Adopt Ultra Course View

Blackboard Learn Ultra includes a new, optional course experience, the Ultra Course View. The Ultra Course View is an change to how courses are organized and displayed. In May 2021, we moved the Ultra Base Navigation, and the Ultra Course View is now available for course instructors to adopt.

Quick Links: What's New in Ultra Course View

Overview

New course experience: The Ultra Course View extends the benefits of the Ultra Base Navigation to courses with cleaner, more modern design. Every course that has Ultra Course View enabled will have a consistent look and feel, easier for students to navigate. 

Familiar course tools and terms: The Ultra Course View has recognizable terms like the Roster, Course Groups, Attendance, Announcements and the ability to enter Student Preview of the course.

Frequent updates: To ensure an experience that mirrors the Original Course View, many new, and exciting features and updates are made available with each monthly release to Ultra Course View. Blackboard tools like Wikis, Blogs and some question types are currently unavailable.

New features: There are a number of new features only available in Ultra Course View, including:

  • Accomodations: Setting accommodations for individual students across all assessments vs. only within individual assessments.
  • Conversations: A feature that allows students to ask questions directly on course content, and progress tracking.
  • Progress Tracking: This tool provides a way for students to monitor their own progress through their coursework, marking content as reviewed.

Early Adopters

If you are course instructor currently using Ultra Course View, please contact learningplatforms@miami.edu to convert your existing course into Ultra Course View.

As we are currently operating in "dual course mode," by default, all courses are created in Original Course View.

We also encourage you to reach out if you have any feature requests, or feedback as we explore usage of Ultra Course View.

New to Ultra Course View?

If you are course instructor interested in adopting the Ultra Course View, we recommend to follow this guide below before contacting learningplatforms@miami.edu.

Currently, Ultra Course View is only available through a request process or facilitated by your school/college/unit's instructional design team.

If you have been provided access to the Ultra Course Preview mode to convert your course, we recommend making limited changes as any changes you make to your course while in this mode will not be saved if you exit the preview and choose to continue in the Original Course View.

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  • Step 1: Review what features are available in Ultra Course View

    Review the guides for content items that will convert and content items that will not convert.

    Currently not all features are available in Ultra Course View, and we recommend considering these features in your decision. This includes some test question types, advanced gradebook functionality, blogs, and multiple folder depth (e.g. 2 or more folders within a folder) is possible.

  • Step 2: Request the Ultra Course View version of your course

    Request a sandbox or an Ultra Course View version of your course.

    A sandbox is a converted copy of your course, where you can experiment before copying it to a live course.

    Note: If the course is in an active term, we will need to clone it to ensure the active/live version is not affected. Only private, closed courses can be converted to Ultra Course View.

  • Step 3: Review the Ultra Course View version of your course

    If you are provided a Original Course View course, but with the option to convert to Ultra Course View course, you will have the ability to enter a 'preview mode.'

    This preview mode allows you to review the recommendations of what content will convert, and what will not convert, before you commit to a permanent conversion of your course. 

    We recommend making limited changes as any changes you make to your course while in the Ultra Course View preview will not be saved if you exit the preview and choose to continue in the Original Course View.

    If you choose to permanently convert your course to Ultra, the changes you made during the preview are saved.

    • View this video for an overview or review the steps below.
    • Login and access your course. In the pop up window, click on the button ‘Try the Ultra Course View.’ When the conversion is complete, access your course, and review updates to your course.
    • Select the ‘view details’ link in the banner or the ‘Course Exceptions’ menu link to view how many items will not carry over. These are known as exceptions. In the panel, select a priority group to view the specifics so you can make the best decision for your course.
    • You can either permanently convert the course to Ultra, or stay with the Original version. Select the course view you want in the bar the bottom of the window.
    • You will not be able to revert your course if you upgrade to Ultra. Any changes you make will be saved if you upgrade to Ultra Course View, but not if you revert back to Original Course View.

  • Step 4: Make your course available

    When you’re ready to make the course live, either for the current term or future terms, make your course available.

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