You will see these changes in Blackboard Ultra from Friday 7th February 2025. Read the full details on the Blackboard release notes webpages.
Copy Banners between courses
You will have the option to copy banners between courses. Banners can be copied from Ultra or Original courses. The banners appear in a new Settings folder during the Copy Items process.
The Copy Items page now has the option to select the course banner under Settings.
Release conditions panel: Due dates now included
When you amend release conditions for a content item, the due date for the item is now included with the date and time fields. You will see a notification that you cannot set the release date to release the assessment after the due date.
Pop-out rubric when evaluating an attempt
Markers who need some extra screen space can now pop out the rubric into a separate window. The pop-out rubric is a separate, movable window and formatted in a grid view.
Instructors and other marking roles can access the pop-out rubric when reviewing a student submission.
- Bulk Performance Level Selection: Select a performance level heading to apply it across all relevant criteria, streamlining the grading process.
- Cell Selection and Syncing: Selected rubric cells are highlighted, and the associated grade pill updates to reflect the chosen score. When you select Save, performance levels and feedback appear in the gradebook, as it has prior to this update.
- Feedback Section Focus: Once a rubric cell is selected, the criterion feedback section automatically focuses on the textbox for immediate feedback entry.
- Navigation Warning: A warning appears if you have unsaved changes in the pop-out rubric and then attempt to navigate to another student or attempt.
- Mark Override Warning: If the mark is overridden, the rubric popout is inactive. A banner appears, showing that the mark was overridden, with an option to regrade using the rubric.
- Printing: You can print a blank or completed rubric using the browser’s print function.
When the pop-out rubric is open, the ability to add Overall Feedback and mark with the rubric in the main marking interface is inactive. This prevents you from editing the same information in two separate places simultaneously.
Improved student experience when assessments are changes to “Hidden from Students”
If an instructor sets a test or assignment to “Hidden from students” while the students are actively taking the assessment, it does not immediately remove the students out of the assessment.
Students who have the assessment open can continue working on it without interruption. This is valid as long as they have the assessment continuously open – if they save and close without submitting, they cannot return to the assessment that is hidden.
Anonymous discussions: New privilege to reveal author
System administrators can now reveal the identity of the author of an anonymous discussion post or reply. This can be used in reported instances where the anonymous feature is misused, such as bullying or other inappropriate behaviour.
Staff and students using anonymous discussions will see a warning to inform them that “authorised users” can reveal the identity of any anonymous poster.
“Authorised users” means select members of the IT team. The privilege to reveal anonymous posts is not immediately available to the teaching staff at the University of Southampton. Staff may request an investigation, providing a reason, and anonymity can be revealed on request by the Blackboard system administrators in iSolutions.
How it works
Due to the sensitive nature of this action, the administrator’s user details are recorded in the system log with the reason. The information in the system log includes:
- Date of reveal
- Time of reveal
- Username of user requesting
- Course Name of revealed post/posts
- Discussion Name of revealed post/posts
- Reason given
If the administrator refreshes the page, the user is once again anonymous. There is no indication for other readers of the discussion that the administrator previously revealed the author’s user details.