When you first open your course, it will be empty. It is suggested that first time Blackboard users import one of the CCSU created pre-made course templates. You can modify it as needed to fit your teaching style.
Import Pre-built Course Templates- Ultra
Once you’ve uploaded a template for your course, you can start customizing your course. Each Blackboard course is split up into different sections called Content Areas. Each Content Area can hold files, assignments, and more.
Navigate Inside a Course
This guide is a good starting point for new Blackboard Ultra users. It will teach you the basics of navigating within a Blackboard Ultra course.
Copying Course Content in Blackboard Ultra
This page describes how to copy content from one Blackboard course into another one. The content can come from previous Blackboard Original courses or from Blackboard Ultra courses.
Managing Files and Folders
You can use folders to better organize your content, as well as set visibility settings for files and folders.
Edit and Manage Content
This page describes several file related functions of Blackboard Ultra, including using the unused files management tool, editing, replacing, deleting, and reordering content, setting content availability, and making your content accessible.
Add Content to Course Content Tab
This guide will teach you how to add files, images, videos, and audio to your Course Content area.
Course Links
Course links allow you to create shortcuts to existing areas, tools, and items within your course.
Web Links
A web link allows students to access external websites from your Course Content page.
Create Groups
You can create groups to separate students for group projects and allow for group submissions.
Course Banner
Customize your course banner to help students more easily identify your course.
Opening a Course in Ultra
When you request a conversion of your Blackboard Original course to Ultra, it will need to be opened to allow students to access content. This document gives instructions on how professors can open their courses to students.
Create and Edit Assignments
Assignments allow students to submit their work to you electronically. Creating an assignment will automatically create a column in your course's Gradebook tab.
Create a Test or Survey
Tests and surveys allow you to test your students' skills with various question types or to gain feedback regarding your course. Like assignments, creating a test will automatically add an associated grading column to the Gradebook tab.
Edit Tests and Questions
This page will guide you on edits that can be made to tests after they are made available to students.
Clear test attempts and add exceptions
If a student needs to retake a test or needs to take a test at a different time, follow this guide to clear a previous attempt or create an exception.
Question Banks
Question banks are lists of questions that can be easily reused between different tests,
Create Rubrics
Rubrics allow you to clearly communicate your expectations for an assignment to your students while enabling fair grading.
Create Group Assignments
Group assignments allow students to work collaboratively as a group
Release Conditions
Set release conditions to control when students are allowed to access content.
Discussions Overview
The Discussions tab replaces discussion boards from the Blackboard Original View. You can submit prompts which students can respond to.
Create Discussions
This page will teach you how to create a new discussion in your course.
Respond to Discussions
You can respond to student discussions to provide feedback or to continue the discussion.
Manage Discussions
Discussions can be managed similarly to your course content. You can hide discussions, organize them into folders, allow students to create discussions, and more.
Grade Discussions
Discussions can be graded similarly to assignments and tests. This guide will show you how to set up discussion grading.
Group Discussions
You can set up discussions between group members to help create more focused discussions.
Accommodations
You can set accommodations for students to extend access to tests or assignments, or to allow additional attempts.
Ultra Gradebook
This guide will teach you how to navigate the new Gradebook interface, which replaces the Grade Center from Original View courses.
Gradebook Columns
This guide explains how to add additional columns to your course, including weighted columns, gradable item columns for assignments and tests conducted outside of Blackboard, and additional calculated columns.
Gradebook Calculations
This guide goes more in depth about setting up calculated columns in Blackboard Ultra's Gradebook.
Hide unenrolled students from the Gradebook
If a student is no longer enrolled in a course, they will still remain in the Gradebook. This guide will show you how to hide them from your Gradebook view.
Item Management
The Item Management page is Blackboard Ultra's replacement for the Column Organization page from Blackboard's original view. You can hide columns from the instructor view or change item categories from this page.
Analytics Overview
The Analytics tab can be used to monitor student performance and to identify students who may be struggling to grasp the course subject matter.
Course Activity Reports
This tool can be used to check when and how students are interacting with your course.
Student Activity Log
Each student has an activity log which can be used to identify when items were accessed or submitted. This can be a useful tool to check student progress within a course.
Student Activity Details for Courses
You can view a student's activity details to view charts showing the time spent in a course over time.
Messaging within Ultra Course
Blackboard Ultra allows you to send messages in your course. By default, messages will be emailed to students. Students may also view course messages through the Messages page in Blackboard.
Announcements
The Announcements tab in your Blackboard Ultra course allows you to send messages to the entire course. Messages are visible in the course's Announcements tab as well as through email.
Calendar
The Calendar tab shows when items in your course are due to students.
Student Preview
Student Preview mode allows you to see what a regular student would see when opening your course. It is useful to verify your course is set up properly.