Five things about Blackboard Ultra that work differently than you expect (and how to use them)

The University of North Dakota has transitioned to Blackboard Ultra for all courses as of Fall 2025. All organizations must also move to Blackboard Ultra prior to the end of the year.

For those who have used previous versions of Blackboard, there are some significant changes that may result in things not working the way you expect them to work.

For your convenience, SMHS Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (TLAS) presents the following video walk-throughs on the top five questions we have been asked throughout the transition.

• Tip 1: “How can I sort my courses and organizations?”
  This video explains how to move your priority courses and organizations to the top of your list and hide those you don’t need right now.
• Tip 2: “I need to add something to my course, but I can’t figure out where to click!” Blackboard Ultra has streamlined many content tools into one small plus-sign (+) icon. This video shows where to find it when it’s not immediately obvious.
• Tip 3: “What is the fastest way to make my course content visible?”
  Blackboard Ultra hides new and copied content from students by default. This can lead to tedium when you have a lot of items that need to be made visible. This video will show you how to use the Batch Edit feature to change visibility or release dates of multiple content items at a time.
• Tip 4: “How do I manually add a column in Gradebook?”
  Blackboard’s gradebook can be used to grade online assessments as well as in-class activities or assignments that are not completed within Blackboard. This video explains how to manually to add a column to the gradebook, allowing you to simply type in a score or percentage.
• Tip 5: “How do I customize the look of my course or organization?”
  Blackboard Ultra’s overall look has been streamlined to match UND’s branding standards, but there is still an option to add a custom graphic. This video shows you how to display either a stock photograph or your own image at the top of your course pages.

We hope you find these tips useful while using Blackboard Ultra. You have many options for support with Ultra and beyond. TLAS offers monthly workshops on topics related to medical and health care education; we also offer individual and departmental consults for SMHS faculty and staff.

For more information, please contact Adrienne Salentiny (Adrienne.Salentiny@UND.edu or 701.777.4272).

Additionally, UND’s Teaching, Transformation, and Development Academy (TTaDA) and University Information Technology (UIT) are the campus experts in explaining the intricacies of these tools and solving any complex issues you may encounter. TTaDA offers regular workshops about Blackboard Ultra and many other campus tools.