This month's eLearning newsletter includes important reminders about accessing your Winter 2027 Blackboard courses and scheduled Blackboard maintenance on November 25. You'll also meet the newest members of the eLearning team, learn about an upcoming 30-minute webinar on understanding your Blackboard Ally score, and discover opportunities to connect with our team through workshops and consultations.
Thank you for your continued collaboration! We're always here to support you and your teaching and learning needs.
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Wednesday, November 25 1am – 3am
Blackboard Security Maintenance (Blackboard Unavailable)
Blackboard (lms.gvsu.edu) will be unavailable for approximately two hours for required database security updates. During this time, anyone attempting to access Blackboard will see a maintenance page.
This maintenance is scheduled during overnight hours over the holiday break to minimize disruption to the campus community. Maintenance updates will be posted on the IT Service Status page.
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Blackboard Enhancements for November
Blackboard uses a continuous release cycle, with new features and enhancements released each month. Some changes introduce significant new functionality, while others are smaller improvements. This month, we are highlighting three new features that will become available beginning November 6, 2026.
Print Blank or Scored Rubrics
Instructors will be able to print blank and scored rubrics or download them as PDFs using the browser's print dialog. To print a blank rubric, on the Course Rubrics page, select the ellipsis menu on a rubric and select Print. Instructors can also open a rubric from the Course Rubrics page and select the Print icon. The browser's print dialog opens with a printer-friendly version of the rubric that shows its criteria and levels without scores. From the print dialog, instructors can print the rubric or save it as a PDF.
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Submit in-progress Attempts on Behalf of Students
Instructors will be able to submit a student's in-progress assignment or test attempt from the Student Overview page and document the reason as part of the workflow. In the gradebook, open the student overview page, select the ellipsis menu for a test or assignment that has the status Draft saved, then select Submit draft attempt. Enter the reason for the submission, then select Submit. This option will be available for both regularly and anonymously graded submissions.
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Group Management Search Capabilities
Instructors will have the ability to search for students who are already assigned to a group, not just those still waiting to be assigned. A new dual search lets instructors look up an individual student and the groups in a set at the same time, so they can instantly see which group a student is in, move them, and manage large, fully assigned group sets without losing track of anyone.
See these instructions for using the group management search capabilities from the Blackboard help documentation.
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Blackboard Winter 2027 Course Availability
Beginning November 16, Winter courses will be available to faculty. If you don't see them, please contact your department coordinator to assign you as the instructor of record in Banner. Student enrollments will be added three weeks before the course start date in Banner, or December 21 for most Winter courses.
As you start thinking about your Winter courses, you may want to take advantage of the following requests and resources:
- Merge Course Request: Use this request to combine two or more sites into one parent site.
- Copy Content between Courses: Follow these instructions to copy content from one course to another.
- Course Restore Request: Use this request to restore a Blackboard course that is no longer available online. Faculty have access to Blackboard courses for two years and one additional semester. Courses taught within the past three years can be restored from archives.
- Schedule a consultation with an eLearning Technologies liaison for Blackboard assistance.
- Please use the Registrar's Office form to request Winter course access for non-registered students. This includes requests for Course Builder access. The Registrar's Office will coordinate required FERPA training with the student and notify eLearning when complete, so no separate eLearning ticket is needed.
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New eLearning Team Member Spotlights
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L Dettling - LMS Administrator
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L Dettling is our newest LMS Administrator at GVSU and fills the position that was vacated when Katie Clark retired in June. She received her M.S. in Applied Computer Science from GVSU and holds a certificate in Data Engineering. With a background in IT operations and systems administration, she enjoys finding ways to improve processes through technology. L is passionate about using system integrations, data, and accessible technology to simplify workflows and improve the experience for faculty, staff, and students.
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Preston Kodet - Digital Media Developer
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Preston Kodet joins our Bridge team as our newest Digital Media Developer. He received his B.S. in Film and Video Production from GVSU. Preston is passionate about quality video as a means of meaningful education. With a background in photography, he knows the importance of documenting moments to educate through visual storytelling. A former student worker at The Bridge, Preston is excited to step into his new role, helping faculty and staff create informational, educational, and instructional media.
