Instructors can now print tests that include questions from Question Pools. An answer key will also be printed with the corresponding test. This ensures that Instructors always have an answer key that matches the test. Blackboard generates the answer key and prints it ahead of the test. The answer key is also clearly labelled to ensure awareness.
The system generates a different version of the answer key and test each time a test is printed when the test:
Randomizes questions or answer options
Includes Question Pools
Instructors can use the print option to save the answer key and test as a PDF.
To help with resizing blocks that are vertically tall, Blackboard have modified the resize handle. Now, instructors can resize a block by selecting the vertical edge of a block. It is not necessary to place the mouse directly over the handle.
“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 is now the default option. This change simplifies the process for users and helps instructors to prepare courses for teaching and learning even faster.
We’re the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit. Based in Information Services, we work with staff across the university to support and develop learning and teaching. We run a wide range of activities to do this.
Each module has its own dedicated course in Blackboard. These courses contain online content, such as reading lists, and teaching staff details. This is the main point of information for your students for any given module, including access to lecture recordings and assignment submission. The University has a Blackboard Required Minimum Presence policy for all modules. Please see our staff guide for further information.
Lecture Capture: Panopto
When teaching in person, be aware that all lectures (that is, teaching where the focus is on information being transmitted from staff to students) should be recorded using Panopto, our Lecture Capture software. See details of our Lecture Capture Policy.
E-submission: Turnitin and Blackboard Assignment
At Aberystwyth University, students must submit all text-based and word-processed work electronically as outlined in the University’s E-submission policy. For this, we use our e-submission tools: Turnitin andBlackboard Assignment. Turnitin provides an automatic text matching functionality.
Polling tool: Vevox
Vevox is Aberystwyth University’s polling tool. Polling can be used in learning and teaching activities as well as meetings to make the session interactive and collaborative with many different possibilities for use.
Resources and further help
We have a number of Guides and FAQs to help you use our software.
Training Provision
To support all staff with their teaching, the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit runs a series of training sessions. These include:
practical sessions to familiarise staff with the different elements of the VLE,
the Active Learning agenda,
assessment and feedback,
accessibility,
presentation skills, and more.
artificial intelligence
We also offer a range of events and training programmes. You can find details of our annual CPD programme and book your place to attend via our Book a Course page. We deliver some sessions ourselves, while others are delivered by university staff whose teaching features good practice in those areas. Look for (L&T) in the session title.
Events
The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit runs a range of events, including the Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, Mini-Conferences, Mini-Fests, and Academy Forums. All of these are great opportunities to meet people from across the university and discuss Learning and Teaching issues and developments.
The August Blackboard Learn Ultra update includes enhancements to Ultra Documents, Forms, Release Conditions and Discussions.
Enhancements to Blackboard Learn Ultra Documents
The Blackboard Learn Ultra August update included enhancements to the creating and editing functionality of Blackboard Learn Ultra Documents.
For those unfamiliar with Documents, they are an easy way to create content in Ultra, ensuring compatibility with mobile devices and Blackboard Ally. As this update to Documents is a significant change to content organisation, we have written a separate blog post which can be found here.
Anonymous student responses for Forms
Anonymous responses in forms encourage honest and candid feedback from students and help participants feel safe and secure knowing their identities are protected. Anonymity leads to more genuine responses that convey the respondents’ true opinions and experiences. Additionally, it increases participation rates and the overall quality of the results.
Instructors can now collect anonymous submissions in Forms. The new Anonymous submissions option appears in the Grading & Submissions section of Form Settings.
Image 1. Anonymous submissions option
When you select Anonymous submissions, these settings are enabled by default:
Due date
Prohibit late submissions
Prohibit new attempts after due date
Complete/incomplete is selected as the grading schema for non-graded forms
When grading, the submission earns the points assigned; you can’t edit or override the points earned
Additional important details to note:
Anonymous forms cannot be administered to groups.
Class conversations are not supported when Anonymous submissions is selected.
