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Blackboard Learn Ultra Checklist

Learn Ultra provides an opportunity to optimize your course and take advantage of new and recommended features. This document helps you walk through your options and become aware of key checkpoints when you create, copy, or convert your course.

Table of Contents

Ultra Course Preview
Converting a Course Shell
Converting a Master/Template
Ultra Course Content
Ultra Participation and Engagement
Ultra Assessment
Ultra Performance and Feedback
Ultra Gradebook
Gradebook Settings

Additional Resources

❓Blackboard Learn Ultra FAQ 🧭Blackboard Learn Ultra Comparison 🏴Blackboard Learn Ultra@VWU

Blackboard Support: “All you need is the help button” Blackboard Support links directly to the information you need based on your current task in Learn Ultra.

Ultra Course Preview

In Ultra Course Preview, you can see exactly how your content will convert before you decide to permanently switch to the new Learn Ultra. You can Preview courses that aren't currently available to students.

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Preview to explore rather than build, any changes you make to your course in the preview are lost if you switch back to the Original course view.

Experience the new Learn: Select the pencil icon in the top-right corner of your course.

Try the Ultra Course View: Click Try the Ultra Course View, your course will be converted.

Converting a Course Shell

Use the Ultra Course: Click Use the Ultra Course to permanently convert your course shell.

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When converting course shells, it is best to delete the menu items that will convert to folders in your Course Content (Syllabus, Learning Modules, Exams/Quizzes, and Assignments). You can Batch Edit to select and Delete items.

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DO NOT use a folder called Learning Modules. Create Learning Modules to provide additional features (images, navigation, progress tracking, and forced sequence). Ultra provides two levels of content, a Learning Module can contain Folders but Folders cannot contain Learning Modules.

Converting a Master/Template

You'll receive an email notification when your course is ready to optimize.

View Details: Select the View Details link in the banner or the Course Exceptions link under Details & Actions to Review all conversion exceptions in Learn Ultra.

The conversion process is under continuous improvement:

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Content that will convert: Identify content types supported with conversion.

Content items are converted to Ultra documents—some loss of formatting to text and files that you added in the editor may occur
Folders limited to two sub-levels
File attachments are grouped together in alphabetical order at the end of the content
Assignments, including group assignments, are converted to Ultra assignments (attempt data, submissions, and grades removed during conversion).

Note: Assignments with maximum points that contain decimal places, the points possible value is truncated and rounded down to the nearest whole number.

Assignments with SafeAssign enabled
Calendar due dates are converted
Tests are converted with Calculated Formula, Essay, Fill in the Blank, Fill in Multiple Blanks, Matching, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, and True/False question types

Unsupported question types and test options are removed
Attempt data and submissions are removed during conversion
Maximum points or question point values that contain a decimal are truncated and rounded down to the nearest whole number

Original questions pools are converted to Ultra question banks and appear on the Reuse Questions page

Existing tags added to questions in the Original course view appear on the Reuse Questions page

Original question sets and random blocks are converted to Ultra question banks (see: Question Banks for the latest updates)
Percentage-range and percentage rubrics are converted without descriptions

All other rubric types are converted to percentage rubrics, such as points and point range
All Original rubric settings are now set to the Ultra rubric defaults, such as display to students

Discussions are flattened to four levels of threading—ability to view replies to replies—with some settings removed

An Original graded forum that doesn't allow members to create new threads keeps the current behavior described above
An Original graded forum that allows members to create new threads is converted to a graded discussion in Ultra and all of its seed child threads and replies are deleted
Note: Group discussion boards, forums, and threads aren't converted

Course announcements are converted with limitations:

Rich text announcements are converted to plain text
Some embedded images may appear
No attachments and date restrictions included
Course links may appear but won't take users to the content items

Gradebooks are converted with some limitations
Lesson plan content is organized into two sub-levels of folders
Mashup links to the original content appear, if possible
Web links are converted
Course links to assignments and discussions only with limitations
Goal alignments are converted for supported items in the Learn Ultra and made visible to students
SCORM package attempt data is converted to Ultra, but the data is lost if you go back to the Original course view
Learning modules content organized into two sub-levels of folders
Journals: Original course view journals, prompts, and settings are included in course archives and exports and are converted in the Learn Ultra course view. Only journals from content areas in Original courses appear in Ultra courses on the Course Content page. At this time, comments and student entries aren’t included when you restore an archive.

