Categories that allow instructors to specify the number of groups now support up to 1,000 groups. Single-user, member-specific enrollment type groups also support up to 1,000 groups per category. This update makes it easier to create larger group sets in high-enrollment courses. The 1000-group limit applies to all group creation methods and cannot be exceeded. This includes creating groups on the Manage Groups page, creating groups using the API, and automatically creating groups when enrollment capacity increases.

Previously, instructors could create up to 200 groups per category.

This release introduces a new Manage Groups interface that helps instructors and administrators manage course groups more efficiently. The updated interface supports larger class sizes by making it easier to manage more groups in a single category, reducing the need to spread small-group activities across multiple categories.

The new group page helps users quickly validate group setup by showing existing categories and their configurations. Instructors can view each categorys enrollment type, number of groups, and associated activities. Each activity links to its related locker, discussion, or assignment.

Figure: The new Manage Groups interface displays group categories in a table with the number of groups, enrollment type, and associated activities for each category.

From each category context menu, instructors can edit the category, add a group, manage members, import users, export member details, email the category, or delete the category. Access to the Recycling Bin remains available. However, the Import and Export buttons are no longer on the Manage Groups page; they are now available from each category's context menu.

To view and manage individual groups in a category, instructors can select a category to open a details page. This page shows each groups name, code, number of members, associated assignments, discussions, and lockers. Instructors can edit each groups name and code, manage members, export members, email the group, or delete the group.

Figure: The group category details page lists individual groups and provides actions to manage the category, add groups, and access each groups assignment and locker files.

As part of the improved Manage Groups experience, the Recycling Bin page presents visual updates, including new filtering and search options. These updates do not change how instructors delete or restore groups and categories.

Figure: Recycling Bin lists deleted group categories and groups, with options to search, filter by item type, select items, and restore selected items.

For more information on how to create groups, see this manual.

Instructors can now identify which Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes include attached rubrics directly from list pages, helping instructors and administrators quickly audit assessments, confirm rubric setup, and reduce configuration errors.

When a rubric is attached to an activity, a rubric icon appears beside the item in the Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes list pages. Written response questions in the Quiz Creation page also display a rubric indicator when a rubric is attached. Activities that include both rubrics and learning outcomes continue to display the rubric icon.

Figure: Rubric icon displayed beside assignment in Assignments list.

The rubric icon is informational only and does not link to the rubric, consistent with other informational icons such as release conditions and anonymous marking.

To help instructors and instructional designers manage learning outcome alignments more efficiently, this feature updates the Outcomes Coverage experience in Content with a single workflow for reviewing course coverage and managing alignments.

Instructors and instructional designers can now review learning outcome coverage across a course, review alignments by module, and manage activity-level alignments from the same page. This update reduces navigation between separate pages and provides a more streamlined workflow for reviewing and updating outcome alignments.

Previously, outcome coverage review and outcome alignment management were accessed separately. Now, instructors can review coverage across an entire course, examine alignments within modules, and manage activity-level alignments from a single page. Bulk editing is also available for outcome alignments, allowing instructors to make changes more efficiently.

Figure: Use the Edit Outcomes Coverage view to review outcome alignments across course modules, identify coverage gaps, and evaluate overall alignment progress.

With this update, instructors with the See Anonymous Post Author permission can view anonymous posts when assessing individual learners in Discussions. Anonymous posts display an Anonymous post label to indicate that the learner posted anonymously.

Previously, instructors with the See Anonymous Post Author permission could reveal a learner's name on an anonymous discussion post, but they could not see anonymous posts when assessing learners or view discussion statistics that included anonymous posts.

Figure: Instructor view of an anonymous discussion post, showing that the learners name is visible to the instructor but hidden from other learners. Instructors without the See Anonymous Post Author permission continue to be unable to assess anonymous posts.

Discussion statistics now include anonymous post counts for roles with permission to see anonymous post author information. Statistics include counts only for anonymous posts created after this feature is introduced. When learners view linked discussion activities in Content, the My Work area now includes their anonymous posts. These posts are labeled Anonymous post.

Figure: Learner view of an anonymous discussion post, showing the Anonymous Post label and tooltip explaining how anonymity applies to classmates and instructors.

This update improves the source and filter dropdowns in the Browse Existing Questions dialog to better align with Brightspace standards and provide a more consistent experience. Both dropdowns now include a search option, helping instructors find sources and filters more quickly.

Figure: The Source dropdown with a search field in Question Library.

Figure: The filter dropdown with a search field in Question Library.

Figure: When creating or editing a quiz, in the Timing  Display section, select Hide question annotation tools to disable question flagging and answer option strikethrough for learners.

This release introduces the question annotation option in Quizzes. Learners can flag quiz questions to revisit later and apply strikethrough formatting to answer options to help narrow their choices. Learners can select the bookmark icon beside a quiz question to flag it for review. Flagged questions appear in the left navigation, allowing learners to quickly return to them. Learners can also select the strikethrough icon beside answer options to eliminate choices they believe are incorrect.

Figure: A flagged quiz question with an answer option shown in strikethrough. Instructors can disable these tools for learners by selecting Hide question annotation tools in the Timing & Display section of the quiz edit page.