January 2026

Is your gradebook as clear to students as it could be? Due dates past due? Start 2026 off right by clearing out the ghosts of semesters past with these three tips.

For courses that are more seasoned, or perhaps have been taught by a number of instructors, it is a good idea to always check the Grade Center for hidden columns. Sometimes out of fear of doing irreversible damage, instructors hide columns from old assignments rather than deleting them outright. 

However, columns can be hidden from instructors but still visible to students. And a fresh course is the perfect opportunity to clear out items that are no longer in use. Keeping them could throw off grade calculations and lead to a bigger headache later.

Access Column Organization to view hidden columns in Blackboard Original

Show/Hide Columns from Instructors in Blackboard Ultra

Another common ghost we see are copies of old exams. It makes sense that instructors wouldn’t want to re-use the same exam year after year, but there’s a more sustainable way to keep them fresh.

Rather than building a new exam each year, try creating question pools. Pools can be tied to learning objectives, topics, or specific lectures. As you think of new questions, add them to their respective pool. Then set your exam to randomly draw a certain number of questions from the relevant pools. Not only will it be a unique exam each year, but it will also be unique for each student. (Fun fact: you can pull questions from existing exams into your pool. No need to redo!)

Using question pools in Blackboard Original

Using question banks in Blackboard Ultra

Finally, Blackboard can bulk update your system due dates via Date Management (Original) or Batch Edit (Ultra). This allows you to adjust dates all in one place, instead of having to click through each page and edit the dates manually.  If you’ve inherited a course from another instructor this can help you find due dates from previous semesters. A bonus feature of using system due dates- they are automatically added to the course calendar in Blackboard, which students can use to keep tabs on important dates. Note that due dates typed in a heading or written description will need to be updated by hand. 

Date Management in Blackboard Original

Batch Edit in Blackboard Ultra

Looking for some more advanced question types to ask your students? Questions that will mix it up and go higher on Bloom's taxonomy? Despite the title being about elearning, we thought a recent blog post from the eLearning Coach contained some good ideas of question types all instructors could use. 

Here are two examples: 

Play Devil's Advocate: After students commit to a solution, ask them to argue against their own recommendation to uncover weaknesses or unintended consequences.

Example: First, recommend a treatment plan for a patient in a given scenario. Then, indicate what problems there might be with your recommendation from the patient's point of view.

Select the Rationale: You provide the solution to a complex problem and ask students to select the reasoning that underlies the solution.

Example: After discussing the patient’s symptoms and reviewing the medical history, Dr. B identified three possible conditions in the differential diagnosis. When the lab results were returned, she diagnosed the patient with a thyroid disorder. Review the patient’s symptoms, history, and lab results, and select the rationale that best supports this diagnosis.

These questions can be asked in-person, via PollEverywhere, in Blackboard, or in written assignments. So, go ahead and check them all out: 10 Elearning Interaction Ideas You May Not Have Thought Of Yet

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