Feature highlights
This video shows you some of the Blackboard Ultra features and updates released on June 6th 2024. Updates will be automatically available within your courses, organisations and content menus. You’ll find more detailed release notes below.
New grade indicator for students
Course filters and personalisation
One-click points update in Tests
Print Tests
Topic: Tests and Assessment
Feature Details: Instructors can now print Test Questions, along with Form and Assignment questions. Use the print test button to send your test to a pdf or the printer.
What does this mean for you?: This gives you the ability to print test questions and provides greater flexibility to view and share test questions and provide paper-based copies, for example, sharing with external examiners.
Post Immediate Announcements
Topic: Communication
Feature Details: When you create a new announcement the options are now Save Draft or Post Announcement. This then bypasses the step to save then post the announcement. Send Announcement as an email option is still available, as well as the post on specific date setting.
What does this mean for you?: This make posting an announcement more efficient. You can still save a draft if you need to come back to add information or links, as well as if you wish to wait to post the announcement at a specific time. Simply edit the announcement and click Post when you are ready to do so.
Guide: Blackboard Announcements
Add Grader Notes
Topic: Tests and Assessment
Feature Details: Add hidden notes to student feedback area without them being public to the student.
What does this mean for you?: This is useful to second markers and moderators where there might be extra notes to define the grade, but which are not part of the feedback to the student. *Please note: Grader Notes are not visible to students. However, you should write them in such a way that you’re comfortable with the student accessing them if requested.
New Grade Indicator for Students
Topic: Student Gradebook
Feature Details: The Gradebook menu area will display the ‘newness indicator’ to show new grades are available.
What does this mean for you?: This will help your students identify when their new grades and feedback have arrived.
Course Filters and Personalisation
Topic: Finding Courses and Organisations
Feature Details: In the Courses and Organisations tabs you can currently search courses/organisations and filter by year. The new filters are individually able to be kept or changed depending on the filters needed.
What does this mean for you?: Users can search for courses and organisations in a number of ways. This can help them find materials from previous years over multiple modules.
Guide: Ultra Base Navigation
One Click Points Update in Tests
Topic: Tests and Assessment
Feature Details: Click in the points field to edit the points possible for test questions.
What does this mean for you?: Currently when importing questions or updating the points users have to click on Edit question, then into the points field to change the points possible. Now, you can just click into the points box to update the points possible and save from there, removing an extra step.
Mobile Devices
There have been a couple of updates with the mobile functionality.
The Blackboard app has received similar filters to the courses and organisation areas as featured above in the desktop version. This allows a more comparable experience across any device, whether using a browser or the Blackboard app.
Accessibility features have been updated as well – Reduce Motion Settings allow the animations when areas open and closed to be reduced for better user choice.
If you have an query about Blackboard Ultra, please raise a ticket with the TEL Team.