Blackboard New Content Editor

The new Content Editor is an update to the previous Blackboard Learn Content Editor. It provides a more simplified and intuitive experience, and it works better on both hand-held devices and larger screens. There are several improvements to accessibility and some new features. Besides some updated tool icons, there are also some changes in behavior and functionality. All existing content will remain  the same and can be edited in the new editor. 

The New Content Editor includes the content area and toolbar. In the content area, you can add and preview the page content. In the toolbar, you can format text, insert links, image, media, etc.

On this page: 

Below are the notable changes with the New Content Editor

Show More Toggle

To see all available tools, click the “show more toggle” symbol at the right end of the toolbar. The show more toggle has an updated icon more commonly used in modern applications. Because the editor is now fully responsive, as many tools as can be displayed on the first line will be. After that, the show more toggle will appear. Once a user has expanded the tool options, the application will retain this configuration.  

The Power of Plus

The Plus button allows you to add content from your computer or tools such as MyMedia (Kaltura). Now you can add multiple files and images at once.

Simple Embed

When pasting links to websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion, the videos are automatically embedded for inline playback. Other sites including The New York Times, WordPress, SlideShare, and Facebook will embed summary previews.

Code Sample

The new code sample tool allows code snippets to be displayed and properly formatted inline without being processed as the actual code and removed for security reasons.

 

FAQs/Tips  

How to attach a file or upload an image?
Select the add button (+), then choose Add Local File. Images will display in the content and files will be linked to. You can now add multiple files at once.

How do I align an image?
Once the image is uploaded (via the + button), click the image to select it, and use the align tools to adjust image. Text will wrap around the aligned image.
align toolbar

How to embed a Kaltura video on a page in a course?
Select the add button (+), then choose Embed Kaltura Media

How do I fix spacing issues when typing?
After pressing the return/enter key on your keyboard, it appears the next line does not have a space between it and previous line. However, when you submit or preview your content - it will have the correct spacing. The issue has been reported to Blackboard to fix.

How do I add a third-party content to my course?
Embedding content from third-party Building Blocks has changed. Now, select the add button (+) for all sources and options for adding content. Choose the Building Block source under the “Additional Tools” area.

Can I use the New Content Editor on a Mobile App?
The New Content Editor is available on a mobile app and you can use it to edit and format text.

How do I add YouTube video?
YouTube videos can be added either by going to the “Add Content” menu or simply by pasting a link in the content area which will convert to an embedded video.

Copy and Paste
The cut and copy function remain unchanged. However, the paste has one change and several enhancements. When pasting a link from a website, it will automatically be converted into embedded media content. The New York Times, WordPress, SlideShare, and Facebook will embed summary previews of the linked content.

Will the paste format be the same?
When pasting, a new option is displayed regarding whether to remove or keep the formatting. The "keep" option will retain all formatting from the source. The remove formatting option will retain basic HTML formatting such as heading sizes, bold, and italic, but will remove the extraneous.

How do I prevent link previews?
To prevent link preview, surround your pasted links with either text on both sides, or more simply, angle brackets or use a dot at the front and end of the URL.

 

Additional Resources 

Last modified: March 25, 2024