To ensure anonymity, student activity, exceptions, exemptions and accommodations are not supported.
To ensure anonymity, student progress/statistics are not captured.
Modifications to form questions and settings are not permitted if the form has submissions and the due date has passed.
From the Submissions tab for a form, you can view an anonymized list of students participants along with this information and options:
Student submission status
Grading status and grade – At submission, the grading status is set to Complete and the grade is marked (for example., 5/5)
Post — Graded forms post automatically
Download all – You can download all form submissions
To view responses, select an anonymous student from the list. You can enter overall feedback for their submission.
For ungraded forms, the text “Submitted” or “Not submitted”
For graded forms, the grade
From the Gradebook, before the due date for an anonymous form, “Anonymous” appears in the cell for each student. After the due date, the cells display:
From the Grades tab, you can select Download Gradebook to download responses to forms with anonymous submissions.
Blackboard has taken care to ensure students know when their submission to a form is anonymous. The Anonymous icon and label appears on:
the Content Page
the Form panel where they start the attempt and view their submission
the Details & Information section that appears while responding to the form
Image 2. The Student view of the Anonymous label and icon for a form
Improvements to creating assignments (not Turnitin)
Instructors need robust, easy to use tools when creating their assessments.
To create a better experience, the new Assignment page includes these improvements:
A new Instructions box where instructors can use the full content editor to craft assignment instructions.
There are no options to add questions to an assignment.
The Settings panel now includes only options relevant to assignments.
Blank attempts are no longer created when students view assignment instructions. The system only creates an attempt when students add content to the file drop zone / content editor. Note: Group or timed and proctored assignments continue to create attempts when students view the instructions.
Image 1. Instructor view of the New Assignment page with the new Instructions box
Image 2. Instructor view of adding instructions to an assignment
Image 3. Students view of the new Assignment Information panel and the View Instructions option
Image 4. Student view of the assignment instructions
Multiple rules for release conditions
Instructors need to release course content based on performance criteria to sequence students on learning paths correctly. Sometimes they also need to release content to different groups using different criteria. To support this needed flexibility, instructors can now create multiple rules for release conditions.
You can create rules for release conditions based on these criteria: date, time, and grade range performance criteria. You can also create rules for specific individual learners, groups, or for all members.
Image 1. The new Release Conditions page
Ability to ‘Follow’ Discussions for Enhanced Engagement
Discussions are an important part of the course experience, allowing for easy collaboration between all course members. The ability to engage and re-engage with discussions ensures that collaboration is active and lively. Users can re-engage when they know there are new posts by following the discussion.
Key Enhancements:
Follow Discussions: Users can follow select discussions and receive notifications for new contributions from peers or instructors.
User Notification Settings: New notification options for the Activity Stream settings allow users to manage notification types for discussions:
Activity on my responses
Activity on responses I have replied to
Responses from instructors
Responses for followed discussions
Replies for followed discussions
Image 1. New ‘Follow’ option inside a discussion
Image 2. New user notification options for the Activity Stream
Image 3. Notifications being delivered to the Activity Stream
Blackboard Ally is available to everyone who uses Blackboard.
Any student can download course content in alternative formats for free. If you want to know more have a look at Which format should I use table on the Ally website.
All staff can check the accessibility of their course and get help fixing any issues.
Since September 2023, when AU started using Blackboard Ally, staff and students have been making use of it.
Alternative Formats
3579 individual users download an alternative format
22,912 documents converted
Alternative formats used in 1100 courses
The most downloaded alternative format is the Tagged PDF. Tagged PDF is useful for reading on the go, or for students who like to read information to search, print, or take notes. It can also be good for anyone who uses screen readers or text-to-speech with speed adjustment.
Course Accessibility
Staff have also been using Ally to make content more accessible for students:
282 fixes to content
66 courses have had content fixed
AU accessibility score improved from 65.7% to 69.5%
To find out more about using Ally have a look at our Staff and Student FAQs.
