Teaching with Blackboard

Get Started with Ultra

• Instructor Tour
• Ultra Quick Start Guide
• Building and Managing Ultra Courses (PDF)
• Ultra Institute Webinar: Part 1 | Part 2
• Tutorials from Blackboard Anthology (playlist)

Course Tools

• Make your Course Available to Students (as of 01-13-2025)
• Progress Tracking
• How to create/edit a rubric

Customize & Organize your Course

Images:

• Course Banners
• Insert Images using Unsplash or AI Design Assistant in Blackboard

Learning Modules and/or Folders:

NOTE: Learning Modules are the primary container of choice in Blackboard Ultra and provide features that are not available in Folders.  Our recommendation is a Learning Module, with subfolders and content.  Think of Learning Modules as a filing cabinet drawer, and within that drawer, you have folders and then documents in those folders.  We only have three layers available and you cannot have subfolders within those folders.  For accessibility and usability purposes, all content should be accessible to students within three clicks.

A typical Learning Module may look like this:

Week 1 (Learning Module)

• Readings Lectures & Videos
  • Video
  • PowerPoint
  • Document
• Learning Activities
  • Quiz
  • Assignment
  • Discussion
  • Journal

How you organize your course is up to you, but be sure it is consistent so students can easily find content.

• Differences between Folders and Learning Modules
• How to set up a Learning Module
• Using Design Assistant to Generate Learning Modules

Copy, Export, Import

• Original to Ultra Course Copy
• Ultra to Ultra Course Copy

Communication Tools

Announcements:

• Create and Send an Announcement

Messages/Email:

• Create and Send Messages

Upload/Add Content, Media & Videos

Files:

• How to Upload files from your Computer
• How to Upload Files from Cloud Storage

Videos:

• How to Upload Videos to Kaltura and Embed them in your Blackboard Ultra Course
• How to embed Kaltura Playlists in your course

Create your Own Documents:

• Fun Formatting (Ultra Documents)

Assessments: Assignments, Tests/Quizzes, Journals, Discussions, etc.

Tests/Quizzes:

• How to Create a Test
• How to Auto-Generate a Question Bank

Assignments:

• How to Create an Assignment
• How to Auto-Generate Assignments

Discussions:

• How to Create a Discussion
• How to Auto-Generate Discussions
• How to create a Group Discussion
• Discussion Analytics

Journals:

• How to Create a Journal
• How to Auto-Generate Journals

AI Conversations:

Groups & Collaboration Tools

• How to create/assign groups to assignments
• How to create a Group Discussion
• Create a OneDrive Collaboration Document

Gradebook & Grading

• Gradebook Overview
• How to Grade Assignments
• How to Enable Grading on Journals
• How to Grade a Test

Math and Equations

• Math/Equation Editor
• Calculated Numeric Question Types
• Calculated Formula Question Types
• Blackboard Ultra: The Equation Editor and adding Math Formulas and Equations to Tests/Quizzes (Webinar)

For Students

• Student Tour of Blackboard Ultra
• Blackboard Ultra (Student View): How to Submit Documents in Assignments
• Blackboard Ultra (Student View): Instructor Feedback and Rubric on Graded Assessments
• How to use the Math/Equation Editor
• Tutorials from Blackboard Anthology (playlist)

What's New in Blackboard

Here’s where you’ll find the newest insights into the latest features and improvements of our award-winning course experience. As a dedicated educator, you play a pivotal role in shaping the future—and we want to ensure that you have everything you need to make the most out of Blackboard.

Check back regularly for the latest updates

Want to see new things or features/tools for instructing students?  Faculty and Staff are welcome to contribute their ideas -- in fact, we encourage it!  Anthology/Blackboard is very responsive about adopting our ideas.

Submit and vote for your ideas on the Idea Exchange