Les nouveautés

Improvements to the beta Content Editor in Blackboard Documents: We've added a set of usability, accessibility, and functionality improvements to the beta Content Editor. These updates refine paragraph formatting, streamline the toolbar for smaller screens, surface keyboard shortcuts throughout the interface, and change how images inserted from a URL are handled. The changes give instructors a more polished and reliable authoring experience.

Restrict accepted file types for assignment submissions: Instructors can now specify which file types they will accept for assignment submissions, choosing from a list of common file types or entering custom file extensions. Students are informed of any restrictions before submitting and receive an error message if they attempt to submit a file type that is not permitted.

View student outcomes mastery in the gradebook: Instructors can now access outcomes achievement data directly in the gradebook, replacing the previous LTI-based experience. The native view displays student mastery levels by outcome, assignment, or competency and renders in the user's preferred language without launching a separate tool.

Move folders in the Learning Object Repository: Administrators can now move folders within the Learning Object Repository (LOR), in addition to documents and files. This gives administrators more flexibility to reorganize how content is grouped and nested within a repository.

Reorder Learning Object Repository objects with new Move controls: Administrators can now reorder folders and learning modules within the Learning Object Repository (LOR) using new Move to top of page, Move Up, Move Down, and Move to bottom of page controls. These options provide an alternative to drag-and-drop and make reordering content in the LOR accessible to more users, regardless of how they navigate.

Centrally manage Automations availability across institutions: Administrators can now turn Automations on or off as a course tool directly in the Admin Panel. When the tool is turned off at any level of the institutional hierarchy, automations stop running in the affected courses. This gives administrators centralized, reliable control over automation behavior across their institution.

Manage Learning Modules with new REST APIs: Blackboard LMS now includes REST APIs for managing Learning Modules. Administrators can create, retrieve, update, and delete Learning Modules programmatically and retrieve the content items a module contains. This gives institutions a way to build and maintain consistent course structures at scale without configuring each module by hand in every course.

Support Respondus LockDown Browser with LTI 1.3 integrations: Blackboard LMS now supports the Respondus LockDown Browser proctoring integration over LTI 1.3. Institutions can install the Respondus LTI 1.3 Dashboard tool alongside their existing LTI 1.1 integration and migrate on their own timeline without interrupting proctored assessment delivery or requiring instructors to reconfigure their tests.

SCORM security improvements: Blackboard LMS continuously makes security improvements in its products, a crucial and ongoing activity to secure our clients’ environments and protect personal data. This release of Blackboard LMS includes library updates in the SCORM player feature. During the upgrade process for release 4001.0, the historic SCORM user interaction data must be restructured. SCORM content will continue to function without republishing or reconfiguring any packages.

Removal of SafeAssign DirectSubmit feature flag: We removed the feature flag for SafeAssign DirectSubmit. DirectSubmit is now enabled by default.

Early Access: New Content Editor for Blackboard Documents: A modernized Content Editor arrives in Blackboard LMS as an Early Access option starting with the August release. Administrators can enable the new editor for Blackboard Documents through a feature flag. Instructors can switch between the new and classic editors when creating Documents while both remain fully supported. The new editor brings reorganized menus, a streamlined toolbar, enhanced list and table formatting, and improved keyboard navigation.

Manage Group Membership with Drag and Drop: Instructors can now drag and drop students between the unassigned list and groups to quickly assign or remove membership. This faster, more intuitive workflow simplifies group management and makes it easier to organize and adjust groups without relying on menus or selection lists.

Create Multiple Groups at Once: Instructors can now create between two and 5,000 groups in a single action from the Groups management screen, eliminating the need to add groups one at a time. This streamlines course setup, reduces repetitive work, and makes it much faster to establish group structures, especially in large courses.

Restructured Gradebook Grid View: The Gradebook Grid View has been restructured with a reorganized layout and new Grade Details panel that surfaces grading information and actions in one place. All gradebook data, grade calculations, and settings are completely unaffected. No configuration is required to activate this feature.

Export question banks: Instructors can now export question banks as a file to their local device. This makes it easier to backup assessment content or share with other instructors for reuse across courses.

Configure the “From” name for automation messages: Instructors or other users with automation editing permissions can now configure the “From” name on automation-generated messages, separating the sender from the author of the automation. This is useful when a course builder or administrator creates automations on an instructor's behalf. The sender can be set to the instructor, so students receive messages from a familiar, trusted source.

Duplicate items on the Course Content page: Instructors can now duplicate any item on the Course Content page except LTI items, with the copy retaining all content and settings from the original. A new Duplicate option appears in the More options menu for every item. This makes it faster to build consistent, repeating course structures.