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Content that will not convert: Identify items that are not supported with conversion.

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For copied and converted content, review Course Exceptions and Course Content for formatting differences, broken links, missing images, and release conditions. You can also View a Report when you copy and convert from Course Tasks and Logs.

Back to Original course: Your course reverts to the way it was before the Preview. Remember, any changes you made to your course during the Ultra preview are lost if you go back to your Original course.

Use the Ultra course: Permanently convert your course and review your Course Content.

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Once converted, the Original course menu located on the left sidebar becomes the Learn Ultra Course Content located in the center page. You can further update and create your Course Content, the following checklist will help you with this process.

Ultra Course Content

Evaluate your learning module and folder structure. You can create two levels of content to provide easier navigation and management on smaller screens.

Getting Started: Drag and drop, upload, or copy your course Syllabus and any other information students need to get started in the course.

Example: Create a folder to organize your Welcome, Meet the Instructor, Meet your Classmates, and required resources.

Create Containers: Add Learning Modules and Folders to organize content.

Recommendation: Your Syllabus (inline & downloadable) should be updated and available as a stand alone document for easy reference.

Add Content: Select the plus sign wherever you want to add new content. You can create or expand a Learning Module or Folder to add content and drag and drop content into place.

Example: Organize your content by week, module, topic, unit, and/or type.

Create: A layer opens for you to choose the content type you want to add. Add learning modules, documents, links, folders, assignments, tests, discussions, and journals.
Copy Content: Copy an entire course and/or select items from any of the courses you teach.

Recommendation: Review course content before you copy, determine if you want to copy all or part of the course content.

Upload: Upload content from your local drive. You can also import from Cloud Storage, select from the Content Market, or your Content Collection.
Content Collection: Your Content Collection is created as you upload files to your course. When you upload a file, what you see is a link to the file, the original file is stored in the Content Collection. You can use the Content Collection to organize, share, and reuse content.

Release Conditions: “Adaptive Release” is now called “Release Conditions”, you can release content based on dates, performance, and sequence.

Example: Provide supplemental materials based on student performance on a graded item to personalize the learning path.

Want to copy an entire Original course or import a course package?

Open the more…ellipsis on the right side above the Course Content list and select Import Content.

You can also Batch Edit, Copy Items, Export a Course Package, and view Course Tasks and Logs.

Batch Edit visibility

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Instructors and Administrators around the globe recommend creating Ultra content from scratch. Copy and conversion options require a detailed review!

Ultra Participation and Engagement

Accommodations: You can set accommodations for individual students from the Roster based on due dates or time limits.

Announcements: Course announcements converted from your Original course may appear as content items; you may need to copy/paste the Announcement text into a new Announcement in the Ultra course to save a draft, schedule, or post immediately.

Note: Review course Announcement before you copy a course, if you do not want to copy the all Announcements, exclude them from your copy. You cannot bulk delete course Announcements.

Attendance: When you access the attendance feature for the first time, you can decide if you want to add attendance to your gradebook.

Conversations: Enable Conversations for course content to facilitate quick exchanges about documents, assignments, assessments, and tools.

Discussions: Discussions can be created inline under Course Content or via the Discussion tool available in the top course navigation bar. Ensure that converted Discussions appear as Discussions. You may need to create a new Discussion in Learn Ultra and copy/paste the original Discussion prompt.

Note: When creating discussions from the navigation bar, you have the option to include the discussion on the Course Content page. Discussions created inline on the Course Content automatically appear under the Discussions navigation menu. Take advantage of the the new Discussion Analysis to evaluate graded discussions.

Groups: Groups can be assigned to a discussion, assignment, or test. You can choose to randomly assign groups, allow self-enrollment to groups, create custom groups, import group sets, or reuse an existing group already used within the course. Only one learner in a group can submit the assignment or test on behalf of the group.

Note: If you have course groups and group sets in your Original course view and convert to Learn Ultra course view, the group sets appear on the Course Groups page. Groups not part of a group set don't appear on the Course Groups page.If you used course group sets to create group assignments in your Original course, those group assignments convert.

