April 2026 Newsletter

As we head into April, many instructors are balancing the present while preparing for what’s next. This month’s newsletter shares updates, sessions, and tools to help you streamline your workflow, enhance student engagement, and plan confidently for future courses. We hope these highlights help you finish the semester strong and feel supported along the way.

Instructional Technology Education Needs SurveyThe Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) is seeking input from UA instructors to better understand your instructional technology education needs. Your feedback will help us design workshops, resources, and support services that best prepare you and your students to use CIT-supported tools effectively. Please fill out our Instructor Instructional Technology Education Needs Survey to share your feedback.

Blackboard Tips & Tricks
Gradebook Overview: See What Needs Grading and Posting The Gradebook includes an Overview view that highlights items that may need grading, reconciling, and posting. More information on Gradebook Overview tab Convert Files into Documents Convert PDF/PowerPoint/Word files into Ultra Documents so your content becomes more accessible and easier to engage with in‑line. More information on converting a file to a document

Blackboard Tips & Tricks

Gradebook Overview: See What Needs Grading and Posting
The Gradebook includes an Overview view that highlights items that may need grading, reconciling, and posting.
More information on Gradebook Overview tab
Convert Files into Documents
Convert PDF/PowerPoint/Word files into Ultra Documents so your content becomes more accessible and easier to engage with in‑line.
More information on converting a file to a document

What’s New in Blackboard
Review both sets of Discussion due dates across multiple views in Blackboard: When instructors create a discussion with two due dates and participation requirements, both sets of requirements appear on the Course Content page, Discussion pages, the Gradebook student and instructor views, and the instructor’s Discussion analysis panel. On the Course Content page, both due dates and participation requirements are displayed. For all entry points for Discussions, both dates and requirements are displayed. Handle images as thumbnail links in Announcement emails: Announcement emails display a small thumbnail for each image instructors include in an announcement. Each thumbnail links to the announcement in Blackboard, so users return to the complete content instead of opening the image file by itself. Instructors continue to create announcements the same way they have before. Specify assignment submission type: New assignment submission options that allow instructors to specify the type of submission they expect from students. This update improves clarity for students and optimizes the submission workflow based on the selected submission type. Stay on track with important Blackboard updates arriving in April. A full overview is available in the Anthology blog post: What’s New in Blackboard – April 2026.

What’s New in Blackboard

Review both sets of Discussion due dates across multiple views in Blackboard: When instructors create a discussion with two due dates and participation requirements, both sets of requirements appear on the Course Content page, Discussion pages, the Gradebook student and instructor views, and the instructor’s Discussion analysis panel. On the Course Content page, both due dates and participation requirements are displayed. For all entry points for Discussions, both dates and requirements are displayed.

Handle images as thumbnail links in Announcement emails: Announcement emails display a small thumbnail for each image instructors include in an announcement. Each thumbnail links to the announcement in Blackboard, so users return to the complete content instead of opening the image file by itself. Instructors continue to create announcements the same way they have before.

Specify assignment submission type: New assignment submission options that allow instructors to specify the type of submission they expect from students. This update improves clarity for students and optimizes the submission workflow based on the selected submission type.

Stay on track with important Blackboard updates arriving in April. A full overview is available in the Anthology blog post: What’s New in Blackboard – April 2026.