Please complete this form no later than 22 May 2026.
The theme for this year’s conference is:
Co‑Creating Inclusive Futures: Flexible, Diverse, and Competency‑Driven Learning
The main strands of this year’s conference are:
Diversifying the Curriculum for Equity and Belonging
Building inclusive, decolonised curricula that reflect diverse identities and experiences, advancing the Race Equality Charter.
Flexible Learning for a Changing Landscape
Hybrid, blended, and accessible learning designs that support varied learner needs through thoughtful pacing, structure, and technology.
Competency‑Driven Learning
Clear, meaningful integration of skills, graduate attributes, and real‑world application of competencies.
Students as Co‑Creators and Collaborators
Authentic student–staff collaboration in curriculum design, assessment, research, and decision‑making.
Staff and students are welcome to propose sessions on any topic relating to learning and teaching, especially those that focus on the incorporation and use of technology. Even if your suggestion doesn’t fit into a particular strand, other topics are welcome.
We seek to encourage presenters to consider using alternative formats that reflect and suit the content of their sessions. As such, we are not specifying a standardised presentation format.
In the March update, we want to draw your attention to the following Blackboard enhancements:
Updates to tests:
Anonymous grading by question
Question title field relocated
Partial credit Multiple Choice Questions and Multiple Answer
AI Design Assistant Content Editor
Graded Discussions
Blackboard Assignment file limits
Anonymous Grading by Question in Blackboard Tests
Instructors can now grade anonymous by question in addition to grading anonymously by student.
When grading anonymous test submissions in Question View, the interface replaces the student’s name, avatar, and ID with an anonymous identifier and a blank avatar. All functionality available when grading non‑anonymous submissions by question is also available when grading anonymously. When anonymous grading is enabled, related APIs no longer return identifying information. This applies to the Essay Question.
Question Title field relocated
We moved the Question Title field from the beginning of the question authoring workflow to the bottom, underneath the Question metadata field. Moving this field ensures that titles remain an optional metadata element and reduces cognitive load during question creation.
Image 1: Before this enhancement, the Question Title field was at the top of the question authoring workflow.
Image 2: Now, the Question Title field is at the bottom of the question authoring workflow, underneath the Question Metadata field.
Partial credit limits removed for Multiple Choice and Multiple Answer
We updated the partial credit system for Multiple Choice and Multiple Answer questions to allow instructors to assign credit values without the requirement that all designated values sum to 100%. This change supports more flexible grading strategies and enables instructors to represent varying levels of conceptual understanding without adjusting values to meet a fixed total.
The system now allows instructors to enter any partial credit value for each option within a range of –100% to +100%. Validation continues to warn instructors if total values exceed 100%, but it no longer blocks question setup. Instructors may now also enter positive credit values for options that are not marked as the correct answer The total partial credit value for correct answers should be at least 100%, and it may exceed 100%. Negative marking continues to operate when enabled. Instructors can adjust credit values during regrading as well.
Image 1: Instructors can have answer options that do not sum to 100%.
Generate Knowledge Checks with AI
We expanded AI‑assisted authoring to support generating multiple choice Knowledge Checks within Documents. This enhancement allows instructors to create just‑in‑time formative assessments using AI‑generated questions based on the content of their Document and any selected course materials.
When inserting a Knowledge Check, instructors are now presented with two options: Enter my question or Auto generate question. Selecting Auto-generate question opens the Auto-Generate Question panel, which adapts the existing Question panel used in tests and question banks.
When using the Auto generate question option, instructors can define generation inputs with the following fields:
A description text field
A selector to choose course items to inform generation
A complexity level slider with a range from Low to High
Advanced options including an output language selector
An informational banner that states: “This is auto-generated content and needs to be checked for accuracy and bias.”
The system generates four multiple choice questions at a time. Each generated question displays with a radio button so that the instructor can select one question to add to the Document. The instructor can then modify the question, answer options, and feedback after insertion. If the instructor opens the Knowledge Check option but does not add a question, the placeholder block remains empty and behaves as other empty content blocks do.
