Just in time for a new semester, the Blackboard course management system has been upgraded, with new tools for instructors:

• Instructors can create or import "rubrics' that explain the standards by which student work is evaluated and attach them to one or multiple items, including assignments, discussion boards, blogs, journals, wikis, and certain quiz components. Instructors can use the rubrics as a guide in grading. The rubrics can be visible to students at any time, or only after grading has been completed.
• Timed quizzes can save and submit automatically when a timer expires, or allow work to continue beyond the allotted time and report how much time the student spent on the attempt.
• "Needs grading" notices that tell instructors student work has been submitted can now be used with wikis, journals, blogs, and discussion board posts.
• Chrome is now on the list of supported browsers.
• A new tool helps to move files associated with older versions of Blackboard to the new structure.