The Benefits of Blackboard Ultra - A Programme Level Approach

What the University is aiming for…

By 2026 - The University’s learning environment will be built on and driven by sound pedagogic value, to do this we will use Blackboard Ultra

This will be delivered as part of the Digital Experience

Priority of the University Education Strategy to offer a more consistent student user experience - Allowing students to connect information and knowledge in an inclusive personalised digital space, supporting a programme level approach.

Why the move?

We want to better underpin our students’ education and continue on our digital learning journey.

Blackboard Ultra meets student expectations around consistency of delivery and improved mobile device support.

It is intuitive for staff and students, enabling consistency of use with content creation and delivery. But it also provides enough flexibility to encompass local pedagogical needs.

Staying with Blackboard as a provider allows us to continue using the digital learning tools you and your students are familiar with, like Encore lecture capture and Turnitin. This makes it easier to ensure consistency and familiarity across courses.

We will encourage programme teams to rethink course layouts so students know what to expect in all their modules within a programme.

The benefits of BBU

Keeping with Blackboard as our VLE but moving onto the new Ultra version means that we can still use Turnitin, Encore, WondaVR, Kaltura, PebblePad, Reading Lists, Crowdmark (and more)

The move will enable us to step back and think about how and when we use these tools in our teaching and assessment, and better embed a programme level approach in our practice.

Ultra is cleaner, more accessible and more intuitive.

We can use Programme Level Approach principles in programme design and delivery.

Drag and drop options enable you to move content easily, and a simplified course structure provides a consistent student experience.

New features like course content search and in-context discussion threads allow students to focus on engaging and interacting with their learning materials.

Feedback from our early Blackboard Ultra adopters found that students consider it to be easy to navigate and easy to use.

It often requires little instruction, due to its cleaner, more intuitive design.

Students also commented on the mobile-friendly interface.

How is BBU more student centered?

• Extra credit questions in assessments

• Improved progress tracking means improved student support

• Course activity page view - to track when students have accessed the VLE last

• Student progress tab view - to track learning

What is a Programme Level Approach?

We are aiming to create a new VLE from the student’s perspective.

It will be holistic in design so that students get the most out of their learning.

We want a team approach so that we provide coherent programmes.

We will work with student voice, ask what they think, how can we engage and improve?

We want quality assessment and feedback - using BBU to provide detailed, proportionate feedback through a variety of forms.

Ultimately we want to prepare our students and enable them to develop skills, knowledge and attributes, to be well prepared for work and adaptable.