April 2026 Release Notes (4000.12)

The Learning Object Repository (LOR) now supports Institutional Hierarchy. A dedicated repository is created for each node in the Institutional Hierarchy. When a course is associated with a specific node, it gains access to that node’s dedicated repository and the repositories for its parent nodes. This structure supports delegated ownership, clearer governance, and granular control over who creates and manages shared content.

The following privileges are recommended for users working with node repositories.

Administrators can create a custom role or add these privileges to an existing role, then add users with that role to a specific node. Those users will then have access to that node's repository.

Image 1: The parent nodes for each repository appear as breadcrumbs under the repository’s name in the LOR management view.

Instructors

Instructors who open the LOR from a course can access all the repositories available to that course through the Institutional Hierarchy. Instructors choose an individual repository and then choose objects from that repository.

Image 2: Instructors will have access to the available repositories. For example, the Institutional Repository and repositories for the College of Business and the Department of Economics are available for an economics instructor.

Administrators can now filter items in the Learning Object Repository (LOR) by type. The filter options include:

As the volume and variety of content managed by institutions in the LOR grows, this filter helps users locate and manage objects more efficiently, saving time.

Image 1: The Types filter is located next to the search box in the LOR management view.

The Learning Object Repository (LOR) management view now displays the accessibility score and alternative format download options for files uploaded into the LOR. This feature is available for institutions that use Ally. Accessibility scores do not appear on the Course Content page for items added from the LOR, since instructors cannot edit or improve these centrally managed objects. This update gives administrators a convenient way to manage accessibility directly from the LOR, without navigating away to a separate tool.

Image 1: The Learning Object Repository management view displays the accessibility score and download alternative formats option next to files.

We introduced new assignment submission options that allow instructors to specify the type of submission they expect from students. This update improves clarity for students and optimizes the submission workflow based on the selected submission type.

Instructors

When creating or editing an assignment, instructors can define the expected submission type to guide how students submit their work. Selecting a specific submission type streamlines the student experience and reduces ambiguity about what is required.

Instructors can select one or more expected submission types when configuring an assignment:

• File upload

• Text entry

By default, File upload and Text entry are both selected.

The selected submission type is visible in assignment settings and student‑facing details. Instructors can change the selected submission type until students have started submitting attempts.

Image 1: Instructors can choose one or more submission types when configuring an assignment.

Students

Students are informed of the expected submission type and see a submission workflow optimized for that format.

• File submissions display a dedicated file drop zone where students can upload, preview (when supported), and remove files.

• Text submissions provide a streamlined rich text editor experience without a general file attachment option and include access to the Content Market for supported tools.

Image 2: Students have a submission workflow optimized for the selected submission type.

Based on client feedback, we made several improvements:

We extended Flexible Grading to allow instructors to adjust attempt grades for individual students within a group submission. This update ensures that grades for group submissions can accurately reflect each student’s individual contribution, even when work is submitted as a single group attempt.

Instructors can override a group attempt score for individual group members directly from the grading interface. The interface clearly indicates when grades differ across group members, and adjustments can be removed by restoring a student’s grade to match the group attempt score.

Image 1: Instructors can adjust grades for individual students within a group submission.

We increased the SafeAssign file size limit to 25 MB for DirectSubmit submissions. This change supports larger documents that include images, tables, and complex formatting, reducing submission issues for students.

Existing submissions and SafeAssign reports remain fully compatible, and related system limits were reviewed to ensure continued stability.

We’ve improved how student names appear in Flexible Grading. The name display format is now linked to the selected sort order. By default, student names are now shown as Surname, First Name to help instructors quickly locate students. When sorting by First Name (ascending or descending), names display as First Name Surname.

We’ve introduced a student-facing course Outcomes view. Students can securely access their individual mastery progress within their Blackboard course, aligned to defined learning outcomes.

This release extends outcome visibility to learners, strengthening mastery and competency-based learning initiatives and providing institutions with a more connected end-to-end experience—from assessment to student insight.

Image 1: Students can view their own mastery progress powered by Outcomes directly within Blackboard.

We expanded SIS integrations to support associating Subjects with Courses and Organizations using Flat File SIS feeds. Institutions can now create, update, and delete these associations through SIS, reducing the need for manual configuration in Blackboard. This enhancement supports more consistent curricular structures and improves alignment with reporting and Outcomes for Blackboard.

Automations now copy when courses are copied, restored, or imported. Automations are always copied in an inactive state and must be reviewed and activated in the destination course. This update reduces repeated work by removing the need to recreate automations for every course.

Administrators can:

Instructors

Instructors can copy content from the Course Content page. When they copy content at the course level, the course automations copy. If they drill into the course and copy at a more granular level, automations are not listed as an option and do not copy.

Image 1: Instructors select Copy Content on the Course Content page.

Image 2: Instructors can copy content at the course level and automations are included in the copy.

The Format for date column setting now applies to the Last Attendance Date column mapping. Previously, the date format for this column mapping was based on the database settings and was not configurable. Administrators can now define the date format to be consistent across all date fields that are mapped in the extract and support SIS specific date formatting requirements. This update provides increased control and consistency.

Image 1: Administrators set the date format in the Format for date column field in the General Settings area.

Administrators can now retain activity data for Assignments during the Bulk Copy and Convert conversion process from Original to Ultra. This enhancement allows students to access their historical assignment submissions and instructor feedback in converted Ultra courses.

Retained Assignment activity data for individual students includes:

Image 1: Administrators can select the Include Activity Data option during the Bulk Copy and Covert conversion process.

This update supports the upcoming end of life for Original courses on January 1, 2028. It is the first step in a broader effort to preserve more activity data during conversion. Over the next year and a half, we plan to expand support to additional activity types, including Discussions, Journals, and Tests. These improvements are designed to create a smoother transition to Ultra, maintaining meaningful academic history for both instructors and students.

Certificate managers can now preview the certificate PDF when they add or edit a certificate template. They can also download the certificate PDF from this page, giving them access to make edits when needed. This feature helps managers confirm that the uploaded certificate displays as expected and reduces the need to remember each certificate by name, lowering cognitive load and frustration.

Image 1: The Certificate PDF Upload panel shows a collapsible preview of the certificate.

Image 2: The small preview of the certificate can be expanded into a larger window to show the full-size preview.