Blackboard App Catalog - FAQ

1. What is the Blackboard App Catalog?

Partner integrations continue to play a critical and vital role within the Learn ecosystem, and we’ve always strived to maintain a current and detailed inventory of our partners and their available integrations. The new App Catalog directly enables our partner community to manage their own App listings—ultimately providing our clients with a current, comprehensive, and detailed list of available integrations across all flavors of Learn. As our partner community continues to expand, and our clients navigate their transitions from the Original to Ultra experience of Learn, partner integrations are more important than ever before. Our partners and clients deserved a scalable, dynamic, and comprehensive resource for partner integrations – and we’ve delivered.

2. How does the Blackboard App Catalog Work?

All Partners in the Blackboard Partnerships Program are listed on the App Catalog Partners page and are able to submit detailed information for each of their “Apps” (integrations) to the App Catalog. Submitted Apps are reviewed by the Blackboard App Catalog team and appear in the App Catalog upon approval.
The App Catalog enables anyone to browse, search, or filter the Apps by integration type (LTI + REST, Building Block, Partner Cloud) or Category (Accessibility, Admin/Support Tool, Assessment, Classroom Tool, Consulting/Dev Services, Content, Data Insights, Multimedia, Safety/Security, SIS/System Integrator).
The new Blackboard App Catalog uses OpenChannel - an experienced provider of LMS integration marketplace solutions in the educational space.

3. What does “ULTRA READY” mean?

Any integration listed as “Ultra Ready” is labeled as such to indicate it was built leveraging only Blackboard integration frameworks specifically supported in Ultra (i.e. Partner Cloud, LTI 1.1+ and/or Learn REST APIs). The term “Ultra Ready” is not equivalent to a Blackboard certification status for the Ultra experience.††

Ultra Ready Badges

4. What’s the difference between the 3 App types (LTI + REST, Building Blocks, & Partner Cloud)?

LTI + REST: LTI + REST apps are those integrations that rely on and utilize LTI Tool Placements and/or Learn REST APIs. LTI + REST apps are compatible across all flavors and delivery methods of Learn (Original and Ultra experiences) and have no association with legacy Blackboard Building Blocks.
Building Block: While only fully functional in the Original Experience of Learn, for any Building Blocks that are installed on a Learn environment with the Ultra Experience enabled, the functionality of the integration will only be available in courses using the Original course view. Building Block functionality is not compatible with the Ultra experience of Learn including anywhere within the Ultra base navigation (outside of the course context) or within Ultra view courses. Please see updated Building Block support details here.
Partner Cloud: Natively available in all flavors and delivery methods of Learn (Original and Ultra experiences), Partner Cloud Apps and have no association with a legacy Blackboard Building Block. The Blackboard Partner Cloud streamlines our inventory of content integrations into a single registration and activation process, eliminates Building Block version control issues, and accelerates the delivery of new partner features and product updates. Via the course-embedded Content Market tool, instructors and course builders can access ready-made material from textbook publishers to enhance their curriculum and provide students with supplementary materials that aid in learning. At the same time, sensitive student data remains private and secure.

5. How can I tell which integrations work for Original vs. Ultra?

It can be a bit tricky, but this Ultra Compatibility Matrix provides a bit of clarity:

Ultra Compatibility Matrix

6. Why can’t I find the App(s) I’m looking for?

The majority of LTI+REST integrations and Building Blocks are developed, maintained, and supported by our developer community of partners and clients. It is up to the integration owner to submit their apps the the Blackboard App Catalog. If you know of an App that you’d like to see in the App Catalog, please fill out the Suggest an Integration form and we will work with the partner/vendor to get the App listed.

7. Will more Apps be added to the App Catalog?

Most definitely! The new Blackboard App Catalog confirms our continued investment in the expansion of our partner integration ecosystem, commitment to client transparency, and ongoing support of our transition to Learn Ultra. With an updated FAQ page coming soon and new Partners and Apps being added weekly, the Blackboard App Catalog is a valuable resource that will only improve as it grows.

8. How can I list my App(s) in the App Catalog?

Any Blackboard Partner can submit Apps to the Blackboard App Catalog - join the Blackboard Partnerships Program to get started!

9. What are the various LTI Placement Type(s) available in Learn?

Deep Linking Content Tool: Allows instructors to launch the tool and add content directly from the tool provider.
Course Content Tool: Allows instructors to add the tool to their course content.
Course Tool: Appears to instructors in the Course Management section (Original course) and the Books & Tools menu (Ultra course).
System Tool: Can be opened without accessing a course. Appears in My Institution tab -> Tools menu (Original experience) and Tools base navigation section (Ultra experience).
Administrator Tool: Allows admins to add the tool to the Tools & Utilities menu on the Admin Panel.
Ultra Extension: Advanced UEF option
Proctoring Tool: Proctoring Framework option
Base Navigation Tool: Advanced UEF option
Course Navigation Tool: Advanced UEF option

10. What if I have additional questions?

Reach out to the Blackboard App Catalog Team (appcatalog@blackboard.com)

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††The 3^rd party Ultra Ready integrations available through the Blackboard App Catalog allow you to use the named 3^rd party service with the Ultra experience in Learn. By enabling any 3^rd party integrations you agree that any use of the a 3^rd party service is governed solely by the terms of use by the named 3^rd party (and you shall comply with all such terms of use). Any contract entered into, services provided, or any transaction completed via the named 3^rd party is between you and that party, and not Blackboard. Blackboard makes no representation with respect to the named 3^rd parties and shall have no liability or obligation whatsoever in relation to the content provided to or available at, use of, or correspondence with, the named 3^rd party or any transactions completed and any contract entered into by you with any named 3^rd party. Further, by authorizing a 3^rd party integration, you authorize Blackboard to provide limited personal information required for the named 3^rd party (“Integration Information”). You agree that Blackboard is not responsible for the data privacy and security practices of named 3^rd party and Blackboard is not liable for any unauthorized access to the Integration Information. You accept that you are solely responsible for meeting any applicable requirements and the consequences of authorizing named 3^rd party to access the Integration Information.