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In August of 2022, Blackboard Learn will begin to use the Ultra Base Navigation (UBN). This will update the appearance of Blackboard Learn . This update and is a stepping stone towards the eventual - a move to - Blackboard Learn Ultra and . It does not significantly change module areas, module navigation, tools and or workflows - all of which will continue to work as before with . There will be some - small - design changes to improve the usability and responsiveness of the system, particularly on mobile and tablet devices.
This video explains the changes and how they fit in to a wider ambition to upgrade to the full Blackboard Ultra experience by Summer 2023.
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What is the Blackboard Learn Ultra Base Navigation?
The Ultra Base Navigation is an overhaul of update to the layout and appearance of Blackboard Learn, designed to improve the virtual learning environment’s accessibility and mobility.
The Ultra Base Navigation benefits students academic staff in the following ways:
- Modern, intuitive experience.
- Responsive layout for mobile devices.
- The new activity stream and aggregated calendar helps you to better manage your time. The aggreg.ated aggregated courses calendar can be linked to an external calendar tool using an .ics file.Assessment and assignment details can be found in one location (using the Activity Stream)
- Actionable information about your students and modules are available immediately when you login.
- Quick access to important information by opening modules and tools in layers, reducing the number of clicks needed to take an action.
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Instead of displaying tabs across the top of Blackboard Learn, there is now a persistent left-hand navigation menu that provides you with access to your modules (and other Blackboard areas) and course tools:
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Note: You can longer use the Personalise Page feature to customise the course menu colour. |
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The animated image (below) also demonstrates the use of layers:
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Note: The purple X, used to close the overlay, is in a similar location to the button used to add items to the left hand navigation - in our current version of Blackboard Learn. It can be frustrating to select the close button by mistake, so it may be helpful to know where the new icon to add navigation elements can be found. The new icon is highlighted below:
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Personal Profile
The new profile page allows you to select your preferred pronouns and upload a photograph, clarify the pronunciation of your name through phonetic spelling and an audio recording. The Profile page can also be used to edit your Global Notification Settings (the e-mails and updates you receive from Blackboard Learn).
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Activity Stream
The Activity Stream will notify you of upcoming events, recent activity, the release of new content, or assignments in your modules. The Activity Stream is the default landing page when you first login to Blackboard Learn. The activity stream also highlights key events for the day and events in the near future. It will also notify you of due dates, marks, and submissions - all in single location The Activity Stream will notify you of relevant information from across your modules, related to your role. As an Instructor in a module you will see announcements, notifications and some new features related to how your students are engaging with your module areas. Upcoming events from your personal Blackboard Learn calendar will also be displayed.
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Note: For important notifications and communications, it is advisable to continue to check your student staff email and Blackboard Learn modules. |
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- Select the Activity Stream button (shown below):
- The Activity Stream page will open:
Accessing Marks in the Activity Stream
Where marks and feedback are available within the Activity Stream:
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- , in the example below you can see that Blackboard has identified some students in specific modules who are showing online engagement that is lower than their peers.
Monitoring students in the Activity Stream
A new feature, for instructors, is the identification of students who show patterns of engagement that may need further investigation. These students will be identified in the Activity Stream with a text link stating how many students are falling behind.
On clicking the link you will see a list of the students identified as 'falling behind' on a chart showing Marks and Course Activity.
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Software is unable to understand a complete picture of a student’s learning experience and there are limitations with any approach that only uses accessible digital data. |
Courses
The Courses page helps you organise and personalise your courses list. Use it to access the modules or programme support areas you have been enrolled on.
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- Select the Courses button (shown below):
- The Courses list will open:
Courses Tile/List View
Withing Within the Courses tool, you can view your modules in tile or list view, using the view toggle button (highlighted in red in the image below):
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Your modules and programme support areas will be listed under Current Courses. You can use the Current Courses drop-down list to show upcoming courses:
If you are enrolled on teaching large number of modules, the Search your courses box is useful for filtering your Current Courses list:
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Any modules shown in the Courses list as Private are unavailable to students . These modules may become available but will be accessible to you at a later date.
Organisations
The Organisations section is not currently used and can be ignored for now.
Calendar
The Calendar page allows you to see all the aggreagtes teaching events and deadlines from all your courses in one place. You can change between day and month view using the toggle button:
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- Select the Calendar button (shown below):
- The Calendar view will open:
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Note: *Please do not rely on the Calendar for your assessment due dates, as not all staff choose to create an announcement for new assessments. Always check your module areas for details of any new assessments. If you are in any doubt about assessment deadlines, please contact your teaching team. |
Messages
The Messages tool can be used to send messages to individuals, multiple people, or an entire cohort - within the modules you have access to. Messages only exist within Blackboard Learn; they are not sent to e-mail accounts and can only be accessed via the Messages tool.
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- Select the Messages button (shown below):
- The Messages page will open:
- If you have any new messages, it will be indicated by a red circle next to the Messages icon. For Example:
Marks
The Marks tool gives you access to your all your marks and feedback in a single location.
To access Marks:
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Note: Marks displayed are subject to change and may not be finalised. If you have any questions about your marks, you should contact your teaching team for clarification. |
Tools
The Tools section now provides access to the Content Collection and Portfolio tools.
To access Tools:
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