Blackboard Learn SP6 Adds a Few Frequently Requested Enhancement

Blackboard recently released Blackboard Learn 9.1 SP6 – We now have it installed at Valencia College! I’m very happy to see a few of the frequently request enhancements finally integrated into the LMS; such as interactive rubrics, enhance assessment timers, and improved needs grading functions.

New Features & Enhancements – Teaching & Learning – Visit the Screenshot Gallery.

• Interactive Rubrics: Enhanced rubrics are here to better support instructor efficiency in the grading process and convey expectations to students. The rubrics enable the efficient, consistent grading of manually graded student submissions and also facilitate secondary evaluations used to support program evaluations. The rubric is “clickable”, allowing for dynamic entry of feedback and ratings. When creating a rubric, instructors can choose from 4 types (percentage, point, point range, and no-point), as well as assign weights to categories. The same rubric can be assigned to multiple gradable items. Instructors can also opt to have the rubric viewable by students. Rubrics can be imported and exported for use across courses. Existing rubrics in ANGEL and CE/Vista 8 courses will be converted as part of the course conversion process with Blackboard Learn, Release 9.1.On Demand Videos
• Creating a Grading Rubric
• Associating a Rubric with a Gradable Item
• Grading with Rubrics
  • Needs Grading Tool Enhancement: The Needs Grading tool is a view in the Grade Center that instantly provides instructors visibility and access to items that need to be graded. Gradable Blogs, Journals, Wikis, and Discussion Board activity will now appear in Needs Grading status in the Grade Center and on the Needs Grading page. When an instructor chooses to make an interactive tool gradable, (s)he will also have the option to choose how many interactions will place the item in Needs Grading status. A Discussion Board forum, for instance, might be set to only appear in Needs Grading status after a student has made three posts, rather than with each individual post. The Needs Grading tool is also visible as part of the Needs Attention Module so instructors are alerted consistently with other gradable items.On Demand Video
    Setting the Needs Grading Status and Grading Interactive Tools

  

  • Timed Assessments Enhancement: This new capability provides instructors with an intuitive means of setting time limits on assessments and configuring the system to auto-submit the assessment at time expiration. Instructors can now choose to make the timed assessment auto-submit, or to allow the assessment to continue beyond the allotted time as in previous releases of the Blackboard Learn platform. Students are provided with visual cues to track their progress when taking and submitting timed assessments set to auto-submit. Attempt information for timed assessments includes details on how much time the student spent on the attempt versus how much time was allotted.On Demand Video
    Setting Test Options (includes setting the timer for a test)

• SCORM Engine Integration: Through a co-development partnership with Rustici Software, a new SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) content player is integrated into the Blackboard Learn platform. This feature will provide users a stable and reliable platform for SCORM content. Along with the new content player, a new report is available through the course Control Panel to show student activity and progress within the SCORM package. With the SCORM Engine, there is now support for SCORM 2004 4th Edition.
• Partner Integrations: McGraw-Hill Connect and Create Integration: Instructors will benefit from one-stop teaching and learning through the integration of McGraw-Hill Connect and McGraw-Hill Create directly within the Blackboard Learn platform. Customizable, dynamic educational content and tools from McGraw-Hill can be seamlessly used and integrated into the Blackboard Learn course environment to enhance and enrich the teaching and learning experience. Single sign-on and Grade Center synchronization deliver centralized, immediate access to course content and grades. Helps ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), allowing students to benefit from additional privacy protection. This bundled Building Block applies to customers in Higher Education (English-speaking markets) and For Profit Professional Education.