Exploring the Features of Blackboard Learning Management System

Blackboard Learn, now part of Anthology, is a widely-used learning management system (LMS) in both academic and corporate training environments. This article provides a comprehensive overview of Blackboard's features, including its user interfaces (Blackboard Learn Original and Blackboard Ultra), functionalities, and benefits.

Introduction to Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn is designed to be an inclusive, flexible, and insightful LMS tailored for the modern learner. It offers convenience, accessibility, and flexibility, enhancing the value of modern residential courses and serving as a central component of online programs. Instructors can manage all course materials and activities on Blackboard, making them readily available to students.

Historical Context

In 1993, Stephen Gilfus and Daniel Cane founded CourseInfo LLC, developing software to power online education. Simultaneously, Matthew Pittinsky and Michael Chasen formed Blackboard LLC, contributing to the Educause IMS standards group for online education technology. Over time, Blackboard has evolved through mergers and updates, including the introduction of Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (a video-classroom service), Blackboard Ally (an accessibility assistant), and a chat-bot support service.

Blackboard Learn Original Experience

Blackboard Learn Original allows instructors to manage course grades and download them for other purposes through a feature-rich gradebook. Instructors can post documents, make announcements, create assessments and activities, and start discussions. Students can browse course content, complete assignments, submit files, and view their grades directly.

Blackboard Ultra Experience

Blackboard Ultra represents the next-generation experience from Blackboard, featuring a modern, mobile-first design and intuitive navigation. It offers a streamlined interface compared to the Original Experience, with an easier-to-navigate gradebook.

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Key Features of Blackboard Ultra:

Modern Interface: A more modern, streamlined interface compared to the current Original Experience.
Mobile-First Design: Designed with mobile accessibility in mind.
Intuitive Navigation: Easier to navigate than Blackboard Learn Original.
Simplified Quiz Tool: A simplified, modern interface that reduces complexity, leading to faster quiz creation and less support needed for faculty.
Gradebook: The Blackboard Ultra gradebook is easier to navigate and has a simpler interface than Blackboard Learn.
Feedback Tools: Simple ways to engage more with students.
Progress Tracking: Simple ways to engage more with students.
Video Recording: Enables faculty to create and share video content directly within announcements, discussions, and feedback.
Timed Assignments: Ultra allows for timed assignments.
Peer Review Tool: Built into the regular assignment structure.
Automatic Grading: Automatic grading of some question types.
Manual Grading: Manual grading through the Ultra Gradebook.
Release Conditions: Uses Release Conditions similar to Adaptive Release.
Group Collaboration Tools: Extensive and similar to other learning management systems, including messages to individuals or groups, announcements to the activity stream, and in-course conversations on individual assignments.

Assignment Submission and Grading in Ultra

When a student submits an assignment, any attachments are automatically converted to a PDF embedded in the Blackboard Annotate tool, allowing instructors to mark up submissions. Ultra also supports timed assignments and includes a built-in peer review tool.

Assessment Features in Ultra

In Blackboard Ultra, the total value of a test is calculated by adding up the point values of each individual question. Instructors can apply a "Complete/Incomplete" grade schema in the test settings, which will not display the points earned but rather a complete or incomplete indicator. For automatic point awarding, tests cannot contain open-ended questions.

Release Conditions in Ultra

Blackboard Ultra allows instructors to set rules or conditions to control the release of content to students through “Release conditions,” similar to “adaptive release” settings in Blackboard Original. Content can be released once a student attempts an item or requires students to mark a previous item as “reviewed.”

Content Creation and Design

With Blackboard Learn, users can add ready-made learning content in various formats, such as presentations, text files, audio, video, and SCORM packages, or create content from scratch. The AI Design Assistant, available in the trial version, simplifies course building by generating draft modules, titles, and descriptions. This tool can also create auto-generated tests with various question types, including essay, fill-in-the-blank, matching, multiple-choice, or true/false.

Grade Management

Blackboard Learn features a Grades section where instructors can manage and track student grades. The course gradebook automatically lists all enrolled students, allowing instructors to grade coursework, manage items, and post grades. The Gradable Items list displays all assigned coursework and grading progress, indicating how many submissions need grading and how many grades need posting. Instructors can view student engagement and export the gradebook to CSV or XLS files.

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Customization and Branding

Administrators can customize learning portals to reflect an institution’s brand by choosing from preset themes and color palettes in the Themes and Palette Catalog.

Mobile Accessibility

Blackboard Learn offers a mobile app for Android and iOS, allowing students to download content and complete it offline.

Security Measures

Blackboard employs standard security measures, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits and assessments, to protect data.

Applications

Business

Blackboard Learn can be used for corporate training, providing the necessary capabilities for professional development.

Government

Similarly, Blackboard Learn is suitable for training government agency employees.

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Considerations

Limitations of Ultra

Fewer Question Types: Offers fewer question types and customization options compared to some competitors.
Rubric Visibility: Rubrics are always visible to students.
Bulk editing the point values of multiple questions at a time is not currently possible in Blackboard Ultra.

Historical Issues

Blackboard has faced legal issues and criticisms regarding reliability. In spring 2020, Fairfax County Public Schools abandoned Blackboard Learn 24/7 due to unsuccessful attempts to use it during the coronavirus pandemic. The City University of New York also ended its contract, with students criticizing the platform's cluttered appearance, glitches, and inconvenient maintenance times.

Workarounds in Ultra

Total Test Value: Tweaking the individual point values of questions so they add up to your desired total. Making the value of each test question “0” and adding a final question.

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