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New 30 Minute Accessibility Webinar - What's Up with My Blackboard Ally Score!
In our ongoing efforts towards digital accessibility, we've created a new webinar:
What's Up with My Blackboard Ally Score?
Understanding Ally, Your Course Report, and What to Fix First
In this 30-minute hands-on virtual session, you'll learn how to:
- Understand your Blackboard Course Accessibility Report and what the results mean.
- Identify accessibility issues in Blackboard using Ally.
- Determine which accessibility issues to prioritize and address first.
- Follow a straightforward, repeatable process for identifying barriers and using Ally's guidance to make improvements.
- Review common accessibility issues in documents and course materials and see how Ally can help resolve them.
- Learn how small, manageable changes can progressively improve the accessibility of your Blackboard content and make a meaningful difference for students.
Use this registration link to reserve your spot and receive access to the Zoom meeting link. Departments are also welcome to request our team to deliver this presentation in-person or via Zoom departmental meetings. Upcoming session dates and times:
- November 6 • 1:30 – 2pm
- November 11 • 12:30 – 1pm
- November 16 • 3 – 3:30pm
- November 18 • 12 – 12:30pm
- December 1 • 11:30am – 12pm
- December 4 • 3 – 3:30pm
- December 7 • 11 – 11:30am
- December 10 • 2 – 2:30pm
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NEW Hands-on Accessibility Training!
A Faculty Accessibility Toolkit was developed to support you in making your existing course materials accessible in ways that are both practical and efficient, while not requiring you to completely rewrite your content. As we work towards meeting the updated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the toolkit focuses on helping you improve how your materials are structured and presented so they can be fully understood and navigated by all learners, including those using assistive technologies. This hands-on workshop introduces ready-to-use prompts you can apply to remediate materials, review reports of standards met and what specifically to do for any not yet met.
Note: This workshop is-in person at the Health campus in DCIH 260. Please bring your laptop for the hands-on work.
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Partner Event: AP Committee--Using AI with Intention: Policies, Practices, and Prompting
Designed for university faculty and staff, this session explores AI policies, tool selection, Blackboard AI features, and effective prompting strategies. Participants will learn when AI can enhance teaching, learning, and workflow efficiency; when human expertise should take precedence; and how to use AI responsibly to support engagement and academic integrity.
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The Next Online and Hybrid Learning Community meeting: November 12!
If you'd like to officialy join our learning community and be notified of all upcoming meetings and relevant announcements, email Matthew Roberts. You'll be added to the learning community's Blackboard organization where you'll be able to find the Zoom link and information on past meetings.
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Adobe Education Institute--Free Three-Day Event, 11/3 – 11/5/2026
The Adobe Education Institute (AEI) is an exclusive professional learning program geared toward faculty and staff. It's a three-day virtual event where you will gain hands-on experience with Adobe tools and practical strategies you can apply in teaching, student support, communications, and campus initiatives. Pick and choose sessions according to your interests. Participants can earn a badge for every session completed.
This webinar series is sponsored by Adobe, and times vary based on sessions. Most sessions are held late morning or early afternoon.
- November 3, 2026
- November 4, 2026
- November 5, 2026
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Blackboard Digital Teaching Symposium--Free, One-day event--November 19, 2026
Join us virtually on November 19, 2026, for this free, one-day event that brings together higher education faculty and teaching professionals worldwide to explore the latest insights and strategies shaping the future of digital teaching and learning.
Now in its tenth year, the Digital Teaching Symposium (DTS) is designed to connect educators, spark ideas, and showcase innovative practices in today's ever-evolving teaching environment.
This year's theme, Reach, Teach and Demonstrate, is inspired by three questions at the heart of modern teaching and learning:
- Reach: How do we reach every learner?
- Teach: How do we teach well in a changing world?
- Demonstrate: How do we demonstrate that it was worth it?
Expect practical ideas, honest experiences, fresh perspectives, and examples you can take back to your own teaching practice.
Use this registration link to reserve your spot and receive your meeting link information.
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eLearning Professional Development Offerings for November and December
The eLearning team offers a variety of webinars covering a wide range of technology-related teaching topics. Most sessions are facilitated as LIVE webinars using Zoom. Click on the title of the webinar to register in Workday Learning and obtain your Zoom meeting link.
