Penn Libraries is currently testing the new version of Blackboard, set to be released to the Penn community during the first summer session.
Blackboard 9.0 has been uploaded to the library’s test server, where staff members “will test functionality, upload plug-ins … and become familiar with the new look and feel,” Penn Libraries Director of Public Services Marjorie Hassen wrote in an e-mail.
Next month, selected staff members across the University will test the program further before presenting the new version to faculty.
Blackboard 9.0 has a new, more interactive user interface with a “drag-and-drop” feature, customization capabilities and a user “dashboard” that provides course notifications and alerts, Courseware Manager and Educational Technology Librarian Amanda Chudnow said in February.
