Blackboard Building Blocks
Introduction to
Building Blocks
Daniel Cane, Senior Vice President R&D
Monday, April 13, 2015
Topics
What are Building Blocks
Goals of Building Blocks
Types of Building Blocks
Building Blocks Program Components
Developers Community
Building Blocks Roadmap
What are Blackboard Building Blocks?
Blackboard Building
Blocks (B2) is the
underlying architecture
that enables the Blackboard platform
to easily integrate educational
web-based tools and content that
meet institution-specific, disciplinespecific or accessibility needs.
Blackboard Building Blocks
It is NOT just a set of Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs)
It is a complete framework for extending
the Blackboard Platforms, integrating new
components, and interoperating with other
applications.
It is a robust program for facilitating the
development of enhancements to the
Blackboard platforms.
Building Blocks Across Products
“Operating
Environment”
Content
Library Systems
Security
Communication
Blackboard
Building Blocks
Collaboration
Content Mgt
Content Authoring
Assessment
Homegrown Applications
Back Office Systems
Goals of Building Blocks
For Students and Instructors
Access to a wide range of
discipline specific,
pedagogically specific, and
more engaging content and
applications.
Goals of Building Blocks
For System Administrators
Creation of new breeds of
applications to aid in the
deployment management and
operation of the Blackboard
Platforms.
Integration of other tools,
applications, and services
under a common platform.
Goals of Building Blocks
For Developers
Create an extensible platform
which can be used to create
exciting new applications,
integrate existing tools, and
extend the core modules on
top of a common, easy to
learn, platform.
Goals of Building Blocks
For Partners
Create a marketplace for 3rd
party application developers
and consultants for their
products and services.
Goals of Building Blocks
For the CIO, CFO
Enhance the ROI for
Blackboard and other
applications which can be
integrated together to
increase utilization.
Goals of Building Blocks
For Blackboard
Extend the value proposition
for our clients far beyond what
we as a single company can
provide.
Types of Building Blocks
 Extend Existing Blackboard Functionality
 Add New Functionality into Blackboard
 Integrate 3rd party applications with Blackboard
 Integrate Blackboard with “Back-office” SIS and
Authentication Systems
 Create and Consume XML-Based Web Services
 Provide and Render portal modules, portlets,
and RSS Channels
 Integrate with the Blackboard Transaction
System
 … and MORE!
Types of Building Blocks
Content Engine
Images
Multimedia
Blackboard Platform
WYSIWYG
Building Blocks Manager
SQL
JAVA
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Text
Building Blocks
which extend the
existing functionality
within Blackboard
– Example: Adding a
new content type and
handler to the
content engine such
as a WYSIWYG
Editor
WYSIWYG
Types of Building Blocks, contd.
SQL
JAVA
Dictionary/Thesaurus
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Blackboard Platform
Building Blocks Manager
 Building Blocks which
add new functionality
to Blackboard and
take advantage of the
Blackboard platforms
“machinery” to run.
– Example: Adding a
new tool such as the
dictionary / thesaurus
tool to Blackboard.
Dict / Thes
Types of Building Blocks, contd.
SQL
C++
3rd Party Assessment Engine
SQL
JAVA
Integration
Bb Assessment
Agent
Gradebook
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Blackboard Platform
Building Blocks Manager
Building Blocks
which integrate a
third party
application with
Blackboard
– Example: Adding a
new assessment
engine to
Blackboard
Integration Agent
Types of Building Blocks, contd.
LDAP
SIS System
SQL
JAVA
ERP Integration
Application
Agent
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Authentication
Application
Agent
Blackboard Platform
Building Blocks Manager
Integration Agents
which integrates
Blackboard with
Back-office ERP
systems such SIS
system as well as
authentication
systems such as
LDAP and
Kerberos.
Types of Building Blocks, contd.
Web
Service
SQL
JAVA
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Blackboard Platform
Building Blocks Manager
Integration agents
or Building Blocks
which interoperate
with XML based
Web Services.
