Blackboard Ultra
Blackboard Ultra Course is a new course view that offers a modern, intuitive, and personalized interface. With a simplified workflow and an accessible, fully responsive design, Ultra Course View will make it easier to teach and learn from any device. As of the Spring 2025 term, all course sites at WKU will be in the Ultra course view.
What's new in Blackboard Ultra - Updates
Although Ultra Course View has been available since 2014, Anthology remains committed to continuously enhancing Blackboard. Each month, new features are released, ranging from significant functional updates to minor enhancements.
To help you stay up to date, CITL offers monthly Zoom workshops that review the latest Ultra updates. Be sure to check the CITL event calendar for details.
Below, you'll find a breakdown of the most recent features released. For more comprehensive information, you can also explore the full Release Notes for Learn SaaS or the Archived Learn SaaS Release Notes for older updates.
All Users
Instructors:
- View activity log for Automations
- Grades Journey: Validate grades before submission, approval, or extract
- Grades Journey: Prevent manual extraction of unapproved grades
- Usability improvements for Document Block Layout
- Expanded question options for true/false
- Improved Gradebook download option
- Improved performance for large multiple choice or multiple answer tests
Instructors and Students:
- Enhanced multiple choice and multiple answer workflow
- Video Studio – Use knowledge checks for videos
- Video Studio – Download video for offline use
- Video Studio – Edit description
- Video Studio – Bulk edit speaker names in video transcripts
Administrators
- Granular control of Achievements for Ultra via Institutional Hierarchy
- Grade Export: Email a grade extract summary list
Instructors and Administrators:
Instructors:
- Bulk change question points in tests
- Improved navigation from Gradebook column headers
- Choose whether to include hidden items in Gradebook downloads
- Automations: Automatically send messages to students based on course-level rules
- Generate or upload custom Achievement badges
Administrators:
- Use name or ID to search object Associations in the Learning Object Repository
- Quick Enroll for Ultra Courses
- Node-Admin “Login As” Restriction
- Configure Grade Pill Decimal Display and Rounding
- Grade Export: Choose which grade value is displayed on the grade-level approval screen
- Group subjects into Programs for aggregated reporting
- Course Catalog: Duplicate existing offerings from the Offering Management screen
Ultra Support
Self-help Resources
Explore a number of resources to help you navigate Blackboard Ultra. Whether you are a new user or looking for answers to common questions, you’ll find step-by-step guides, video tutorials, and more.
Training
Starting in the Spring 2025 term, all courses will transition to the Ultra Course View. To ensure you are prepared, completing an Ultra training is required. The ITS: Blackboard Ultra Training is a completely self-paced training through ITS that focuses on the foundations for using our learning management system and associated tools. To self-enroll in this training, you must log into Blackboard, select My WKU Bb and scroll down to the ITS: Blackboard Ultra Training link. Clicking on the link will enroll you in the training that you will then find within the Courses tab in the Blackboard menu. Without completing this training, you won’t be able to create a Backboard course site for the Spring term.
Need Help?
If you need assistance with Blackboard Ultra please contact ITS at 270-745-700, or submit a support ticket. You can also reach out to CITL at citl@wku.edu.
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.