Blackboard Base Navigation updating July 10, 2024
On July 10, 2024, at 4 p.m., there will be an update to Blackboard Learn’s Base Navigation.
Please note that this update is not related to the new LMS adoption that will take place in Summer 2025. This is a mandatory update from Blackboard, as the original navigation will no longer be supported.
What is the Base Navigation?
It is a modern, intuitive navigation menu that lives outside of courses. It includes links to new pages, such as the Activity Stream, My Courses, Calendar, Messages, etc., that provide quick access to the most critical information consolidated from all your courses.
What does this mean for you?
- Your courses will not change. They will look and operate exactly as they do now.
- You will have access to the same tools and functionality.
- On July 10, 2024, after 4 p.m.,you will see that the navigation will look different as soon as you log into Blackboard.
- So, sit back and take advantage of the benefits below!
How will this enhance your efficiency and experience?
- Modern, intuitive user experience. Faculty and students are going to enjoy this simple, intuitive, engaging user experience.
- Works well on mobile devices. This navigation is designed to work well regardless of which device you are using.
- Aggregates important information. All your course and organization information – like calendar, messages, and grades – is now consolidated into one global view, minimizing the time spent navigating into each individual course.
- Only one click away. See something that needs your attention? Just click on it, and you will be taken directly there, minimizing clicks and saving time.
Base Navigation Menu Items
The Institution Page includes support information and helpful links for using Blackboard and other teaching technologies. The information on this page is customized for you based on your role. Students will see slightly different information to help them be successful.
The navigation menu will display the link to the Profile Page as your name. The Profile Page contains information about your account. Your full name, email, and ID Number are saved here. Global Notification Settings for your account can also be configured on this and the Activity Stream pages.
On the Activity Stream, you can see what's new in all your courses and jump directly into course activities from the list! You don't need to dig through the system or miss student submissions. You see a prioritized list of what's relevant to you, including updates to discussions, recent messages, and new student submissions to assessments.
For a student, the Activity Stream also highlights upcoming or past due dates, newly added content, and recently posted grades.You can also customize the notifications you receive in your Activity Stream and disable email notifications.
The My Courses page sorts your courses into a timeline so that you can focus on courses that are currently active. You can search for courses by name or filter the view. Courses you mark as a favorite will appear at the top of your course list, making it easy for you to access the courses you use most frequently. You can even make courses visible or hide them from students right from your Courses list.
Note:You can no longer reorder your course list; courses are listed in alphabetical order.
The My Organizations page lists all organizations or training sessions you are enrolled in. Organizations you mark as a favorite will appear at the top of your list, making it easy to access the organizations you use most frequently.
This is the global Calendar where you can find the due dates for the assessment items in all courses and any office hours and events that may have been populated into a course calendar. As the due date for these events approaches, you will see reminders in the Activity Stream reminding you of these.
On the Messages page, you can send messages to each other, multiple people, or an entire class. Message activity remains inside the system, and you don't have to worry about email addresses that may be incorrect or outdated. Students can use Courses Messages if the instructor enables this tool. If the tool is disabled, students can only read the instructor's or teaching assistants' internal messages.
You can quickly message all students about important deadlines and schedule changes as an instructor.
From the Grades page, students can see the grades for all assessment items of all courses. From here you can click on items and link through to the course assessment item for additional information. This differs from the My Grades section in a course, which only shows the grades for that course.
Blackboard Assist is a central hub for online and on-campus resources to drive student success. Your students can easily try out any listed services and subscribe to the services that best suit theirneeds.
The Tools page lists all tools available in the learning management system. You may access any tool or integration from this page, such as the Content Collection, Panopto, Zoom, etc.
Informational Sessions
Join one of our 30-minute informational sessions that will review the Blackboard landing page's new look and feel and other features available on Base Navigation.
Dates:
- June 25 @ 2 p.m.
- June 27 @ 10 a.m.
- July 2 @ 2 p.m.
Sign Up!
Frequently Asked Questions
Nothing! The upgrade will happen on July, 10, 2024. When you log in after that date, the Blackboard navigation will look different, but your courses will look and function the same as now. You may want to click through the new menu items (Ex. Institution Page, My Courses, Activity Stream, etc.) to explore the new features, edit your profile, and get oriented to the new interface.
No, your courses will remain the same. You will have access to the same tools and functionality.
Yes, all integrations and functionality will remain the same.
