On Saturday, June 9, 2012, our version of Blackboard was upgraded from 9.1 Service Pack 5 to 9.1 Service Pack 7. This version is primarily a maintenance service pack, so you won't see any user interface changes or many new features. However, there are a couple of new features, and a couple of known issues you should know about, and they're described below.
Also, please see the list of Supported Browsers for Service Pack 7.
Auto-submit Tests/Assessments: Tests now have the option of "auto-submit," meaning that if you deliver a timed test, the test will automatically save and submit when the time expires. Prior to this upgrade, students would be alerted that they were exceeding the time limit, but could continue to finish the test. If you enable this feature, the test will automatically submit itself when time is up. For more on this, see page 2 of the pdf Deploy Your Test.
Mobile Compatible Tests: If you want to create tests in Blackboard that your students can take on their mobile devices, you'll want to use the new Mobile Test Creator. See Creating Mobile Compatible Tests.
Rubrics: This is a new tool that allows you to create rubrics and assign them to gradable items (e.g., assignments, journals, discussions). You have the option to make them visible to students, with or without grading. This feature will be available in Fall courses. See Creating and Using Rubrics.
Downloading files: IF you use Create File under the Build menu to deliver files that may open directly in the browser (for example, pdf files), the user will not be able to use the right-click/Save as option to download the file.
Workaround: Users can let the file open in the browser, then save it, or if you are concerned about this function, use Create Item instead of Create File.
Grading feedback: If you are trying to hide grading feedback from students by using the Hide from Users option in the Grade Center column, the feedback may not be entirely hidden. The grade and feedback comments will be hidden, but if you've used a gradable rubric, or uploaded a file, they will be visible, possibly revealing the grade.
Workaround:
Make the assignment unavailable. Since the assignment interface is where the file and rubric feedback is retrieved by the student, if the assignment is no longer available, they won't see the feedback information.
Or, use Save as Draft while grading the item. Just be aware that this will require you entering each student record later to submit the grade when you're ready to release the information.