February's Ultra release enhances content creation, assessment management, and instructor grading

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 10:11:18 -0500
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The February update for Ultra features enhancements to support content creation, improved file rendering, assessment security, and grading workflows. Additionally, updates to the AI Course Design Assistant provides increases flexibility for test question and learning module generation. Let's explore this month's update!

Content Creation & Management

With a simple click, instructors can now change a top level folder to a learning module, and quickly enjoy all the benefits of using learning modules. This includes thumbnail images, navigation, sequencing, and progress bars -- a very popular feature reported by UMBC students!

Instructors can use the new image block in Ultra Documents to upload their own images, use the AI Design Assistant to generate images, or select images from Unsplash.

Files uploaded by instructors to Blackboard now retain their original formatting and characteristics wherever instructors can upload files. Student files will also display with the exact same formatting as when they were submitted.

Image 1: Example of the new option to change a folder to a learning module in the dropdown menu.

AI Course Design Assistant

Instructors can now set the number of questions generated for tests and question banks to a maximum of 20, which reduces the chance that similar questions will be generated.

Instructors can exclude descriptions from learning modules when generating these elements.

Communication & Engagement

Groups can only be created at the Groups tab -- however, groups can still be assigned to activities and assessments once created.

Instructors will also receive warnings if groups are empty to help make informed decisions and avoid disruptions in group management.

Reporting

IP addresses are now in the student activity log for assessment submissions and drafts.

Image 2: Example of the new IP address column that’s included in the student activity log.

Assessments

Assignments will be converted to the new interface, which was launched in August 2024. An assignment is an assessment without individual questions (e.g., multiple choice, essay, etc.). Tests will NOT be converted.

The Tests Settings panel was updated to remove assignment specific options (e.g., collect submissions offline, peer review, grading rubric).

Instructors must add at least one question to a test to make it visible to students or to add release conditions.

When an instructor or exam proctor enters an access code for an assessment on a student's computer, the code is masked (*******) to ensure enhanced security.

Students can now be confident that their files are successfully attached, received, and stored for assessments. They will be notified immediately if there are any issues with their file submissions including timed assessments.

Grading & the Gradebook

The Grading interface is updated to provide more space to instructors.

Instructors can enter discussion and journal grades directly in the Grid view or Grades & Participation page with improved accuracy and consistency.

Grades and feedback for assignments, journals, and discussions are mapped to the corresponding attempt or submission whenever possible.

Instructors can choose to exclude attempts that they do not intend to grade. Excluded attempts are removed from the Needs Grading workflow and any gradebook calculations.

Image 3: Example of the newly designed grading interface

Faculty should see the latest updates in their Ultra courses around February 6-7, 2025. The next update to our Ultra test environment will take place on February 11, 2025; release notes are posted to the What's New in Ultra that same week. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. Please watch the FAQs, including the What's New with Ultra page, and myUMBC for additional information about Ultra.

Connect with Instructional Technology

As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:

Check our extensive FAQ collection

What's new in Ultra? | Known Issues

Open a ticket via RT

Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups

Request a consult with instructional technology staff

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