Journals: You can create a journal assignment on the Course Content page, add them to learning modules, and use release conditions. Journal assignments appear in the Activity Stream, and students and instructors can discuss the entry in comments. You can make a journal assignment count for a grade and add a rubric.

Note: The initial release includes a basic grading workflow, grades are manually entered in the gradebook. Full grading functionality and support for course copy, conversion, and continued enhancements are on the roadmap.

Messages: All users can access course messages specific to the course on the navigation bar and receive a copy via email. You can choose to "Allow replies to this message” and allow students to create their own messages (replies are not an option for student created messages).

Note: Ultra Announcements and Messages replace Send Email in Original.

Progress Tracking: You can enable Progress Tracking so students can view their progress through a learning module or folder. Learning modules show a progress bar and folder show a circle icon that is is empty when a student has not yet accessed the item, partially filled when a student has opened the item, and a green checkmark shows when the student has completed the item. The new Student Progress tab helps you track individual student progress as well.

Note: Participatory items are marked as complete when the student has made a submission or contributed to a discussion. Non-participatory content is marked as complete after the student has viewed it. Students can mark complete items like Documents, uploaded files, or links once they have opened them. For Assessments, Tests, Journals, or Discussions, the item will be automatically marked as complete once the student has submitted. When all items in a Folder or Module have been completed, the entire folder is automatically marked as complete.

Ultra Assessment

Create or copy assignments and tests for student assessment and take advantage of security, submission, and grading options.

Assignments: Ensure that converted Assignments appear as Assignments. You may need to create a new Assignment in the Ultra course and copy/paste the Assignment text into it.

Note: Check and add/edit Assignment settings such as Availability, Groups, Conversations, Due Date, Rubrics, Alignments, and Grade Categories.

Tests: Ensure that converted Tests deploy as Tests. You may need to rebuild Tests that have settings and/or question types not currently supported in Ultra courses.

Test Options: You can provide automated question feedback and prevent cheating through features like question banks, access codes, timers, display, navigation, and randomization.

NEW: Hotspot Questions
Coming Soon: Import questions from a file

Question Banks: You can reuse questions and create question pools to ensure each student receives a different version of the assessment.

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Tests, Pools, and Surveys: Create, edit, grade, and track student, test, and question performance.

You can select from the following Test options:

Maximum Points: The maximum points for the test will calculate automatically based on the total point value of your questions. You set the point value for each question as you create it.
Attempts Allowed: When you set up a test, determine how many times learners will be able to take it. Currently, you can set it anywhere between one and 10 or it can be unlimited. You can control how the grade will be calculated when using multiple attempts (e.g., average score, highest try, lowest try, first graded, last graded)
Time Limits: You can set a time limit for the test. Learners will be informed of the limit before they start the test, and they will see the timer as they take it. Once the time limit is reached, the teacher can choose to have the test submitted automatically or to allow learners to continue working on the test after the time limit expires. If extra time is allowed, questions answered after time expires are indicated in the system.
Randomize Questions: When selected, the order of questions will be randomized. Selecting this option is useful when multiple attempts are in use. This feature cannot be used if you have added a text block or an attachment to your test.
Randomize Answers: When selected, the order of the answers within questions are randomized. This applies to multiple choice and matching question types.
Display One Question at a Time: When selected, the test is presented as one question at a time. Students use the navigation button to progress to the next question.
Question Pools: Select a subset of questions from a larger set of questions. Each learner gets a slightly different mix of questions.
Assessment Grade: When enabled, the assessment grade is automatically posted to the student upon submission. This applies only to assessment questions which are automatically graded by the system. To manually determine when to post an individual grade or to post all grades as the same time, do not enable this feature.
Group Tests: You can create a group test. You will be able to grade for each group and can also change a group member's individual grade.
Freeform Tests: You can create a test without questions but with text to which learners can respond. You could ask for attached files and/or a free-form response.

Video: Use question pools

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Question Banks and Test Pools conversion FAQ

Exceptions: You can give an individual student an exception on a specific test or assignment. An exception includes additional attempts or extended access, even if the assessment is hidden from other students. An exception overrides the two settings applied to everyone else for only that specific assessment. Video: Grant Assessment Exceptions in the Ultra Course

SafeAssign: You can enable the SafeAssign “Originality Report” through the Assignment and Assessment settings, the work is compared to the global database and a report is generated.