Types of Building Blocks, contd.
SQL
New Portal Module
Portal Module
Portal Module
Portal Module
Portal Module
Portal Module
Portal Module
Blackboard Platform
Building Blocks Manager
 Building Blocks which
add new modules to
the portal.
– Example: adding a
portal module which
allows students and
faculty to preview the
menu at the dining
halls.
JAVA
New Module
Types of Building Blocks, contd.
$$
SQL
JAVA
Application
Agent
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Application
Blackboard Platform
Building Blocks Manager
 Transaction System
Integration agents or
Building Blocks which
enable interoperability
across campus
system and hardware
via their ID card.
– Example: Adding an
integration with the Bb
Transaction System to
integrate a 3rd party
dining service system.
Building Blocks Program Components
• Building Blocks Web Sites
• http://www.blackboard.com
• Product Add-Ons “Tab”
•
•
•
•
Learn about Building Blocks
Building Blocks Catalog
Featured Building Blocks
Community Links
• Developers “Tab”
• Building Blocks Software Developers Kit (SDK)
• Documentation
• Sample Code
Building Blocks Program Components
• Blackboard Developer Network (BbDN)
• Developer Tab
• Bb Developer License
• Communities, Knowledge Base, Code
Snippets, White Papers, Beta Software
• “Blackboard Enabled” Logo Program
Product Add-ons
Product Add-ons – B2 Catalog
Product Add-ons - Community
Developers
Developers – Code Samples
Developers – Code Samples
Developer - Documentation
Documentation
Application Framework
Extension Developer
Guide
Extension Interfaces
Module Developer Guide
Extension Migration Guide
Blackboard API Reference
(JAVADoc)
Blackboard API FAQ
Developer – Building Agents
Developer – Submit Building Block
Blackboard Developers Network
Developer Network Highlights
Access to a large community of expert
Blackboard developers and administrators
Latest Blackboard Software
Pre-release access to upcoming versions
Additional documentation and code not
available on public site
Active Community
Growing Community Outside of Bb
“Blackboard Enabled” Logo Program
 Look for the Logo!
 Independent Compatibility Testing
– Conducted by Quality Partners
 Assurance of safety, reliability, quality
Building Blocks Roadmap
Where have we been?
Where are we today?
Where are we going tomorrow?
Where have we been…
Blackboard 5.5
•1st Generation of Building Blocks
Release 6
•2nd Generation of Building Blocks
• 1st Release of APIs which
included content, user,
announcement, and others
•APIs are made consistent
and simplified. New APIs are
added.
•1st Release of the Building
Block Manager which
facilitated the deployment of
building blocks
•2nd Release of the Building
Block Manager enhances
management; adds security.
•UI hooks were student centric
or content related
•Blackboard and the
development community
learned much.
•Additional UI hooks added
throughout the platforms. New
hooks for instructors and
administrators available.
•Portal APIs and “Back Office”
APIs are added
Where are we today?
Over 500 Institutions are using Building
Blocks
Over 3,000 extensions have been
downloaded from the catalog
3rd Party Partners
3rd Party Tools and Services
Instant Messaging
PDA Synchronization
Enhanced Assessment Engines
Enhanced Collaboration Engines
Enhanced Handheld Support
Enhanced Content Management
Enhanced Content Handling
Mathematical & Scientific Notation
Content Management
Portal Technologies
Content
… and Much, Much More!
Where are we going?
Next Release
• Addition of .NET based APIs
which allow Building Blocks to be
developed on any of the CLR
supported languages.
• Additional UI hooks extend the
integration capabilities to almost
every area within the control
panels.
• Enhanced Module support helps
preserve customizations to those
modules when they are updated.
The Future
• Event Based API System
• New classes of APIs such as
reporting APIs
•UI and Building Block hooks into
other elements of Blackboard such
as “List Pages”, “Textboxes”, and
“Browse Buttons”
Thank You
Demos to Follow >