Adding images
Blackboard Ultra provides a number of ways and places for you to add images to your course. You can add images to the Course banner and to a Learning module. The Rich Content Editor is available in documents, assessments and discussions for you to add images. You can also drag and drop or upload an image directly to the Course Content page and other areas of a course where you would like an image to appear.
It is possible to add images that are hosted online or you can upload an image from your local device. However you choose to add an image, you will always be prompted to name your image and add a meaningful alternative text description for visually impaired individuals, screen readers or instances where the image fails to load.
Add an image file in the Rich Content Editor
Insert image file
Within the text editor select the Image button.
Only JPEG and PNG files can be uploaded into the text editor.
The default option is to upload images from your device.
After you’ve chosen an image to insert, select Next.
You can now customize how the image appears in the text.
Click Next when you’re ready to insert the image.
Edit the file options in the image editor (see below):
Display name: Enter a name for the image.
Alt text: Enter a meaningful alternative text description of the appearance or function of the image here for visually impaired individuals, screen readers or instances where the image fails to load.
View and download: Default - so students can download the image if they wish.
By default, users can view and download the image.
Add an image as an attachment
Within the rich content editor, select the paperclip icon.
Choose the relevant image from your device to upload.
Edit the file options (display name, alt text, view and download) in the image editor.
To display the file options for an image, right click on the image to open the image editor.
Drag and drop an image file
You can upload an image from your own computer to the Course Content page. Locate the file you want to add, and then drag and drop it to the location of your choosing on the Course Content page.
Click + Create to add an image file
You can upload a file by selecting the (purple) + icon wherever you want to add your image. In the menu that opens, select Upload to browse for files on your computer. This method only supports uploading individual files, not folders.
You can add files from cloud storage. If you already have files stored in the cloud, such as in OneDrive® or Google Drive™, you can add them to your course.
Select the the (purple) + icon where you want to upload the image.
If you make a change to a file in cloud storage, you need to upload a new copy in your course.
Check image accessibility
When you add an image in the rich content editor, use the Ally (Ultra Accessibility Checker) before saving your content item. In the editing toolbar, the Ally accessibility indicator (or score) appears to the right of the image. The score displays as a dial in different colours ranging from red (low 0%-30%) through to green (perfect 100%). Click the dial for tips to improve the accessibility score if it is low:
Adding alternative text descriptions
Ally provides 7 best practices tips to write good alternative text descriptions for your images:
Describe the image based on the page context. Convey the full meaning of the image.
Avoid saying "image of" or "picture of". Screen readers automatically announce images as images.
Be concise.
Write narratives for complex images like infographics. Put this narrative on the page immediately following the infographic. Include an anchor link at the top of the page to view the text alternative. See an example of an infographic with a text alternative.
Avoid images of text. If you can't avoid it, copy the text into the alternative description.
Say something new. Don't repeat alternative descriptions on the same page. Don't repeat what is already said on the page.
Identify images that don't represent relevant content as decorative.
If you have added an image that is either described in the text, or is simply decorative, you can use Blackboard Ally to mark an image as decorative, which will indicate to screen readers to ignore the image.
Related Articles
Useful Links
Centre for Digital Learning Enhancement
ulster.ac.uk/learningengancement/cdle