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This page covers a list of common issues you may encounter when working in Blackboard Ultra.

👉 Contact Digital Services if you need support with the technical infrastructure for online learning, passwords and email.

👉 Contact the Blackboard helpdesk if you are having issues with setting up or accessing assignments or learning materials etc. within the Blackboard learning environment.

😖 I can’t log in to Blackboard

Account conflicts - using other Microsoft accounts

Please note that we recommend signing out of any personal, or workplace Office/Office 365 accounts before signing in to Blackboard Learn.

Ulster University uses Microsoft Office 365 for Single Sign-on (SSO). If you are logged in/ or have recently logged into a non-UU Office 365 account, your browser may pick up this account and prevent you from logging into Blackboard.

  • If you have another office account this may be detected automatically, make sure you are using your ulster account:

Screenshot of Blackboard learn pick an account  page with ulster email highlighted

  • If another account is detected choose “Use another account” and enter your ulster email and address.

Screenshot of Blackboard learn pick an account with use another account highlighted

A simple way of seeing which account you are logged into is to visit Microsoft Office and select your initials at the top right of the screen. This will display the name of the account you are currently logged in with (see image below).

Image showing current Office Account and Sign Out link

If you are using a personal/workplace/non-Ulster University Office.com/Office 365 account you should first Sign out of that account (and close your browser) before attempting to login to Blackboard Learn using your Ulster University account details.

Expired sessions

If you are logged into Blackboard Learn and leave the session open within your browser, the system will timeout after a set period of time (typically 8 hours) resulting in an error message. To resolve this issue we suggest going to Microsoft Office (logging in if you are not aready logged in), selecting your initials at the top right of the screen and choosing the Sign Out link (highlighted in red below):

Please note that we also recommend signing out of email if you are using the web version of Outlook

You should then close and open your browser and try to login again.

I don’t have a university account

The majority of staff need a University email for access to Blackboard Learn.

New full time member of staff (with an e-code e123456) are automatically assigned an email and password. You will find these details in the personal email used on your application and or contract (check your spam if you can’t see it in your inbox). Contact HR hr@ulster.ac.uk or servicedesk@ulster.ac.uk if you haven’t received your new login details.

Associate members of staff e.g. those with part-time, short-term or temporary contracts (with an a-code a12345) will receive their welcome email and password reset in their personal email account used in their application (check your spam if you can’t see it in your inbox). In addition, Associate members need their A-Code/email to set up their account. Contact the member of staff who sponsored your application, they will have received a notification email with your A-Code.

I don’t know how to log in to Blackboard

I’ve forgotten my login details.

Use the same credentials that you use for the MyDay Portal or University e-mail i.e. your Ulster University e-mail address and network password.

I’ve forgotten my network password

You can reset your account on the Microsoft website at https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com/ or by following the instructions at Self-Service Password Reset.

I can’t use my Multi-factor Authentification.

Ensure that you have Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) is enabled.

  • Log in to Microsoft 365, click on your initials or photograph in the top right hand corner

and click on View account

office-365.jpg
  • Click on Security info

Make sure the Default sign-in method is set to ‘Microsoft Authenticator- notification’. If it is not click Change and select ‘Microsoft Authenticator- notification’ from the drop down menu.

Screenshot 2024-08-20 at 12.29.27.png

If you do not have Multi-factor authentication (MFA) set-up, follow the the guide to setting-up MFA or follow this Digital Services guide for MFA.

Oops! Something went Wrong

If you see the error screen above, don’t panic, it’s probably just a permissions issue.

image-20240902-145734.png

Check you are assigned to the module you expected to see, if you are then contact the Blackboard Helpdesk with the module code, problem description and your details.

🧐 I can’t see any of my courses

Make sure you are in Courses view in Blackboard.

Once you are logged into Blackboard you are automatically taken to Activity stream, click on Courses in the left hand menu.

Screenshot 2024-08-19 at 14.59.39.png

If no courses appear in Courses view, check your course filters at the top of the page

Check your Course filters

If no courses appear in Courses view, check your filter settings at the top of the page, Terms filter should be set to All terms and Filters all courses.

Screenshot 2024-08-20 at 13.33.43.png

Getting assigned to a module

If you still can not see your course in Blackboard course view, you may need to be assigned to the module. while students enrol on a course and are automatically assigned to a course, staff need manually assigned to their course. You can use module manager to get access to a module.

Remember modules may share the same name with courses that run on different campuses or different semesters, make sure you select the right one. Each module has a unique CRN, Course Reference number, use this to select the right course.

