Setting up a BB Ultra development area
In September 2024, all Blackboard Learn modules are moving to Blackboard Learn Ultra, Ulster University’s new digital learning environment.
Get a head start, set up your own Ultra development area to explore Blackboard’s new features and functionality.
Use your Blackboard Ultra development area to develop content for teaching in September 2024. You can easily copy documents or folders or copy whole modules to your live teaching area.
Instructions
Login to Module Manager Module Manager using your staff code e.g. e123456 and your network password.
Select Setup from the Ultra dropdown menu:
Give your Blackboard Ultra development area a meaningful title e.g. “firstname-lastname Ultra dev area”, then click on Set it up!
Your request will take a few minutes. Your course will appear in your Blackboard course view:
Your course is not public, to collaborate with colleagues, you can add other people to your Ultra area. Select Manage from the Ultra dropdown menu.
Enter “ultra” into the input box, a list of ultra modules that you have access rights. Select the module you need to add additional users.
Enter the name (lastname, firstname) or staff code of the new user, select Instructor from the access level and click Save.
Your Blackboard Ultra Development Area will look like this, this is the new Blackboard Ultra interface. This area is private, you control access to the content using module manager.
Begin to add items to your module, our Blackboard Ultra essentials page provides support on all the tasks needed to set up a teaching module or watch the following video about getting started with Blackboard Ultra:
Panopto video getting started with the new Blackboard Ultra interface
Blackboard Ultra allows a maximum depth of two folders. You will not be able to duplicate all existing course structures in the new Ultra structure.
Suggested activities:
Take a look at your existing modules in the original Blackboard layout, think about how they will translate into Ultra.
Upload a module handbook and add a welcome message to the Module Information folder.
Try recreating an existing module’s weekly learning content folders into the weekly Learning Module folders.
Recreate a simple test and essay dropbox from an existing module and add them to the Assessment folder.
Open up the Blackboard app on your phone. Use Student Preview (circled) to compare the student experience of an Ultra module to an original module, which provides better access to learning content?
Remember, anything you create in your Ultra development area can be copied over to your live Blackboard Ultra teaching modules
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Useful links
Centre for Digital Learning Enhancement
ulster.ac.uk/learningengancement/cdle