All questions are generated using only text content from the Document. Consideration of additional media or files will be handled as part of a future release.
Image 1: Instructors can select Enter my question or Auto-generate question when creating a knowledge check.
Image 2: After the system generates questions, the instructor selects which question to add to the Document. After adding a question, instructors can edit the question, question options, and question settings.
Use the AI Design Assistant to suggest Document layouts
If you’re looking for ways in which you can make your Blackboard Documents more visually appealing, then use the AI Design Assistant to suggest Document layouts.
Go to your Document and click to edit the content. Then select the AI Design Assistant icon:
Image 1: AI Design Assistant icon highlighted.
You can provide further information to define the layout:
Image 2: Options available in the layout.
Select Apply layout to save the suggested layout.
Add a second participation requirement and due date in Discussions
Instructors can now add a second due date with participation requirements for Discussions. This update builds on recent enhancements for discussion participation requirements and gives instructors clearer ways to set expectations for discussion activity. Students get transparent guidance for discussion expectations and progress indicators for their participation.
Instructors
Instructors can set how many posts and replies that students must complete across two due dates.
The option Grade discussion must be selected to add a due dates and participation requirements. Enter a time and date under Due Date and specify participation requirements. Selecting Second Due Date adds another due date with its own requirements.
Instructors can disallow student posts or replies after the final due date by selecting Stop discussion activity after last due date.
Image 1: Instructors can now add a second due date for Discussions. They can also specify the number and type of posts or replies that a student is required to make.
Students
When students open a discussion, they find two clear participation requirements with separate due dates. As they post and reply, progress indicators update in real time.
Students can complete requirements in any order, but contributions after a due date won’t count toward that requirement. Once all requirements are met, the discussion is marked complete and Progress Tracking updates.
Image 2: In a Discussion, a student can find due dates in the Details & Information section in the discussion assignment.
Blackboard Assignment file limits
We increased the maximum supported SafeAssign file size from 10 MB to 25 MB. This enhancement supports modern academic workflows in which students frequently submit large documents. The increased file size applies to assignments and tests. Direct Submit will be included in a later release.
If you have any enhancements to request from Blackboard, please get in touch with us via bbbstaff@aber.ac.uk.
We recently ran our E-learning Enhanced: Using Turnitin for Peer Assessment training session and wanted to highlight the different tools that are available for Peer Assessment across our Digital Education Platform.
Peer Assessment activities have several benefits to students:
Allow students to invest in and manage their own learning
Shared learning experiences
Reflect on learning
Consider communication and constructing feedback
Develop conversation and collaboration skills
Improve academic achievement
Share responsibility for learning
Develop employability skills around feedback
In group scenarios, identify participants’ contributions
Quick feedback
Building a learning community
For Liu & Carless (2006), “peer assessment and peer feedback … enables students to take an active role in the management of their own learning” (280).
If you are interested in exploring this topic further, we recommend:
Liu, N.-F. & Carless, D. (2006) Peer feedback: the learning element of peer assessment. Teaching in higher education. [Online] 11 (3), 279–290.
Lynch, R., Mannix McNamara, P. & Seery, N. (2012) Promoting deep learning in a teacher education programme through self- and peer-assessment and feedback, European Journal of Teacher Education, 35:2, 179-197, DOI: 10.1080/02619768.2011.643396
Zhu, Q. & Carless, D. (2018) Dialogue within peer feedback processes: clarification and negotiation of meaning. Higher education research and development. [Online] 37 (4), 883–897.
We have several peer assessment tools that are available:
Blackboard Assignment for Peer Assignments
You can add a Rubric to the assignment – student will see this as part of their submission.
After Due date and time has passed, students review submissions see Blackboard web site
After the Peer Review Due Date, staff complete marking (see Blackboard web site)
Student view staff feedback, peer feedback and final mark
Note that:
Students won’t be allocated any reviews if not enough assignments are submitted.
Late submissions will be allocated to students. Late submission is allowed automatically as part of the peer assessment process.
