Ultra Courses for 2024/45 modules have been created in Blackboard and are now available for colleagues to review and begin building.
What do Ultra Courses look like?
Because of the move to Blackboard Learn Ultra and the fact that many module codes are changing as part of the Portfolio Review process (PRP) a different approach was needed and there is no automatic course copying (Course Rollover) this summer.
All Blackboard courses for 2024/25 are empty shells ready and use the University approved standard course template (or, in some cases, the locally agreed version of the template for your School). How to use the course template.
The icons for some tools such as YuJa and Online Reading Lists have been modified to reflect the type of content it provides. The titles of the links to the tools have been updated, for example in the Content Collection to make it clearer what you are selecting. Find out what these are: Update to Blackboard LTI Icons and display names.
New naming conventions for courses
Semesterisation necessitates some changes in Blackboard course names and codes – primarily the need to show in which semester a module runs.
The new conventions for Blackboard course names and IDs are explained in this support article: Blackboard course codes explained.
Request Merged and Supplementary Courses
It’s not possible to carry forward any existing Merged or Supplementary course arrangements this year. A new request for these courses needs to be made. Find out how to make a request.
Important: Courses need to be merged before you add any content or enrolments.
How are staff enrolled on 2024/25 Courses?
Module Convenors who are listed against a module in RISIS are automatically enrolled on the corresponding Blackboard course, and given the role of Primary Instructor.
Other staff teaching or supporting module delivery will need to be manually enrolled onto the Blackboard course (co-convenors and other staff listed against the module in RISIS will be automatically enrolled as Instructors, but this data will not be available until closer to the start of the new academic year).
Course roles have been updated. Check the description of and recommended use for each role, and summary of the permissions for each course role. We suggest that on Ultra courses the Instructor role is only be assigned to the Module Convenor and academics leading on the delivery of teaching on the module.
Programme Administrators will be able to enrol themselves, and other colleagues, onto modules in the School which they support.
If you are teaching on a module and cannot see the 2024/25 course for that module in Blackboard, please contact
- the Module Convenor
- or the Programme Administrator.
See How are staff enrolled onto a Blackboard course?
How will students be enrolled on 2024/25 Courses?
There is no change here – as usual, student enrolments will be pulled through from RISIS to Blackboard following the change in academic year, early in August.