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UToledo Online

Blackboard Ultra Course View - Faculty

Faculty Development and Training Schedule and Registration

UToledo is transitioning to Blackboard Ultra Course View (UCV)!

UToledo Online has been offering early opt-in conversion since 2022, and since that time, over 600 faculty have adopted Ultra in over 1500 course sections. All new course shells will be in UCV as of Summer 2025. 

What is Blackboard Ultra Course View?

Blackboard Ultra LogoBlackboard Ultra Course View (UCV) offers a fresh, more intuitive interface, resulting in easier workflows for both faculty and students. Features include simplified course navigation, a mobile-friendly experience, intuitive workflows, and data-driven learning analytics.

When do I need to switch my courses to UCV?

Spring 2025 is the last semester of Original Course View. As of Summer 2025, your new course shells will be in Ultra Course View. You will be able to copy Original course content into Ultra.

Will I lose access to Blackboard Original Course View (OCV)?

You will still be able to access past courses in Original after the conversion deadline; however, you will not be able to teach in Original after Spring 2025.

UCV Demos & Training

UToledo Online will continue to offer demonstrations and support for transitioning to Ultra throughout 2025. Check out our Blackboard Ultra Training Schedule for more information about upcoming demo and training sessions. You will also receive registration information via email. 

UCV Resources

UToledo Online has developed a collection of resources to assist your teaching experience in Ultra:

UCV Features

Review the Ultra Course View Feature Guide for a complete comparison of the features in Original and Ultra Course Views. The tabs below offer a UCV preview of some of the most used Blackboard features.

Faculty course content image example

 

Course Content is one of the main features of Blackboard Ultra Course View, where instructors can upload course materials such as syllabi, lecture notes, and assignments; organize materials into modules and folders; manage assessments such as quizzes and tests; and communicate and collaborate using discussions and journals.
Faculty calendar image example

 

Calendar enables instructors and students to keep track of important dates and deadlines specific to each course and allows instructors to schedule course events such as meetings, office hours, and due dates. Due dates for deployed Blackboard assessments automatically populate the Calendar tool. In the Ultra Base Navigation, outside of the course, the calendar will display due dates for all your courses.
Faculty announcements image example

 

Announcements serve as a centralized location for instructors to communicate important information to students. Students can view these announcements to stay informed about course updates, deadlines, and other relevant information.
Faculty discussions image example

 

Discussions serve as a centralized location for instructors to communicate important information to students. Students can view these announcements to stay informed about course updates, deadlines, and other relevant information.
Faculty gradebook image example

 

Gradebook allows instructors to view and manage student grades for assignments, tests, quizzes, and other assessments in their course. Gradebook provides a comprehensive view of student progress and performance where instructors can customize grading schemas, calculate weighted grades, and add comments and feedback.
Faculty messages image example

 

Messages can be used to send messages to individual students, groups of students, or the entire class, and receive responses from students. Instructors can also attach files or links to their messages and send reminders to students about upcoming deadlines or important events. Course messages are internal to Blackboard and are separate from your university email. However, users can elect to send a copy of a message to the recipient's email during the message creation process. To ensure you don't miss a Course Message, you might consider enabling Email Notifications for "New Messages" via your Blackboard Profile page. Instructors should advise students on their preferred method of communication.
Faculty analytics image example

 

Analytics allows instructors to view data about student performance and engagement in their course with real-time information on how students are interacting with course content and assessments. The tool provides insights into a range of metrics, including course access and engagement and student performance. 

Faculty groups image example

Groups provides a space for students to collaborate in smaller groups within a course. Students can use this tab to access their group work, communicate with group members, and collaborate on assignments or projects.

 

Faculty Testimonials

UToledo Online began piloting UCV with a small group of faculty in Summer 2022, with expanded pilots each subsequent semester leading to full adoption in Summer 2025. Here are some testimonials from our pilot faculty:

“Blackboard Ultra has a clean, well-organized user interface that students can easily navigate. Over the past two semesters of using Ultra, my students have enthusiastically embraced it as a significant improvement over Blackboard Original.”
– Jerry Van Hoy, Associate Professor – A&L

 “The interface requires some mindset changes, but once you jump in and find your way around, the changes are mostly positive.  For example, the gradebook [in UCV]…is easier and more straight forward [to use and manage] than…the classic view.”
 – Kevin Gibbs, Senior Lecturer – NSM

 “The new course view is refreshing and easy to use and my students find the interface effortless and intuitive. Their favorite tool is student progress tracking, which helps them keep track of the items they have completed in the course and not have to solely rely on notifications or instructor email reminders. That’s one less task for me.”
– Shagufta Sami, Adjunct Instructor – ENG / Educational Technologist UToledo Online

Last Updated: 4/15/25