Blackboard Overview
Blackboard has a new interface! Learn more about recent changes below
What is Blackboard Ultra?
Blackboard Ultra is our official LMS. Compared with the Original Blackboard, Ultra is designed to enhance user experience with a simplified interface and improved navigation for online teaching and learning. Find out more below.
Recent Blackboard Ultra Updates
Blackboard Ultra: Recent Feature Highlights
Want the full details? Check out the Blackboard Ultra Release Notes.
Live in May
- Text-based columns in Gradebook: Add notes for your students directly in the gradebook.
- “View submission one time” test setting: Allow students to view their results only once for added security.
Live in April
- Feedback review indicator: Easily see whether students have viewed your feedback.
- Content Designer: Users can now print documents created in Ultra.
Other recent features we love
- AI Conversations: Blackboard can now use AI to assist with content generation and conversations.
- Discussion Analytics: Get insight into student participation with visual summaries of who is engaging—and how often—in discussions.
- Progress Tracking: Students and instructors can see progress tracking indicators for content completion.
Ultra Overview
When your course is created at UAS, it is now created in Ultra.
As long as the semester that your course is in has not begun, then you can contact us to revert to the older interface.Send us an email at uas.celt@alaska.edu. We will also loop in your supervisor.
Here is a workbook from Anthology/Blackboard on course conversion.
We put that workbook into NotebookLM, an AI tool available to all UA users via our Google Education subscription:
You can also download the transcript of the audio overview here.
Our Knowledge Base has more information
If you are looking for answers to a specific question, we have many articles in our Knowledge Base covering all of the main functions of Blackboard, including a section with articles on Ultra! For example, you can find out more about the following:
Course Copy and Date Management
Course copy allows you to copy material from an old course into your new course which will save you hours of uploading and posting.
Course Linking
Course linking allows you to link multiple sections of the same course so that they appear in one Blackboard course site and grade center.
Self-Paced Blackboard Tutorial
If you're new to Blackboard, email us for access to our self-paced Blackboard Ultra tutorioal course.
More Tips and Troubleshooting
Browsers
- Make sure you're using Google Chrome or Firefox. These browsers work best with Blackboard. If you're using a Mac, avoid using Safari.
- If you are having trouble with your grade display jumping around when you use the scroll bar, use the arrows instead. If you don't see arrows on your scroll bar, try a different browser.
Printing Blackboard Pages
If you want to print off a page of Blackboard such as your instructional content folders, open your Blackboard course in Firefox, right-click on the webpage, select "This Frame" and then click on "Print this Frame". You will be able to print everything on the webpage instead of just what can be seen on your monitor.
CELT also has a YouTube page with helpful videos about Blackboard and other topics.