Welcome to the Blackboard Mailbag, where we feature a commonly asked question that has been hitting our mailbox recently: blackboard@fordham.edu. You’ll find an archive of all of the previous questions and answers on our fordham.edu/blackboard website.
Note: Features may change with future updates.
Blackboard will be rolling out a fresh set of updates in January, designed to enhance the experience for both instructors and students. According to the latest Release Notes, these improvements will bring new features and refinements that promise to make teaching and learning more efficient and enjoyable.
Here are the key highlights coming to Blackboard in January 2025:
Enhanced AI Design Assistant
The AI Design Assistant tool will receive significant upgrades, making it more powerful and versatile. You’ll notice improved content and image generation along with expanded language support:
- expect more detailed outputs when creating assignments, discussions, and learning modules
- the tool now produces more realistic images with faster processing times
- additional languages, including Greek, Catalan, Croatian, Irish, and Slovenian, will be supported supported
Streamlined Grading Experience
Grading will be more efficient and flexible allowing you to:
- enter grades directly in the Grid view or Submissions page with improved accuracy
- show/hide specific gradebook columns to create a cleaner grading workspace
And, automatic zeros for past due work are now turned off by default in new courses, giving you more control over late submission policies.
Improved Learning Pathways
Managing student progress will be more straightforward:
- content release conditions will be able to be based on submission attempts rather than requiring graded work
- the Achievements tab will be hidden from students until you create and post achievements, reducing confusion
- new controls will let you manage the visibility of the Mastery tab in the gradebook
Content Creation Improvements
Small but meaningful updates to the Content Designer will include:
- content blocks no longer closing when collapsing menus or editing table settings
- the default file upload option will be “View and Download”
- undo and Redo functions will be available for file uploads
These updates reflect Blackboard’s continued focus on streamlining the teaching experience while providing more flexibility in course design and assessment. The changes will be available just before the start of the spring semester.
For additional FAQs and resources about Blackboard, visit fordham.edu/blackboard, attend one of our workshops, sign up to meet with us on our EdTech Consultation Calendar via Zoom, or reach out to us with your availability and we will work with you to accommodate small groups and one-on-one sessions.
Have feedback or suggestions on features? Blackboard’s parent company Anthology hosts The Idea Exchange. This is a place specifically for Blackboard to track and manage enhancement requests. It allows for things like upvoting ideas and sharing development plans and statuses. You will need to create an account to access the Idea Exchange.