Improved Microsoft Cloud Document Experience: Blackboard LMS has updated the names of its Microsoft cloud document tools to align with the unified Microsoft 365 LTI experience, improving clarity and consistency when adding content. These are naming changes only, with no impact to existing workflows for embedding, creating, or collaborating on Microsoft documents.

Stay on Top of Deadlines with Your Top To Dos: A new Your Top To Dos component on the Courses page highlights up to five of a student’s most urgent tasks—such as assignments, tests, and feedback—organized by due date and linked directly to action. This helps students quickly prioritize work, avoid missed deadlines, and spend less time searching for what’s due. Please note that this feature is available behind a feature flag from the August release until the January 2027 production release, when the flag will be removed, and the updates apply to all courses automatically.

Course Catalog: Use Mercado Pago to pay for courses: We added Mercado Pago as a payment service provider. This gives students whose institutions have implemented it the option to use Mercado Pago to purchase courses from Course Catalog. As we continue to add more payment service providers, students gain greater flexibility and choice when paying for courses.

Make Notifications More Accurate and Reliable: Blackboard notifications are now more reliable and accurate, resolving issues with duplicates, missing alerts, and incorrect timing. These improvements reduce notification noise and ensure users receive timely, relevant updates they can trust across their courses.

Display answer-level feedback for selected options only: Students now receive answer-level feedback only for the options they chose in multiple choice and multiple answer questions. This gives students more targeted insight into their responses without revealing feedback for options they did not select.

Navigate Courses Faster with an Improved User Interface: Blackboard introduces full-page content navigation, breadcrumbs, and a clearer exit option to improve orientation, reduce navigation errors, and create a more consistent experience. These enhancements make course navigation more intuitive and predictable while helping students stay focused, especially during assessments.

Navigate Between Courses Faster with the Updated Home Button: Selecting the Home button from within a course now takes users directly to the Courses page instead of the institution-defined landing page, making it quicker and more predictable to move between courses. This reduces navigation friction and streamlines access to course content without changing the login landing experience.

Set release conditions based on journal submissions: Instructors can now set release conditions based on the submission status of journals. Content releases automatically when a student submits, without waiting for grading, keeping students moving through the course on their own timeline.

Restrict Discussion, Journal, and Blog Activity in Completed Original Courses: Participation in discussions, journals, and blogs is now read-only in completed Original courses, preventing users from adding new content. This ensures course content remains consistent and preserves finalized courses as part of the official record.

Video Studio: Customize Your Recording Background: Users can now blur their background or replace it with an image before recording in Video Studio, with a real-time preview and the ability to switch or reset as needed. This helps protect privacy, reduce distractions, and create a more professional, consistent look that keeps viewers focused on the content.

Video Studio: Resume Video Playback: Video Studio now remembers where users stop watching and automatically resumes playback from that point, even across sessions and devices. This saves time, eliminates the need to search for a place in the video, and makes it easier to consume instructional content in multiple sittings.

Add Sorting Controls for Discussion Posts: Instructors and students can now sort discussion posts by newest or oldest first, making it easier to navigate and scan long threads without altering the discussion structure. The selected sort order is remembered per discussion, applies to nested replies and mobile, and instructors can set the default order students see.

Delete unwanted third-party columns in the Gradebook: When an instructor converts an Original course with third-party content to Ultra, all columns are brought into the Ultra Gradebook. Instructors can now delete unwanted third-party columns.

Display nested items in the Learning Object Repository Move to view: When administrators move items in the Learning Object Repository, the Move to view now displays the contents of folders and learning modules alongside the containers. This gives administrators greater visibility into each destination before completing a move, reducing the risk of misplacing content and making repository structure easier to navigate.

Import external course packages as Ultra courses: When administrators import course packages from Canvas LMS, D2L Brightspace, or Moodle, Blackboard LMS now delivers those courses directly in Ultra Course View. Imported courses are ready to use right away, with no extra conversion steps needed. This streamlines the import process and reduces manual work for administrators.

Display warning banner in Original courses: Blackboard LMS now displays a warning banner in Original courses for all non-student roles. The banner notifies instructors, administrators, and other staff that Original Course View support ends after December 31, 2026. It will not be available for teaching and learning as of January 1, 2027.

Restrict copy into completed courses: Blackboard LMS now blocks content from being copied into courses marked as Completed. Completed courses are read-only, intended for retrieval, reference, accreditation review, and grade verification. This protection keeps institutional records accurate and prevents unintended modifications.