Self-Paced Asynchronous Trainings
In addition to our live Zoom-based trainings, we're excited to offer several self-paced options this fall, allowing you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule.
Accessibility enhances the learning experience for all users. Ally is a comprehensive accessibility tool that enables students to access course materials in multiple formats. It also assesses content accessibility and offers guidance and recommendations for improvement. Upon completion of this self-paced training, participants will be able to create accessible content using platforms such as Word and PowerPoint, and interpret Ally's feedback from the Accessibility Report.
This training lets you learn the essentials of Blackboard Ultra at your own pace. It walks you through its most common features and points you to resources that will help you get started using Blackboard Ultra.
This self-paced workshop fulfills the University's certification requirement for all faculty teaching hybrid and online courses and provides practical skills to enhance your teaching and course design. The course typically takes 8–10 hours, depending on your prior technical experience and access to course content. A key part of the process includes a meeting with a member of eLearning Technologies to review the training, answer your questions, and connect you with a liaison for ongoing support throughout the semester.
Interested in getting started with Padlet? Padlet offers a self-paced professional development course that includes video tutorials on its features and how it can support teaching and learning. Instructors who complete the course can also earn a Padlet certificate.
Register by selecting the title and your GVSU email address.
Accessibility Professional Development Opportunities
FTLC Learning Community - Building Accessibility Leaders Across Campus
Facilitated by: Barbara Stevens (eLearning), and members of the Digital Accessibility Committee
- Location/Campus: Hybrid + Valley Campus
- Duration: This is a year-long learning community that will take place in the Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 semesters. 3 meetings per semester. In-person and Zoom meetings will be available for each session.
This training is self-paced.
This training is self-paced.
Note: This workshop is in-person at the Health campus in DCIH-260. Please bring your laptop for the hands-on work.
11/5/26 • 12pm – 1:30pm
11/6/26 • 9am – 9:30am
12/1/26 • 1:30pm – 2pm
11/6/26 • 1:30pm – 2pm
11/11/26 • 12:30pm – 1pm
11/16/26 • 3pm – 3:30pm
11/18/26 • 12pm – 12:30pm
12/1/26 • 11:30am – 12pm
12/4/26 • 3pm – 3:30pm
12/7/26 • 11am – 11:30am
12/10/26 • 2pm – 2:30pm
Blackboard Trainings
Blackboard uses a continuous release cycle, meaning new features are released monthly. See the latest monthly enhancements demonstrated, with time for guided how-to practice on how these enhancements can be applied in your courses.
11/12/26 and 12/10/26 • 11am – 12pm
In this session, you will explore how to leverage the robust analytics and reporting features of EAC to track student progress, identify learning gaps, and provide targeted support.
11/2/26 • 12pm – 12:45pm
12/9/26 • 12pm – 12:45pm
Digital Pedagogy and Interactive Digital Media Trainings
Improve student engagement and promote innovative thinking in your courses. Students need to develop creative, innovative thinking for today's jobs, and instructors can build this into courses on any subject. Help students apply their learning with real-world scenarios and authentic assessments, and encourage innovative thinking while aligning to your learning outcomes. This webinar will share many examples, tech tools, and engaging options to try in your courses.
11/10/26 • 1pm – 2pm
11/10/26 • 2pm – 3pm
11/12/26 • 1pm – 2pm
Note: This training is in-person in DCIH 260 (Health Campus).
11/13/26 • 1pm – 2:30pm
11/4/26 • 1pm – 2pm
Microsoft 365 Trainings
11/18/26 • 1pm – 2pm
12/2/26 • 1pm – 2pm
12/9/26 • 1pm – 2pm
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Connect with eLearning!
There are many benefits to working with eLearning. We can assist in optimizing your Blackboard course structure, enhancing online and hybrid learning experiences, and incorporating innovative tools to foster active learning. You're encouraged to contact your eLearning Technologies liaisons or submit a consultation ticket at your convenience.
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Sincerely,
Kim Kenward, Director of eLearning Technologies
kenwardk@gvsu.edu
GVSU Information Technology
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