As Ultra is rolled out to all unit courses from the 2025/26 academic year, we are moving our Ultra Updates to the DEO Service Announcements blog. This will come into effect from the next update, in July.
One of the advantages of our move to Blackboard Ultra is the ongoing potential for new feature releases and updates. New releases take place on the first Thursday of every month and will be communicated in advance via the DEO Service Announcements blog.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design;
Communication and collaboration;
Tests and assignments;
Learner progression and personalised experience;
Gradebook;
Blackboard Core.
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Highlights
Add dividers to documents
Instructors can now add divider blocks to Documents. Dividers provide a clear way to structure a Document into sections. They can be resized to span up to four columns.
Image 1. Dividers are now included as a block type.Image 2. Dividers can span multiple columns in a Document.
Create jumbled sentence questions
Instructors can now create jumbled sentence questions for tests. This question type lets instructors define one or more paragraphs with blanks for students to complete. Additionally, instructors can:
Add distractors
Add automated feedback for correct and incorrect answers
Designate questions as extra credit
Use accessibility tools, such as keyboard-only workflows, to create this question type
To create a Jumbled Sentence question, enter the question text and define the blanks by enclosing the correct answers in square brackets (see image below).
Image 1. Creating a jumbled sentence question.
Please see the Release Notes for further information.
Unread discussion post indicator
An indicator has been added to the Discussions tab which shows the number of unread discussion posts from anywhere in a course.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design;
Communication and collaboration;
Tests & Assignments;
Gradebook.
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our top highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
Text-based columns in the Gradebook
Instructors can now create custom text-based columns in the Gradebook, giving them the ability to record information for an assessment, such as performance code, group membership, and tutoring information.
Instructors can:
Create text-based columns via the Add workflow in both the grid view and Markable Items page;
Name the column, control student visibility, and add a description;
Add and edit text information for a specific student using an inline edit workflow.
Text-based columns exclude the following:
Points values (automatically set to 0 points)
Due dates
Categories
Gradebook calculations and related calculation UIs
Content in text-based columns auto-posts and supports sorting functionality within the Gradebook grid view. Instructors can also download and upload text-based columns using the Gradebook’s upload/download function.
Image 1: Instructors can select Add Text Item to create a text-based column.Image 2: Instructors can enter column name, set visibility for students, and enter a description for the text-based column.
Enhancements to discussions
Several updates have been made to Discussions to improve the user experience.
Updated wording: discussion contributions, once called “responses” and “replies”, are now called “posts” and “replies”.
Improved input field text: Previously, the text within the input field was “Type a response.” The text is now “Post a response to the discussion.”
Avatar update: User avatars have been removed from beside the input field to increase the area for adding content.
Image 1. Previous view of a Discussion input field.Image 2. Updated view: the Respond button is now labelled Post. There’s no avatar beside the input field and the text within the field instructs users to post a response.
Please see the Release notes for further information.
Full details on other updates in this release can be found on these Blackboard pages.
Further help and support
For more guidance on using Blackboard Ultra please explore this site Ultra Essential Guidance via the site menu on the right.
Students can view an Ultra orientation and advice on using Ultra from their Help for Students sections (or equivalent) in your Blackboard course.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design;
Communication and collaboration;
Gradebook;
Learner progression and personalised experience;
Upgrade to Ultra.
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our top highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
Indicator if student has or has not reviewed feedback
In the Gradebook, instructors can now see whether or not students have reviewed assessment feedback. An indicator on the student Overview page displays whether a student has reviewed the feedback for a given assessment.
When a mark is posted, a label shows Not reviewed with the existing Completed label in the Status column. When the student reviews the feedback, the status updates to Reviewed with a review timestamp.
Image 1. Instructor Gradebook view has Reviewed and Not Reviewed labels in the Status column.
Replace Feedback column with actionable Results column in student Gradebook
To encourage students to review their submitted assessments in the Gradebook:
A new Results column replaces the Feedback column
A View button in the Results column replaces the Feedback column’s purple feedback icon
When a mark is posted and the new mark indicator (purple circle) is turned on, the View button displays for the assessment.
Image 1. The previous view of the student Gradebook included a Feedback column with a feedback icon and new grade indicator when feedback was available for review.Image 2. The new view of the student Gradebook includes an actionable Results column with the new grade indicator turning off after the student views the feedback.
Please see the Release notes for further information.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design;
Tests and assignments;
Communication and collaboration;
Gradebook;
Learner Progression & Personalised Experience;
Integrations;
Learn core and security.
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our top highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
Release conditions panel: due dates now included
When instructors set up release conditions for a content item, the item’s due date now displays below the date and time fields. Instructors no longer need to go back to the item to check the due date, saving time and reducing the potential for errors.
Image 1. The due date of a content item now displays below the date and time fields.
Pop-out rubric when marking an assignment
When marking an assignment, instructors can now pop out the marking rubric into a separate, moveable window. The pop-out rubric is formatted in a grid view. Previously, the rubric was only available in a side panel and formatted in a stack. This update provides a clearer, more comprehensive view of the rubric during marking and lets instructors view the student submission and the rubric side-by-side. Instructors can quickly select performance levels and provide feedback in the rubric while viewing a submission.
Image 1. Instructors can pop out the rubric by selecting the expand icon in the rubric panel.
Please see the Release notes for further information.
