Enhancing Learn 9.1 using CSS

Michael Garner

Sustainable Theming Practices

Styling the environment

Styling the environment

• Creates consistency for improved user Experience

• Sense of ownership and inclusion in the large enterprise solution set

• Can support innovative pedagogical practices

• And many more . . .

Planning…who do we involve…it’s important

• Involve Marketing and/or Corporate Web team . . . Why?

• Usability feedback from users

• Allow time– Run as a project or build ample time into upgrade

timeline– Storyboard ideas, create mockups, design brief

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Creating your own design brief

Local development - Workstation Setup

• Developer VM–https://community.blackboard.com/docs/DOC-1104

• Zip Tool–Windows OS may have issues with native zip tool

• CSS Editor of your choice–Brackets (http://brackets.io/)

http://brackets.io/

Brackets HTML, CSS & JS Editor

Anatomy of a Bb Learn Theme

• Download the Bb Default 2016 Theme

• Extract Files

• Navigate to zip folder

Anatomy of Bb Learn Theme

• Two root folders–Core–Plugins

• Main focus – ‘core’ folder

• Core folder contains most of the CSS files used by Learn

Anatomy of a Bb Learn Theme

• The theme.css contains the stylesheet includes that get combined into the main theme file when uploaded. I prefer to make all the changes and additions to this file to minimise file edits

• NOTE: Theme.css is not referenced when viewing My Blackboard pages. app_nav.css is used

Customising the theme

• First, let’s change the tab background

• Right click in the tab background and select Inspect Element

Customising the theme

Customising the theme

• If making significant changes:

• Add css changes to end of app_nav.css rather than finding and changing original values

Customising the theme

• Can also break into additional files and import into theme.css

Customising the theme– responsive CSS

• You can use the 480/768.css files or include you own by placing CSS code in between

@media only screenand (min-width:320px) and (max-width:480px) {

.global-nav-bar .logout-link { width: 30px; }

.global-nav-bar { font-size: 13px; height: 30px; }

}

Deploying your custom theme

• Once you have updated the CSS files, change is complete, zip up core and plugins directories

• Using a command line script can expedite this process

Deploying your custom theme

• Upload zip file to System Admin > Brands and Themes > Theme & Palette Catalog

• Great article on automating this process using the content system–https://community.blackboard.com/docs/DOC-3285-customizing-the-blackboard-

learn-experience-with-css

• Create at least one course, instructor and student accounts for testing

Customising the theme

• Once you have updated the CSS files, change is complete, zip up core and plugins directories

• Using a command line script can expedite this process

Code

TestAdjust

Customising the theme – Reducing impact of upgrades

• Upgrades are a reality

• Plan theme updates into your upgrade plan

• Separate enhancements from original code and COMMENT appropriately

• Use a diff tool to review latest theme with your custom theme

Customisation – Reducing impact of upgrades

Reduce the pain of upgrades by minimising:

• Major page layout changes

• If using bootstrap elements, extract the required elements and adjust for inclusion in theme package. Do not simply include the bootstrap css files.

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Some great theme examples

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Considerations for SaaS – Learn 9.1 NOT ULTRA

For those considering a transition to the AWS SaaS hosting platform running Learn 9.1, some considerations:

• Continuous Delivery – updates every 2-4 weeks

• Ongoing theme updates

• Understanding the impact of your theme updates

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Resources

• Blackboard Help: https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/Administrator/Hosting/User_Interface_Management/040_Brands_and_Themes/050_Themes/Learn_2016_Theme

• Customising the Blackboard Learn Experience: https://community.blackboard.com/docs/DOC-3285-customizing-the-blackboard-learn-experience-with-css

• Show us your Blackboard: https://community.blackboard.com/message/11768#comment-11768

For more information please contact me:

Michael.Garner@blackboard.com

@mikegarnr