News

Announcements

May 17, 2007: Organization leaders were contacted with information...more

December 13, 2006: UT Instructors notified that Blackboard courses and content prior to Summer 2004 will be removed after January 31, 2007.

February 28, 2006: Blackboard Inc. Completes Merger With WebCT, Inc...more

October 12, 2005: Blackboard and WebCT Announce Agreement to Merge...more

November 23, 2004: Blackboard, Inc. is sponsoring two e-learning community contests with $75,000 in total prizes...more

October 27, 2004: UT Austin joins Sakai Educational Partners Programs...more

October 18, 2004: Online Course Retention Policy revised...more

For past messages and notifications, please see our Announcement Archive.

Upgrade Dates

May, 2006: Upgraded to Version 6.3.1.574 - ServicePack 2.
New functionality and Building Blocks include a What's New tab, integration with MERLOT, and Power User Enrollment.

January, 2006: Upgraded to Version 6.3.
List of new features includes additional Test Question types and the ability to exclude ungraded items in the gradebook from the Total and Weighted Total.

January, 2005: Upgraded to Version 6.2.
List of new features includes the ability to download test and survey results.

May, 2004: Upgraded to Version 6.
List of new features includes a customizable menu, the Assignment Manager, and Advanced Group Management.

January, 2003: Upgraded to Version 5.5.1
Elements of this version include Content areas, the Digital drop box (file exchange capability), Threaded discussion, Real-time chat and whiteboard, Group work areas, Individual and group web pages, Online testing, External Links, Site statistics

Spring, 2001: Upgraded to Version 5.0.2.
List of new features includes Gradebook sorting options and the ability to disable individual communication tools.

Articles

Mobile Campus may send info from Blackboard
December 1, 2006
Mobile Campus, the Student Government-sponsored mobile advertising service, is in the preliminary stages of considering teaming up with Blackboard, the online academic network, to provide students access to their course information on their cell phones.

Blackboard protects its patent
August 3, 2006
After nearly seven years of waiting on a patent for "Internet-based education support system and methods," Blackboard Inc. finally had its patent approved on Jan. 17. On July 26, the company began its fight to protect it.

Blackboard embraces copyright
October 12, 2005
University service provider Blackboard has collaborated with the Copyright Clearance Center to create a software program that will make it easier for faculty to comply with copyright law, Blackboard announced Tuesday.

Blackboard site may offer free lectures to download
September 29, 2005
Downloadable audio files of lectures may soon be offered free of charge by the University. Questions remain about ownership of recordings.

Misinformation: Hacker 'cancels' government exam via Blackboard
March 9, 2004
The Daily Texan misquoted Angel Cruz of ITS and led readers to believe Blackboard was "hacked" in order to allow a student to send emails impersonating a professor. Blackboard was not associated with the method the student used.

Blackboard record usage chalks it up to progress
February 24, 2004
ITS reported on Blackboard's ever-increasing popularity, the upcoming upgrade to Blackboard 6, and how courseware is enhancing UT students' learning experiences.