Student Activity Details: Access student activity details including which students opened, started, and submitted tests and assignments.

Group Tests: Create, assign, grade, comment, and allow conversations. By default, you assign a grade to each group as a whole. You can also change a group member's individual grade.

Peer Assessment: You can review, evaluate, and manage peer review for qualitative assessment.

Anonymous Grading: You can enable anonymous grading for assignments and tests that don't contain the built-in question types.

Download Assignments: You can download all or selected submissions to review offline. Usernames are included automatically in the file names for easy identification.

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Keep the following in mind when downloading assignments.

Submission Receipt: A confirmation number is automatically generated for each assessment attempt. The receipt confirmation number can be used to search for a submission and details include the assessment name, grade, number of attempts, file size, and date and time stamp.

Collect Submissions Offline: You can create assessments that appear on the Course Content page that don't require learners to upload submissions. You can add instructions, files, a rubric, and goals so learners can prepare for the offline work.

Ultra Performance and Feedback

Goals: You can align goals to multiple items in your course including files, documents, links, assignments, tests, discussions, and rubrics.

Rubrics: You can create or copy a rubric and associate it with an Assignment, Test, or Discussion.

Progress Tracking: You can view Unopened, Started, and Completed status.

Student Progress report for course content: You can view the path each student is taking on the course, content, progress with relevant date/time stamps and current visibility status of each item.

Feedback: You can annotate, give feedback, record (embed up to 5 minutes of video/audio communication).

Annotate: You can read files inline and annotate to provide feedback directly in the system. Supported document types include Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX), PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX), and Portable Document Format (PDF).

Student Overview: Get relevant student information and personalize your communications. You can use the message feature to quickly follow-up with a student about any of the information on the Student Overview.

Analytics: You can run reports for your courses and keep track of how your students are performing over time.

Course Activity: You can view how well your students are performing and how much they are interacting with your course.
Question Analysis: You can review statistics on overall performance, assessment quality, and individual questions.

New: A flag appears for students with alerts in the Course Activity Report. Instructors can customize course alerts based on the number of days a student is inactive in the course and if a student’s overall grade falls below a specific percentage.

Ultra Gradebook

As you create gradable content (assignments, assessments, and discussions), corresponding gradebook columns are automatically generated.

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This is a sample of the gradebook features, major improvements scheduled August 2023.

For converted courses, check that all gradable items appear in the Gradebook.

Grid View presents rows and columns similar to Original view.

Student Grid view includes all of the learners and items. It is similar to spreadsheet with columns (items), rows (learner), and cells.

You can search the Gradebook by columns and categories to check on the status for a single gradebook column or create a simple, filtered view of a specific gradebook category across all learners.
You can search the submission list to find a specific submission or submission status for a specific learner.
You can filter for individual consultations.

List View allows you to sort items that need to be graded “Grading Status”, new Submissions are highlighted in purple.

Gradable Items list is the default view listing all items in the gradebook. In this view, you can move the items to reorganize the gradebook. It does not include the names of learners.
Students list students by name and Last Access, click to view the students submissions table including status, grade, and feedback.
Student Activity: You can view student activity and details and visually compare student to the rest of the class.

Want to see what needs grading?

Filter by Grading Status: Needs Grading

Note: As needed, you can add a row/column for an item or calculation by selecting the plus sign that appears between existing rows/columns. Rearrange items in the row view, by pressing the Move icon in the row of the item you want to move and dragging the item to the new location.

Gradebook Settings

Grading Schemas map percentages to letter grades or some other notation for reporting performance.
Student Performance allows you to receive alerts in your Activity Stream about student performance and activity based on the number of days student is inactive and/or when a student’s overall grade falls below the indicated percentage.
Assign Automatic Zeros for past due work.
Overall Grade helps student keep track of their performance, you can select the gradebook items to include and to format to display (calculated by points, weighted, or formulas).
Grade Categories group similar coursework, you can add custom categories to the gradebook.

New: Flexible Grading, Parallel and Anonymous Grading, Partial and Negative Credit, and Formative Assessment indicator

Bonus Feature: Top 10: New Things You Can Do in Blackboard Learn Ultra Today