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Notis

Carry useful Slack resources into Blackboard course content

Make a resource easy to find again by placing it in the course space.

Trigger

Channel Message Received

Triggered when a message is posted in a Slack channel (public, private, or multi-party IM). Does NOT match direct messages.

Action

Create child content in course

Creates a new content item within a specified course and parent content in the blackboard learn platform. this endpoint allows for the creation of various types of content, such as documents, external links, folders, and assignments. it provides extensive control over content properties, including title, body, description, availability, and positioning within the course structure. the endpoint supports rich text formatting through bbml and offers features like review status and adaptive release settings. it should be used when adding new materials, resources, or organizational elements to a course. note that the content type is determined by the contenthandler, and some properties may have different effects depending on the course experience (classic vs. ultra).

Why this helps

Helpful links and materials shared in Slack are hard to retrieve when learners need them later.

  • Give learners a stable place to find materials discussed in Slack.
  • Reduce repeated requests for links buried in chat.
  • Keep resource handoff close to the moment someone shares it.

Setup

Build it in a few focused steps.

  • 1Connect Slack and Blackboard to Notis once through the portal.
  • 2Create an automation in the portal and give it a clear resource-sharing name.
  • 3Write a single plain-language instruction asking Notis to add relevant shared learning resources to the specified Blackboard course.
  • 4Select the Slack channel message trigger, pick where run reports go, and test with one useful resource.

Questions about this workflow

Can this handle more than links?

Describe the types of materials Notis should recognize, such as a link or a shared document, in the prompt.

How does Notis know the course?

Name the course or explain how to identify it in the plain-language instruction.

When this happens · Trigger

Do this · Action

Supported Triggers and Actions

Notis builds workflows that link Slack to Blackboard. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.

Slack triggers

Blackboard actions

Recurring trigger

Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.

TriggerScheduled

Course Announcements Access

Retrieves a list of announcements for a specific course in the blackboard learning management system. this endpoint allows users to access important messages, updates, or notifications related to a particular course. it should be used when there's a need to fetch all announcements or check for recent updates in a course. the tool returns announcement data but does not provide functionality for creating, updating, or deleting announcements. keep in mind that the returned list may be paginated if there are many announcements, and additional calls might be necessary to retrieve all data.

ActionInstant

Webhook trigger

Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.

TriggerInstant

Get course announcement by id

Retrieves a specific announcement from a particular course in the blackboard learn system. this endpoint allows users to fetch detailed information about a single announcement, including its content, creation date, and any attachments. it is particularly useful for displaying announcement details in external applications or for retrieving updated information about a previously known announcement. the endpoint requires both the course id and the announcement id to ensure precise retrieval of the intended announcement. it should be used when specific announcement details are needed, rather than for listing all announcements in a course.

ActionInstant

New Channel Created Trigger

Triggered when a new channel is created in Slack.

TriggerInstant

Update child course in parent

This endpoint updates the relationship between a parent course and its child course in the blackboard learning management system. it is used to modify existing course hierarchies, allowing administrators to restructure course organizations or adjust course relationships. the endpoint should be used when there's a need to change the parent-child association between two courses, such as moving a sub-course to a different parent course or updating the hierarchical structure of courses. it's important to note that this endpoint only modifies existing relationships and does not create new courses or new child-parent associations if they don't already exist in some form.

ActionInstant

Channel Message Received

Triggered when a message is posted in a Slack channel (public, private, or multi-party IM). Does NOT match direct messages.

TriggerInstant

Upload file to attempt in gradebook

This endpoint allows for the upload and attachment of files to a specific attempt within a course's gradebook in the blackboard learning management system. it is used to associate submitted work, supporting documents, or any relevant files with a student's attempt on an assignment, quiz, or other assessable items. the endpoint should be called after the initial file upload process, using the generated uploadid to link the file to the specific attempt. it's particularly useful for instructors or system integrators who need to programmatically attach files to student submissions, or for building custom submission interfaces that interact with blackboard's backend. this endpoint does not handle the actual file transfer; it assumes the file has already been uploaded to blackboard's system and is now being associated with a specific attempt.

ActionInstant

Direct Message Received

Triggered when a new direct message (DM) is sent to a user in Slack. Catches all DMs across all DM channels.

TriggerInstant

Get oauth2 authorization code

Initiates the oauth 2.0 authorization code flow for the blackboard api. this endpoint is used to obtain an authorization code, which is a crucial step in the oauth 2.0 authentication process. the authorization code can later be exchanged for an access token, granting limited access to user resources on the blackboard platform. this endpoint should be called when an application needs to request permission from a user to access their blackboard data. it's important to note that this endpoint does not directly provide access to user data; it only initiates the authorization process. the response will typically include a redirect url containing the authorization code, which the client application must handle appropriately.

ActionInstant

Message Reaction Added

Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.

TriggerInstant

Get user gradebook for course

Retrieves the gradebook information for a specific user within a particular course in blackboard. this endpoint allows instructors or authorized personnel to access individual student grade data, including assignment scores, overall course grade, and any custom gradebook columns. it should be used when detailed grade information for a single student in a specific course is needed, such as for progress monitoring or grade reviews. the endpoint does not modify any data and is read-only. note that this tool only provides grade data and does not include other course or user information beyond what's directly related to the gradebook.

ActionInstant

Message Reaction Removed

Triggered when a reaction is removed from a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.

TriggerInstant

Copy course with specific options

The coursecopytool allows you to create a copy of a blackboard course with fine-grained control over which elements are included in the copy. this endpoint is used when you need to duplicate a course, either creating a new course or overwriting an existing one, while selectively choosing which components to transfer. it's particularly useful for course administrators or instructors preparing for a new semester or creating variations of an existing course. the tool provides extensive customization options, allowing you to include or exclude specific course elements such as content areas, assessments, gradebook settings, and more. however, it does not handle enrollment of students or instructors in the new course - this must be done separately after the copy is complete.

ActionInstant

Reaction Added Trigger

DEPRECATED: use `SLACK_MESSAGE_REACTION_ADDED` instead. Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack.

TriggerInstant

Copy course by courseid

This endpoint creates a copy of an existing course in the blackboard learning management system. it allows instructors or administrators to duplicate course content, settings, and structure into a new or existing course. use this endpoint when you need to replicate a course for a new semester, create a template from an existing course, or backup course content. the operation copies all copyable elements of the source course into the target course specified by the courseid. note that this process may take some time for large courses, and certain elements (such as student data or time-sensitive content) may not be copied. the endpoint does not provide real-time progress updates on the copying process.

ActionInstant

Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.

Slack and Blackboard, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.

When this happens · Trigger

Do this · Action

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