UToledo Online

Student Ultra Course View

Introducing Blackboard Learn Ultra: A New Way to Learn

Blackboard Ultra LogoBlackboard Ultra Course View (UCV) is a whole new Blackboard experience. It brings together all the information you need in one place, making it easy for you to connect with your classmates, check your grades, and plan your assignments – all within a sleek, new design. A small faculty group has been piloting Ultra courses since Fall 2022 with positive results and feedback from students.

While the Blackboard name is the same, UCV is very different from the previous version of Blackboard (sometimes referred to as Blackboard Original). Blackboard Original Course View (OCV) is the classic version of Blackboard currently used for the majority of UToledo courses. UCV has a cleaner and more modern design compared to OCV.   

Student original course view

student ultra course view

Why Ultra?

Ultra Course View offers a fresh, more intuitive interface, resulting in easier workflows for both faculty and students. Most notable is simplified navigation in UCV, featuring a single-page content pane to reduce clicks. It also has powerful new tools that are not available in Original Course View, such as drag and drop files, and course pop-up announcements. Additionally, the new interface offers a better mobile experience and enhanced accessibility. 

 

The tabs below offer a UCV preview of some of the most commonly used Blackboard features. 

 

Student course content image example

 

The Course Content tab is one of the main features of Blackboard Ultra Course View, where students can view course materials such as syllabi, lecture notes, videos, and assignments, and has features for communication and collaboration using discussions and journals.
Student calendar image example

 

The Calendar feature enables students to keep track of important dates and deadlines specific to the course and view any scheduled meetings or office hours made by instructors. In the Ultra Base Navigation, outside of the course, the calendar will display due dates for all your courses.
Student discussion image example

 

The Discussions tool allows instructors and students to create, view, and respond to discussion topics and threads within a course. When a new reply has been made to a discussion, instructors and students will both see a blue indicator that it has been unread.
Student gradebook image example

 

The Gradebook tool allows students to view their grades, due dates, submission status, and feedback for assignments, tests, quizzes, and other assessments in their course. 
Student messages image example

 

Course Messages provides a platform where instructors and students can send messages to individual students, groups of students, or the entire class, and receive responses. Students should verify the preferred method of communication with their instructor as some instructors prefer to use their @utoledo.edu email address to communicate instead of using the Blackboard Messages tool.

Students enjoy enhanced features and tools in UCV:

  • Most common document types can be viewed directly inside the course such as PDFs, Word, and PowerPoint files.
  • Accessibility options, such as high-contrast mode, keyboard navigation, and screen reader support make it easier to access course materials.
  • UCV offers an improved mobile experience.
  • Static menus provide consistent navigation with fewer clicks.

UCV at UToledo Today

Small groups of faculty are piloting UCV now! You may find yourself in an Ultra course in a future semester!

 

UToledo has a future goal for full conversion to UCV. This is a multi-year project and no target date has been set. Original Course View will continue to be available and currently remains the default version of Blackboard for UToledo courses. 

 

Blackboard Ultra Course View Student FAQ

Last Updated: 5/18/23