Students do not see any names as part of the review process. You should advise all students not to include personal information on their documents.
Students can provide written feedback in the review process but can’t assign a mark (unless this is included in the text feedback box)
You can add a Rubric to the assignment – student will see this as part of their submission and can refer to it while reviewing. However, they can’t use it to mark work.
You can hide peer reviews if you feel the content isn’t appropriate
Turnitin PeerMark
Workflow
Create a Turnitin Assignment and enable PeerMark
Go back into Turnitin Assignment to set up Peer Mark Settings
Students submit to Turnitin submission point
After PeerMark start date, students are able to view another student’s assignment and leave feedback / scores to questions
PeerMark feedback is visible to students immediately
Discussions are available in every course in Blackboard – these are a great way for students to engage asynchronously with their peers; they can post comments and respond to each others’ posts.
Workflow
Instructor creates a Discussion
Students contribute to the Discussion
Students respond to other Discussion posts
For further advice on creating discussions, please see below for Blackboard guidance:
“For peer review in the classroom to be effective, there is clear evidence that the process needs structure, clear and accessible assessment criteria and appropriate scaffolding sessions for students (Mangelsdorf Citation1992).”
Peer feedback has been used widely within group assessment work, for example, when it comes to ascertaining student participation, and factoring in group contributions. For an example of a group peer marksheet, see this sample template from Carnegie Mellon University.
We had the pleasure of recently presenting at the Blackboard User Group on the Exemplary Course Award that we run here at Aberystwyth University. Blackboard run their own Exemplary Course Programme which we use as the basis for our award.
The session title, Celebrating Excellence, Shaping Practice: Aberystwyth University’s Exemplary Course Award Programme, charted the history of the event here at AU.
We’ve been running the ECA since 2014. In that time, over 50 modules have submitted applications.
Since the start of the award, we’ve had applications from all sections of the University. Those that offer on campus teaching provision, Lifelong Learning Courses, Distance Learning Courses, Welsh language and English medium courses, large and small courses have all been recipients of the award.
In the presentation, we gave an overview of how we manage the process and discussed the impact of running the award over the last 12 years. The ethos of the process has always foregrounded reflection giving applicants the opportunity to enhance and refine their course before submitting.
We’ve looked at the ways in which we have marked success over the years, as well as the changes we have applied to streamline the process.
We also discussed how we might change this for the future. We are exploring ways in which the student voice can be brought into the nomination process. We’re also considering running smaller awards alongside the Exemplary Course Award – an award that focuses on each of the 4 criteria: Course Design, Assessment, Interaction and Collaboration, and Learner Support.
We were joined by previous award winners: Lauren Harvey (Law and Criminology) and Mari Dunning (Lifelong Learning).
Both Lauren and Mari spoke about their courses as well as their experience of engaging with the process.
In the February update, we want to draw your attention to the following Blackboard enhancements:
Use automations to remind students to check their feedback
Stack blocks vertically in Documents
Enhanced achievement usability
Use automations to remind students to check their feedback
Automations are a relatively new feature in Blackboard. The latest feature allows you to automatically send a reminder message to students who have unread feedback after an instructor-defined number of days. This feature saves time by automatically encouraging students to review their feedback, promoting student engagement.
Instructors
This release adds the Send feedback reminder option to the Automation gallery. Go to Automations:
Image 1: View automations under Course Assistants highlighted
Image 2: The Automation gallery now includes Send feedback reminder.
For the automation trigger, instructors select how many days feedback must remain unread before the message is sent.
Image 3: The Automation trigger includes a dropdown menu for the number of unread days.
A default reminder message is provided, and instructors can fully customise it at this stage. The message is sent to the student when the rule is triggered.
Stack blocks vertically in Documents
instructors can stack blocks in a single column in Documents to create cleaner layouts and reduce whitespace. A new toggle in the block toolbar allows switching between column-level and block-level editing. In column mode, actions apply to the entire column. In block mode, instructors can resize, move, or delete individual blocks.