Anonymous discussions: new privilege to reveal author
System administrators or other users with the assigned system role privilege can now reveal the identity of the author of an anonymous discussion post or reply. This enhancement addresses instances where the anonymous feature is misused, such as bullying or other inappropriate behaviour. Instructors can create anonymous discussions and feel confident that any misuse can be quickly resolved.
There’s now a warning that informs users that their identity can be revealed by an authorised user.
Image 1. The new warning is associated with the Post anonymously option.
Please see the Release notes for further information.
Full details on other updates in this release can be found on these Blackboard pages.
Further help and support
For more guidance on using Blackboard Ultra please explore this site Ultra Essential Guidance via the site menu on the right.
Students can view an Ultra orientation and advice on using Ultra from their Help for Students sections (or equivalent) in your Blackboard course.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design;
Tests and assignments;
Communication and collaboration;
Gradebook;
Learner Progression & Personalised Experience;
Learn core and security
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our top highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
Test Settings usability improvements
To improve the test-building experience, the Settings panel for tests has been streamlined. It no longer includes the following assignment-specific options:
Collect submissions offline
Use grading rubric
Maximum points
2 grades per student
Peer review
Settings panel with assignment-specific options removed.
Upload images to Documents using the new image block
An image block has been added to Documents, providing greater control over content design. Image blocks can be moved throughout a Document, just like other block types.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design
Mastery learning and learning pathways
Gradebook
Learn core and security
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our top highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
Add Submission Attempts for Release Conditions
Instructors can now use item submission status for a release condition. For example, an instructor who wants students to access a document only after submitting a quiz would use a release condition. Students can access content items without needing to wait for a grade to be posted.
Image 1. The new Attempt submitted option is in the dropdown menu for a gradable item in the Release conditions panel.
Show/hide columns from instructors in the gradebook
Instructors can now configure column visibility for their gradebook view, ensuring a cleaner and more organised workspace when grading. There is a new Items Management page accessible from the Gradebook Settings panel. From this page, instructors can configure visibility for a single column selection or in bulk.
The student view of any grading-related page is unaffected. If an instructor hides a column from their gradebook, that column continues to appear for students.
Set default automatic zeros to off in the gradebook for new courses
The Assign Automatic Zeros for Past Due Work option is now turned off by default for newly-created Ultra courses. Existing courses are unaffected. Changing the default setting to off prevents students from automatically receiving zeros for past due assignments. Instructors can turn on automatic zeros for late submissions in the Gradebook Settings panel.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design;
Communication and collaboration;
Learner progression and personalised experience;
Flexible grading;
Gradebook;
Integrations;
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our top highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
AI Design Assistant: Rubric Generation Improvements
The AI Design Assistant will now generate more complex rubrics more quickly. Instructors can expect better rubric generation, even for long, complicated assessments.
Discussion Enhancement: New Post Indicator
A New indicator now displays next to posts and replies that a user has not yet accessed. This helps direct engagement by making new discussion activity easier to find and access.
Link to Attempt Log Added to Activity Log
You can now go directly to the attempt log for any test or assignment from the activity log by selecting the Attempt Log button associated with the item.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design
Tests and assignments
Communication and collaboration
Learner progression and personalized experience
Mobile app
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you’ll find our top highlights, and more detail on the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
Print tests with questions from Question Pools
Instructors can now print tests that include questions from Question Pools. An answer key will be automatically generated and printed with the test.
Change dates to a specific date and/or time is the most popular option used in Batch Edit to change dates in a batch, so it’s been changed to the default option. This should help instructors to prepare their courses for teaching and learning more quickly.
New course completion setting in Administrator Panel
Administrators can now manage course completion through the Administrator Panel. This gives administrators more control over course access that previously could only be controlled by instructors.
Please see the Release Notes for further information.
Additional Updates
Improved performance for assignment file submissions
This release includes architectural improvements to assignment file submissions, including:
Managing multiple file uploads: to prevent issues when uploading multiple files, students will now be required to wait for the first upload to complete before attaching additional files.
File size limit notification: a message will be displayed if a file exceeds the permitted size limit.
Corrupted file alerts: in the unlikely event of a student attempting to submit a corrupted file, a message will be displayed and the system will alert the instructor.
Blackboard mobile app rebranding
The Blackboard Learn App will now be known simply as the Blackboard App. It has an updated splash screen, app icon, name, and app description.
Further help and support
For more guidance on using Blackboard Ultra please explore this site Ultra Essential Guidance via the site menu on the right.
Students can view an Ultra orientation and advice on using Ultra from their Help for Students sections (or equivalent) in your Blackboard course.
This release has new or updated features in the following areas:
Instructional design
Mastery learning and learner pathways
Tests and assignments
Communication and collaboration
Flexible grading
Gradebook
These improvements impact instructors, students, and administrators. Below you will find our top highlights, and more detail of the most relevant updates.
Top Highlights
Auto-generate question banks
There is now the ability to automatically generate question banks when creating quizzes providing inspiration and saving time.
![Screenshot of creating a jumbled sentence question. The question text reads:
Single water molecules are held together by [covalent] bonds and multiple water molecules are held together by [hydrogen] bonds. The kind of bond where atoms are sharing electrons but are not sharing them equally is [polar covalent bond].](https://digitaleducation.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/files/2025/06/jumbled-sentence.png)
