With a mission to provide dynamic, data-informed experiences to the global education community through Anthology Intelligent Experiences™, we help learners, leaders and educators achieve their goals by offering over 60 SaaS products and services designed to advance learning. Discover more about how we are fulfilling our mission for education, business and government institutions at www.anthology.com.