Columns can also be dropped into another block’s area for more flexible layouts. These changes work with existing features such as undo/redo, printing, and AI layout generation. This enhancement also includes accessibility improvements for screen readers.
Image 1: Instructors can stack blocks in a single column, such as next to an image in a column.
Enhanced achievement usability
For students, the Achievements tab displays a count of unread badges. The New pill appears consistently in Earned and To Earn sections. The Delete Badge dialog uses clearer wording. Instructors and students can more easily distinguish between Course Badges and Open Badges with improved labels, icons, and descriptions.
Accessibility updates include improved aria-labels and alt-text. Styling for OpenBadge images has been updated to remove forced round shapes.
Image 1: In the student view, the Achievements tab displays a count of unread badges, and the new badges have a New pill.
If you have any enhancements to request from Blackboard, please get in touch with us via elearning@aber.ac.uk.
We are pleased to announce our next Mini Conference taking place on Tuesday 14 April 2026.
In collaboration with the Department of Psychology, Student Accessibility and Wellbeing, and the Digital Education Team (Student Journey), we are looking for 15-minute presentations on the following topics:
Navigating university life as a neurodivergent student
Inclusive teaching and learning practices
The role of support services in fostering neurodivergent success
Please indicate in the proposal if you are comfortable taking questions for 5 minutes at the end of your presentation. Please submit your proposal before Friday 6 March.
Happy New Year! In the January update, we want to draw your attention to the following Blackboard enhancements:
Minor Update to the Blackboard Interface
Improvements to Document’s layouts
More options for true and false questions
Changes to multiple choice and multiple answer workflows
Minor Update to the Blackboard Interface
There is no downtime associated with this update, and Blackboard will continue to function normally during this period.
These changes include:
Change in order of menu items on the main navigation menu:
A new home button in a course to take you back to the landing page:
A quick link to navigate to your recently accessed courses
In addition to this, to maximise screen space, Blackboard will remove the nested folder view.
Improvements to Document’s layouts
To improve usability and accessibility, we restructured the menu for document block layout. Previously, all options for changing the row, size, or position of a block were in a single dropdown list. Now, these options are organized by type of change (row, size, and position).
Selecting the edit icon for a block prompts a menu with three options: Change row, Change [block/column] size, and Change [block/column] position. Each of these options have a sub-menu, with the related actions.
Change row
Move to row above
Move to row below
New row above
Change [block/column] size
Expand to the left
Expand to the right
Shrink from the left
Shrink from the right
Change [block/column] position
Move to the left
Move to the right
Image 1: How document block styling options displayed before
Image 2: How document block styling options display now
More options for true and false questions
We expanded the display options for true/false questions to include:
True/False
Yes/No
Right/Wrong
Agree/Disagree
These additional answer options display when:
Instructors create or edit this question type when building a test or in a question bank
Students answer the question
Instructors grade the question
Students review their submission or graded question
Image 1: True/false questions now include additional options.
Changes to multiple choice and multiple answer workflows
ow students interact with questions. These changes support greater flexibility in assessment design and an improved experience for students.
Instructors
To reduce setup time when creating a multiple choice question, we changed the default number of answer options from three to four. Instructors can add or remove answer options.
Instructors can now define the number of answer selections that a student can make for each multiple choice question. When the student takes the assessment, the system enforces the instructor’s selection limit.
The default is:
4 answer options
partial/negative credit is off (no additional changes made to partial/negative credit for this release)
students can select up to 4 answers
if additional answers are added, selection limit remains at 4
if answers are removed, instructor must select the selection limit
Image 1: Instructors can define the number of answer selections for each multiple choice question.
Students
For questions where students can select only one answer, the selection mechanism is radio buttons. For questions where students can select more than one answer, the selection mechanism is checkboxes.
Image 2: The student’s selection mechanism of checkbox or radio button is determined by how many answers they can select.
If you have any enhancements to request from Blackboard, please get in touch with us via elearning@aber.ac.uk.
