Blackboard Updates: August 2025

1. Video Studio: Use Video Studio in Announcements – 3900.123

Announcements now support video and audio content through Video Studio. This update, including a new Video Studio button in the Announcements content editor, replaces the Capture tool. This feature is integrated in the core Blackboard product and doesn’t require a separate Video Studio license. Video Studio in Announcements makes video and audio creation more consistent across the platform, improving both usability and accessibility.

Instructors can use Video Studio in Announcements to record or upload video and audio. The redesigned Video Studio button launches the standard Video Studio workflow, which automatically generates captions and transcripts. This makes content more accessible and supports personalized, engaging communication.

2. Ensure consistency with course-level group conversion – 3900.123

We streamlined the process of converting groups from activity-level to course-level to improve consistency and ease of use for instructors. 

All activity-level groups are now automatically converted to course-level groups:

• During course conversion from Original to Ultra.

• When course materials are copied into a new course. 

All group associations with content items are preserved, so instructors don’t need to manually reassociate groups with content. Course-level groups offer more consistent group management and are easier to use across the course. This update ensures a smoother experience for instructors managing group activities. 

Group behavior for exact copies hasn’t changed.

3. Increased accessibility in the student Gradebook – 3900.123

To improve accessibility, we updated the student Gradebook to use a semantic HTML table structure. This change replaces the previous layout, which relied on stacked <div> elements. The new structure improves screen reader support and keyboard navigation.

4. Increased accessibility in the student Overview page – 3900.123

To improve accessibility, we updated the student Overview page to use a semantic HTML table structure. This change replaces the previous layout, which relied on stacked <div> elements. The new structure improves screen reader support and keyboard navigation.

5. Adding table of contents and full-width assessment panel to Learning Modules - 3900.123

Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-159

A table of contents for the instructor view is coming in a future release.

We’ve redesigned the Learning Module experience for students by adding a collapsible table of contents. This update improves navigation, orientation, and progress tracking. Additionally, assessments now open in a full panel in Learning Modules. These updates create a more consistent and focused user experience.

This feature will be released to test environments in July and production in August. Institutions can opt out during the initial rollout.

Students now have a simplified way to navigate and track progress in Learning Modules. Updates include:

• A table of contents for the items in a Learning Module. Select Contents to open and collapse the table of contents

• Easy navigation between items  

• Manual or automatic item completion tracking from within the Learning Module

• Next and Previous buttons moved closer together at the top of the page for an improved experience. 

Forced sequence in Learning Modules 

When sequencing is enforced, students must use the Next and Previous buttons to move through content in order. Students can’t jump ahead using the table of contents unless they have already completed the item they are navigating to. Skipping ahead without completing a Learning Module item is disabled in this mode. 

Assessments within Learning Modules

Assessments now open in a full panel, providing a consistent and distraction-free experience.

Image 3: The Assessments pages within Learning Modules now appear as a full-sized panel.