Blackboard Ultra: Top 5 New Features
In search of Blackboard Ultra updates? Look no further. Dive into this list of new features and get the tools you need to help increase efficiency, improve the student experience, enhance assessment and grading capabilities, and much more.
Gradebook Updates
Recent updates to the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook include:
- Advanced Sorting and Filtering – filter the gradebook view by multiple variables like users, groups, items, and categories. Multiple filters can be used on demand. The filters applied can also be bookmarked and accessed later.
- Overall Grade options – The overall grade can now be displayed by percentage instead of just a points or letter score. The column can also be hidden if the instructor does not wish to use it.
- Attendance Column – The attendance column can now be hidden if the instructor does not plan to use the Attendance tracker in the course.
Progress Tracking
Progress Tracking is a new feature available within Blackboard Ultra courses. Once turned on, students can visually identify what tasks they have started, completed, or haven’t interacted with. Students can also manually update their progress on specific items. This is a new level of personalization in Ultra, and it should help students see the progression through their course.
Right to Left Support
Arabic and Hebrew speakers are now able to choose their preferred language in their profile settings. Selecting a new language offers the following benefits:
- Full Right to Left flipped user interface across the Blackboard dashboard and within courses
- Enhancements for the Ultra Rich Text Editor that allow users who write in Right to Left languages to adjust the text direction display.
- System-level Arabic and Hebrew language support and Ultra Course View language enforcement.
New Top Navigation
Previously, a series of icons appeared at the top of Ultra courses that allowed users to access different tools such as Calendar, Discussions, Grades, and Messages. To improve accessibility and clarity, these tools have been moved to the right side of the top navigation bar and now use text instead of icons as indicators.
Calendar Hyperlink Support
New calendar items have a new field for hyperlinks, allowing instructors to include URLs to important events. Instructors can link any virtual tool of their choice in the calendar event, and students can launch the virtual session from the calendar itself.
Learn more about Digital Learning & Innovation, or to schedule an appointment with an Educational Technologist, email askedtech@bu.edu.
About the Author: Harry Lawrence is an IS&T Platform Administration Manager and the primary Application Administrator for the Learning Management System (LMS), Blackboard Learn, and the lecture capture solution, Echo360.
