As a fully redesigned system, Ultra benefits from an intentional focus on accessibility and mobile responsiveness. In addition to extensive checks to meet accessibility standards, Ultra includes support for Ally, an integrated tool that checks course content for accessibility and generates alternative formats for users.

With the November update, both the accessibility meters for faculty and the alternative formats for all users will be as visible as they are in Original courses. Accessibility scores for instructors will be available with attachments in document and tests with, appearing next to the files they are scoring. This makes it easier for instructors to see how their content scores and fix any issues. Students will be able to easily download alternative formats of files and images by selecting the alternative file icon and choosing the desired format.

Note: Accessibility scores and alternative format icons are only available with attached files. They will not be available with files and images added through the Ultra content editor. Instructors may also reference the Course Accessibility Report.

Faculty and students may also note a complete redesign of all icons throughout the Ultra system. Most notably, the updated icons are darker and will appear more prominently, particularly in Ultra courses. Additional updates in November include moving the Batch Edit tool into the overflow menu with other bulk course management tools to better align with how it's used and updating the assessment creation buttons to use Save and Cancel rather than Done. The blank Learning Module will also be removed from the Ultra course page to avoid confusion.

Finally, with the November update, Ultra Documents now have a description field that will appear on the Course Content page, which allows instructors to give high-level details about what the Ultra documents contain, reducing unnecessary clicks for students.

The next Blackboard Learn update will be posted to our test site around November 12th and pushed to production around December 5th. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. 

As always, if you have any questions, 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
• Sign up for a webinar & other training 
• Request a consult with instructional technology staff
• Review your course content with Ally

One in four students take some of their courses online, and two-thirds do so at a public institution in the same state where they live (Allen, Seaman, Pouline, & Straut, 2016; Allen & Seaman, 2017). In early November, UMBC celebrates National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) with a series of lunchtime conversations. Topics include:

Hybrid or Online? Learn about the Alternate Delivery Program

• Monday, November 4 - Register Online 

Attend this information session to learn more about the Alternate Delivery Program. Ask specific questions related to the ADP Course Designer Track Call to Participate for Spring/Summer 2020. Previous ADP alumni will be on hand to share their experiences!

Universal Design for Learning, Accessible Content & Bb Ally

• Tuesday, November 5 - Register Online

The principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) promote the approach that everyone -- with and without disabilities -- can benefit from accessible course materials. Learn about the key foundational concepts of UDL and what tools are available at UMBC to make your course materials more accessible to students.

Does Your Bb Course Spark Joy? Go Ultra!

• Wednesday, November 6 - Register Online 

Marie Kondo's tidying up method applies to more than just our homes -- we can apply it to our course designs as well. Join our faculty, instructional technology staff, and instructional designers to learn about sparking joy in your Blackboard courses with Ultra.

Lights, Camera, Action! Lecture Capture with Panopto

• Thursday, November 7 - Register Online 

Panopto is a lecture capture and video delivery system that lets faculty easily create online videos for their classes. Learn how to start using Panopto to record lectures and tutorials, embed active learning, create student video assignments, and support a flipped classroom.

Open Educational Resources Support Student Access, Equity

• Friday, November 8 - Register Online 

A recent faculty survey of OER usage at UMBC revealed that many want to know how to find, evaluate, and use openly licensed course materials to increase student access and reduce textbook costs. We wrap up National Distance Learning Week with a focus on Open Educational Resources: Learn about OER use cases, resources, professional development, and talk with faculty who have adopted OERs. Stay after the lunchtime panel to see a demo of the Maryland Open Source Textbook (MOST) Initiative to discover how faculty can find easy-to-adopt, high-quality OER. 

Please RSVP: A light lunch will be provided for in-person sessions.

Can't make these National Distance Learning Week sessions? Try these virtual events!

The History of National Distance Learning Week and the U.S. Distance Learning Association

• Monday, November 4, 2019 from 11 AM - 12 PM EST
• Register Online

Microlearning in the World of Distance Learning

• Monday, November 4, 2019 from 3 - 4 PM EST
• Register Online 

Calculating the grade on an Ultra tests becomes more flexible in the October update when the partial points feature is introduced. When creating a question in an assessment, instructors can enter values with up to two numbers after the decimal in the Points field. 

In the October update to Ultra, a quiz question can be worth 2.5 points or 0.5 points. If an assessment does not have individual questions, the overall point value can include up to two points after the decimal -- for example, an assignment can be worth 75.5 points.

When assignments require students to submit files, it's time-consuming for instructors to download each individual submission to grade it, especially in large courses. After the October update, instructors can download files from the Ultra gradebook or from the submissions list page with the Download all option. Instructors can then choose whether to download all or select specific submissions. Instructors receive an email and a course message when the ZIP file is ready to download to their computers.

Collaborate receives an updated this month as well, increasing the emoji options for non-verbal engagement and supporting video share through a Chrome browser tab. Additional Ultra updates this month include regrading question pools and the ability to remove attendance columns in the gradebook from a copied course. 

The next Blackboard Learn update will be posted to our test site around October 15th and pushed to production around November 7th. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. 

As always, if you have any questions, 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
• Sign up for a webinar & other training 
• Request a consult with instructional technology staff
• Review your course content with Ally

Group management is an invaluable resource in a Blackboard course, especially one with large enrollments. UMBC is closely monitoring the evolution of this important tool in Ultra as we continue on a staged migration path. The September update to Ultra introduces self-enrolled group assignments, providing a useful workflow to support team activities. Faculty will be able to set self-enrollment limits for number of groups and membership size, hide student names for those who've already signed up, and create expiration dates for when students must sign up for their group assignments.

Two additional enhancements are available in September. Ultra courses will have a new Needs Grading filter to help instructors locate submissions and begin grading more quickly. Additionally, instructors can pre-schedule Collaborate sessions in their Ultra courses any time before releasing the course to students. 

The next Blackboard Learn update will be posted to our test site around September 10th and pushed to production around October 3rd. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. 

As always, if you have any questions, 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
• Sign up for a webinar & other training 
• Request a consult with instructional technology staff
• Review your course content with Ally