Instructional technologies provide many opportunities to support assessment and track student performance in Blackboard.
The following articles provide details describing the best practices we regularly publish to support our pedagogical community of practice.
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Spring 2026 Fix Your Content Days: Let’s Make Course Materials More Accessible
Three sprints. Small steps. Improve course accessibility.
UMBC will host three Fix Your Course Content Days, dedicated to improving the accessibility of digital course materials in Blackboard. During these three individual sprints, faculty, staff, and...
Posted: February 10, 2026, 1:14 PM
Free Digital Accessibility Workshops from Blackboard
Self-paced solutions for faculty & staff flexibility
Instructional Technology is pleased to offer four workshops on digital accessibility and Ally, available at no cost to UMBC faculty and staff, through July 31, 2026 using a special registration...
Posted: November 4, 2025, 9:49 AM
Fix Your Content Day: Let’s Make Course Materials More Accessible
One day of small steps to improve course accessibility
On Tuesday, November 18, UMBC will host its own Fix Your Course Content Day, dedicated to improving the accessibility of digital course materials in Blackboard. This one-day push is a chance for...
Posted: October 21, 2025, 9:09 AM
The Art of the Description: How to Write Alt Text for Everyone
Write better image descriptions with 5 simple tips
In a world of digital-content, images are often a key part of how we communicate. For students who use screen readers, a picture isn't worth a thousand words -- unless it has effective alt text....
Posted: October 9, 2025, 9:36 AM
UMBC Faculty receive course accessibility mini-grants from Kirwan Center
Congratulations Dr. Laura Rose, PSYC, & Dr. Ming Xie, EDHS
Two UMBC faculty were selected by the William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation to participate in the Boosting Course Accessibility mini grant program. This initiative aims to enhance the...
Posted: September 30, 2025, 10:04 AM
Five Universal Design for Learning Tips to Create Accessible Google & MS Office Content
Improve clarity, engagement, and usability for all audiences
Creating digital content that works for everyone isn't just a best practice—it's a responsibility. Whether building a syllabus in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, a presentation in PowerPoint, or a...
Posted: September 25, 2025, 9:55 AM
Alternative Formats: Empower Student Choice with Anthology Ally and Connect Formats to Learning Needs
Three ways to leverage Ally’s alt formats for all learners
In today's diverse college classrooms, providing students with options for how they engage with course materials is not just a convenience - it's a critical component of effective teaching. By...
Posted: September 18, 2025, 2:00 PM
Ally’s New PDF “Quick Fixes” Empower Faculty in Minutes
Fix titles, language, OCR issues, right inside Blackboard
Imagine encountering a PDF flagged in Ally for having no embedded title, missing language metadata, or being a scanned-only image. Ally’s latest update brings a trio of PDF "quick fixes" that turn...
Posted: September 9, 2025, 3:28 PM
Fix This Fast! How to Use Ally to Instantly Improve Your Course
Use Ally to find and fix course issues in minutes
Need to boost your course accessibility but short on time? Blackboard’s Ally tool is built right into your course and gives you instant feedback on how to improve content for all students —...
Posted: September 4, 2025, 8:05 AM
Ally Now Supports AI-Generated Descriptions for Images
Leverage AI to provide inclusive resources for students
Recent updates to federal guidelines for digital accessibility underscore the critical need for educators to ensure that all course materials are accessible to every student. One of the most...
Posted: August 13, 2024, 9:26 AM
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