This page provides access to key Blackboard Ultra resources, including Anthology’s guides, video tutorials, and a selection of helpful how‑to materials.
Quick Links:
Instructor Guides & How‑Tos
Preview/ Convert to Ultra version
To preview/convert to the Ultra version, follow these steps:
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Send a Request: Email blackboard@hamilton.edu with the course title. (If you prefer to preview your course in Ultra prior to conversion, you may follow the steps below. Otherwise, the course can be converted directly by the administrator.)
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Make the Course Unavailable: Go to the respective course, click the lock icon to make it unavailable.
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Refresh and Edit: Refresh the page, then click the pencil icon at the top. Select "I want to test out Ultra."
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Preview Ultra: This will temporarily convert the course to Ultra, allowing you to preview its layout and features. Refresh your screen if required.
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Decide: After testing, you can either choose to permanently switch to Ultra by selecting "Use the Ultra Course" or revert to the Original version. Once you choose "Use the Ultra Course," the switch is permanent, and the course cannot be reverted back to the Original version.
Copy Content into Your Ultra Course
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Open the Ultra course you want to copy content into. (*In Ultra, you start the copy from the destination course, not the source.)
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Click on ‘More Options’ and select ‘Copy Content’.
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Select the course you’d like to copy materials from (can be any Original, Ultra, or existing course).
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Choose to copy the entire course or select specific documents or assignments from each course.
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You can select materials from multiple courses at the same time to copy into the target course. Finally, click ‘Start Copy’.
- For a detailed list of how each content type is converted from Original to Ultra, refer to the link - Supported Content When Copying from Original View. Items marked N/A are not converted and either can’t be selected for copying or will be flagged as exceptions.
How to Add TAs or Graders to Your Ultra Course
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In any Ultra course, navigate to the Details and Actions pane on left side panel. Under Roster, click on 'View everyone in your course'.
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In the roster, click the icon (top-right corner).
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Enter the student's first name or username in the search field.
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Select the student from the list, choose the appropriate role, and click “Save.”
Your First Ultra Course: Where to Begin
- Access your course
- Check Course Settings
- Course Structure
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Course Content page: This is your main workspace. A template with learning modules (containers) will be available in your Ultra course.
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You are free to use the template as provided, edit the existing modules, or replace them with new folders based on your preferred course organization.
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Use clear, consistent titles so students can easily navigate the content.
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New folders/ learning modules can be created at the location where you wish to insert content by selecting the + icon > Create.
- Upload your syllabus and key documents
- Additional learning content
- Set up Assignments, Tests and Discussions
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Settings: Configure due dates, availability, points, and any additional options from the assignment’s settings panel. For more details: Assessment settings
- Configure the Gradebook
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Navigate to the Gradebook tab in the top navigation.
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All assignments and tests created from the Content page appear automatically in the Gradebook.
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To add a manual‑entry column (no submission required), hover your cursor between existing columns.
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Select the '+' icon > Add Item.
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This creates a new column for entering grades and feedback without generating a submission area.
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Overall Grade Setup and Weighting: To set up your overall Grade Calculation, open the Gradebook and select the settings gear. Than scroll down to 'Manage Overall Grade Settings' to configure your weighting method and calculation options. For more details - Overall Grade Setup
- Communication Tools - Ultra provides two communication tools for reaching users enrolled in your course:
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Announcements: Sent to the entire course roster by default. Ideal for broad updates, reminders, and important notices.
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Messages: More flexible. You can send messages to the entire roster, individual students, faculty, or specific groups.
- Review Accessibilty settings
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Readable documents: Use clear headings and simple formatting in Word/PDF. Content created using Ultra Documents includes an accessibility checker, which helps you identify and correct issues to ensure your materials are accessible to all students.
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Captions: Ensure videos have captions or transcripts.
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Alt text: Add alt text for applicable images.
- Preview the course as a student
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Student Preview: Use Student Preview to see the course from a student’s perspective.
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Check visibility: Confirm students can see what they need (and not see what they shouldn’t).
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Test a submission: Try submitting a test assignment to check the workflow.
Ultra Bites
'Ultra Bites' is a series of brief, focused tips highlighting key features of Blackboard Ultra. These will be sent via email and also published on this page to refer back to anytime.
Quick links:
'Progress Tracking' allows students to keep track of what they have done in your course and it gives instructors a powerful way to monitor student engagement.
Quick demo (55 sec):
How this helps faculty:
- Monitor student activity on individual content items to see who has accessed or completed them.
- Identify who might be falling behind
- Use insights to inform follow-ups
How this helps your students:
- Visual indicators of what’s done and what’s pending
- Encourages self-paced progress and organization
- Works across content, folders, and learning modules
Resources:
Class Conversations: An interactive feature that brings discussion directly into course content. Whether it's asking questions, sharing ideas, or offering support, conversations stay linked to the item they’re about - keeping discussions focused and contextual.
Quick demo (45 sec):
Why it’s useful:
- Enables real-time discussions attached to specific content
- Helps students support each other and stay engaged
- Allows instructors to guide and clarify without leaving the flow of the course
You can enable 'Class Conversations' on:
- Documents
- Assignments & Group Assignments
- Tests & Group Tests
- Offline submissions
- Links to teaching tools
Conversations appear only within the relevant content item, keeping everything in context and out of the cluttered discussion board.
Resources:
'Convert a File' block: A quick way to convert an uploaded file (like a PDF, Word doc, or presentation) into an editable content block within an Ultra Document. This lets you embed media, add text and formatting, all right inside the Ultra course.
Quick demo (45 sec):
Why it’s useful:
- Turns static files into dynamic, interactive course content
- Lets you embed videos, images, and formatted text directly into the document
- Improves readability and accessibility across devices
Supported File Types:
- PDF
- PowerPoint (ppt, pptx, pps)
- Word (doc, docx, odt)
Resources:
'Knowledge check' block: A type of informal assessment, added directly within an Ultra Document that helps students review and reflect on the material as they go. Questions are not graded and can be attempted multiple times.
Quick demo (1min):
Why it’s useful:
- Lets students check their understanding as they read, with instant feedback and unlimited attempts.
- Lets faculty customize feedback for correct and incorrect answers
- Displays metrics on student engagement.
Resources:
'Batch Edits': Allows faculty to make changes to multiple course items at once from the Course Content page
Quick demo (56 sec):
Bulk actions available:
- Update dates across selected assessments and activities.
- Set visibility for multiple items at once (show/hide).
- Delete multiple items at once.
Resources:
'Copy Content': Allows instructors to easily copy course materials, assessments, and content items from one or multiple Original or Ultra courses at once.
Quick demo (55 sec):
Quick highlights:
- Navigate to the destination course to start a copy.
- Content can be copied from 'Organizations' as well.
- A full course copy preserves all settings (due dates, visibility states, release conditions).
- Course items copied individually are automatically set to 'Hidden from students'.
- Course items that can be copied include:
- Course Content
- Discussions
- Question Banks
- Rubrics
- Grade Schemes
Resources:
Anthology Guides & Tutorials
Official Anthology Support for Blackboard Ultra:
Getting Started
Building Your Course
Assessments, Grading and Analytics
Communication and Collaboration