Introduction

If you’ve been working in Blackboard Original, it can be a significant transition when you first arrive in your Blackboard Ultra course. When you first open your course, taking a moment and familiarizing yourself with the areas and items you see will help orient you in the LMS space.

Course Structure

Include step by step guidance here for easier reference and to help faculty find this information through the search tool. Text

Quick Access Tools Menu:

Content

• This is the main area and primary landing space for all visitors to your course content. Several areas are available under the content menu.
  • Instructors (top-left): All instructors who are assigned to the course are listed here with an envelope (✉) icon to allow students to quickly message faculty within the Blackboard LMS. 
  • Details and Actions Menu (middle-left): Less common tasks and items are listed here. Options are different for students and faculty.
  • Course Schedule (bottom-left): If the Course Schedule is created in the Course Calendar, these dates and times will be listed here for students to access quickly.  
  • Course Content (right side): This is the main area where you can post materials, assessments, and information so students can access and engage in the learning pathway you've designed. 

Calendar

• This area captures all scheduled events and due dates for members of your course. Course Schedules, Office Hours, and Events can all be added here and will be reflected to the student view of course calendars automatically. 

Announcements

• An ongoing history of all posted (and drafted announcements) will be saved here for students to refer back to as needed.

Discussions

• All discussion boards will be listed here for easy access and can be sorted into folders.

Gradebook

• An ongoing display of student performance on individual assessments, overall course grade, and calculated columns are available here with a variety of views for instructors to use.

Messages

• Communication with students via the Messages Tool in this course can be accessed and viewed here.

Analytics (Instructor only)

• Performance reports, test question analyses, and SCORM reports can be viewed here to assess course design and student achievement.