Follow these instructions to get access to your course using Module manager.

If you are still having problems contact the module coordinator.

Setting up your module in Module Manager

Every academic year, a new version of your course must be created for a new cohort of students. If you are the named Module co-ordinator for a course, you can set up your course in Module Manager for the new academic year.

As Blackboard is being upgraded to Blackboard Ultra, academic year 24/25 modules will be automatically assigned a Blackboard Ultra Module template

migrate-content.jpg

As Blackboard is being upgraded to Blackboard Ultra, you can only migrate content from other Ultra modules, otherwise your course will be assigned a blank Ultra module template.

If your course is blank, you can easily copy content from your Blackboard Original modules or add new content.

😬 I can’t migrate my content from last year!

In academic year 24/25, all modules will be automatically assigned a Blackboard Ultra Module template.

Important

You can only migrate content from other Ultra modules, otherwise your course will be assigned a blank Ultra module template.

migrate-content.jpg

you can only migrate content from other Ultra modules, otherwise your course will be assigned a blank Ultra module template., see My Module is empty for guidance

đŸ˜© My Module is empty

As Blackboard is being upgraded to Blackboard Ultra, all academic year 24/25 modules feature the new Blackboard Ultra module template. However, you can only migrate content from other Ultra modules, otherwise your course will be assigned a blank Ultra module template.

Don’t panic! You can 


Copy content from a previous module

To copy into the course content area; in your Ultra module, you can either 


at the top of the course content area, click the ellipsis (three dots)

Course content screen in Blackboard ultra with Ellipsis highlighted

Or mouse over where you want to add an item, click on the plus icon.

staff-create-plus.png

the select Copy Content from the drop-down menu.

staff-copy-content.png

This will bring up the Copy Items dialogue box. Enter the module code you wish to copy from, in the Course name or ID search box.

Using the Search functionality in the Copy items screen in Blackboard Ultra

For more detailed instructions on

Add new content to the Course Content area

Mouse over where you want to add an item, click on the plus icon.

Course Content view clicking on the plus icon to add content

This brings up the add content context menu, select Create

Course content view, context menu, create highlighted

This brings up the Create Item context menu. Select the type of item you wish to add (NB use Context Market for Turnitin)

Course Content view, Create Item context menu

Follow the links to more detailed instructions on

Adding a Turnitin assignment dropbox

Navigate to the folder / section you want to place the drop box in. Click on the + icon

Screenshot 2024-09-02 at 13.31.41.png

Then click on ‘Content Market’

Screenshot 2024-09-02 at 13.28.04.png

Content Market shows all the tools integrated with Blackboard, select and click on Turnitin to add a Turnitin dropbox and then adjust your settings.

Screenshot 2024-09-02 at 13.28.43.png

Changing the name of an item in Ultra

To change the name of an item in Ultra, click on the three dots (ellipsis) and select edit.

Screenshot 2024-09-02 at 13.40.42.png

Then mouse over the title and click when you see the title underlined and the pencil icon appears

Screenshot 2024-09-02 at 13.41.41.png

when you see the flashing cursor you can edit

Screenshot 2024-09-02 at 13.42.59.png

No need to save, just use the X to close.

image-20240902-145153.png

😌 Getting support

Getting support from Digital Services

Digital Services support the technical infrastructure for online learning and provides technical support and training.

Digital services provide support for email, password, Staff portal, Eduroam wifi, hardware, software, and printing.

When contacting Digital Services, remember to state

  • your B-number (e.g. B00123456),

  • personal and [if available] ulster email addresses (e.g. jjsmith2011@gmail.com and smith-j3@ulster.ac.uk),

  • description of the problem

  • screenshots (on a PC use PrintScreen and on a Mac Cmd + Shift + 5)

Contacting the Blackboard helpdesk

Contact the Blackboard helpdesk if you are having issues with setting up or accessing assignments or learning materials etc. within the Blackboard learning environment.

NB For technical problems such as logging in and password issues, please contact Digital Services.

For issues within Blackboard, you can

When contacting Blackboard helpdesk, to speed up our support, please state

  • your name, a-code or e-code

  • module code & CRN e.g. BMS859 & 64404

  • ulster email address e.g. j.smith@ulster.ac.uk (contact Digital Services if you don’t know your ulster email)

  • type of issue e.g. Turnitin dropbox -Coursework 1 Scientific paper - not working

  • description of problem

  • and screenshots (on a PC use PrintScreen and on a Mac Cmd + Shift + 5)

Example email to Blackboard helpdesk

image-20240830-140432.png

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