Blackboard Updates

The February and March 2026 releases included:

• Automated messages to students for grades & feedback
• Stack blocks vertically in Documents
• AI-generated knowledge checks in Documents
• Second participation requirement and due date in Discussions
• Threaded course messages
• Updates to partial credit multiple choice and multiple answer questions
• Grade Tests by question when Anonymous Grading is enabled

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The December 2025 release included:

• Specify participation requirements for Discussions (i.e., how many posts students should make)
• Record your screen while providing audio/video feedback in the Gradebook
• Table of contents for instructors in Learning Modules (previously only visible to students)
• Set release conditions based on whether a student has opened/started a non-graded item, like opening a reading

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The October and November 2025 releases included:

• Bulk Change Question Point Values in Tests
• Tag Questions with Metadata in Tests and Question Banks
• Include Hidden Items in Gradebook Downloads
• Generate or Upload Custom Achievement Badges

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The August and September 2025 releases included:

• Table of Contents for Learning Modules (for students - coming for instructors in a future release)
• New Microsoft Education integration that combines Teams and Teams Meetings
• Block Styles to highlight content in Documents
• AI Design Assistant for Documents can improve layout, find or create images, and write knowledge check questions
• Question titles for Tests and Banks
• Improve accessibility of PDFs with Ally by using OCR in the browser (converts a scanned PDF to searchable text)
• Easier grading for group submissions with pop-out rubrics and per-question feedback

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The June and July 2025 releases included:

• Jumbled sentence question type for Tests
• Bulk changes of Category for graded items via Item Management
• "No category" option for graded items
• Adjustable dividers to add structure to Ultra Documents
• Add captions to image blocks in Ultra Documents
• Retroactive award of Achievements

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The May 2025 release includes:

• Qualitative Rubrics: Create and assess with rubrics that have no point or percentage values associated with them
• Text-based Gradebook Items: Manually create Gradebook Items to enter and display text
• View Test Submissions One Time: Allow students to view their test submission one time only
• Language Update to Discussions: "Post" replaces "Respond" in Discussions to reduce confusion

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The April 2025 release includes:

• Students: Feedback column in the Gradebook is now an actional Results column
• Instructors: New feedback reviewed indicator in Gradebook (shows whether or not a student has reviewed feedback)
• Instructors: Enhanced grading experience for group submissions
• Instructors: Copy Achievements between courses
• Instructors: View Achievements in student preview
• Everyone: Print Ultra Documents

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The March 2025 release includes:

• Pop-out rubrics for easier grading
• New student submission review page for tests
• Usability improvements for discussions
• Due dates included in Release Conditions panel
• Copy course banners between Ultra courses

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The February 2025 release includes:

• Change a Folder to a Learning Module (and Learning Modules to Folders)
• Automatic conversion of Tests without questions to Assignments
• Simplification of group structure
• Image block in Ultra Documents
• Improvements to the grading interface

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The January 2025 release includes:

• Course availability settings move from Details & Actions to the Course Settings page
• Automatic zeros will be off by default for courses requested after January 9, 2025
• New "Attempt Submitted" status for use in release conditions
• Grades entered on the submission list, in the grid view of the Gradebook, or via the offline grading workflow will be treated as submission grades, not override grades
• Achievements tab for course-level digital badges
• AI Conversation assessment tool to engage students with an AI chatbot using debate or Socratic questioning 

Note that the December updates were minor, so no update summary was necessary.

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The November 2024 release includes:

• Improvements to Documents (resizing content blocks and empty state indicator added)
• Ability to print tests with questions from pools (test and answer key print in one document).
• Indentations added to discussions 
• Blackboard Learn mobile app rebranded to Blackboard App

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The October 2024 release includes:

• Generate question banks with the AI Design Assistant
• Quick access to reconcile grades
• Flexible gradng improvements - faster loading times
• Receive email notifications for discussions
• Exclude attempt when grading

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The September 2024 release includes:

• New layout for the Content page in courses
• Student activity log
• Overview tab in the Gradebook to view items that need grading and posting
• Embedded knowledge checks in Ultra Documents
• Exclude attempt when grading
• Feedback visible to students when the Assignment is hidden by Release Conditions (e.g., show/hide dates)

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The August 2024 release includes:

• New Ultra Documents
• Major changes to the Assignment Tool
• Multiple rules for Release Conditions
• Improved navigation in Flexible Grading
• Ability to "Follow" Discussions
• Anonymous Form responses

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The June 2024 release includes:

• Base navigation changes
• Print assessments
• Post Announcements immediately
• Select output language when using the AI Design Assistant
• Students able to return True/False question response to unanswered as well as improved Gradebook visibility

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The May 2024 release includes:

• Per-question feedback when grading a test question-by-question
• Weight items proportionally or equally in weighted grade calculations (previously weighted proportionally by default)
• Improved Gradebook navigation that replaces the list/grid view icons with clearer tabs for Gradable Items (list view of assessments), Grades (grid view with all students/assessments/grades), and Students (list view of students to access grades and progress information)
• Use multiple performance criteria in release conditions

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The April 2024 release includes:

• Big updates for Discussions, including a new setting you can enable to allow students to post anonymously and the option for faculty and students to follow a discussion to receive more frequent updates about posts to it
• Per-question feedback when grading a test student-by-student (adding per-question feedback when grading by question anticipated for May)
• Default point value for new test questions to change from 10 points to 1 point (this does not change point value of existing questions)
• Edit individual dates on the Batch Edit page, so that you can easily see and adjust all of the dates in your course at once instead of editing them within individual items
• Indicator added to Attempt Logs for submissions that were auto-submitted by the timer

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The March 2024 release includes new Statistics for gradeable items, a "no due date" option for assessments, and the ability to select specific files to use as context when using the AI Design Assistant to generate test questions. 

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The February 2024 release includes brand new features like Forms and Likert Questions, plus updates to Rubrics and the ability to leave feedback on override grades. 

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The January 2024 release includes updates to Gradable Items, ability to view Attempt Logs, ability to batch edit due dates and times, and a new help center available in the mobile app. 

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The December 2023 release includes updates to Rubrics, enhanced ability to insert images, and Gradebook grid view sorting.

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