Everything in Blackboard Ultra starts with this little plus sign:
Click that to create your first piece of content. It will bring up this contextual menu:
For most of the things you'll need to build your class, you'll use the Create option. That will bring up this side menu:
Let's go over our options:
Learning Module: You can learn more about Learning Modules here:
Folder: Folders are collections of content that can help organize your class. Each folder will have its own + icon that can be used to create content for it, or you can click-and-drag content into, out of, and between folders.
Document: This is your basic content item. We'll go over those below.
Link: A link to another URL. Useful for using external websites in your course.
Teaching tools with LTI Connection: Your third party software elements can be embedded with this.
Journal: A blog that students can use that you can see and grade.
Creating Content
When you select Document from the menu discussed above, you will be given a new Content Item. In the top left, you will see an auto-generated title with a datestamp. You can delete this title and replace it with whatever you want by clicking on it, then editing like normal text.
In the center of the page will be several options for what to put in your content item:
Add Content: Add text, images, etc. like you would with a content item in Blackboard Learn.
Add HTML: For those who know HTML and want precise control over what they create, you can get the above creation window, but it will launch already in HTML Edit Mode.
Upload from Computer: Upload a file from your computer and post it as the content item.
Upload from Cloud Storage: If you keep your files in cloud storage, you can transfer them to Blackboard Ultra. Works with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or Box.
Browse Content Collection: Post a file you already have saved on Blackboard.
The Edit Window
Editing Your New Document
The edit window will come up if you select Add Content in the menu above, and will look like this:
Text Style: Set your style to predefined Title, Header, Subheader and Paragraph styles.
Font: Set the typeface you want to use.
Font Size: Set the size of your font in points.
Color Picker: Set the color of your text.
Bold
Italics
Underline
Text Options: Brings up a hidden menu for text allowing for strikethrough, superscript, subscript and a special "code snippet" style.
Create or Edit Table: Create a table and insert it into your text.
Alignment Options: Set your text to left, center or right alignment, or set your text to justified (adjust spacing to make the column fixed-width).
Lists: Create numbered and non-numbered lists, as well as set the indent level of the current line within your list.
Undo: Reverse the last action you took.
Clear Format: Remove all formatting from the text you have selected.
Link: Embed a link or email address.
Attachment: Attach a file to the content. Like above, the file can come from your computer, the cloud, or your Blackboard content collection.
Insert: You can insert the following:
Math: A formatted math equation.
Image: An image from the web.
Media: A piece of media already on the web.
YouTube Video: Brings up a YouTube Search window that will let you select a video to embed.
Cloud Storage: A file from your cloud storage.
Content Collection: A file from your current Blackboard content collection.
Content Market: Items from ECU's collection of third party applications, including McGraw-Hill Connect, Pearson, VidGrid and others. (Despite "Market" being in the name, no purchase is required when inserting content.)
Questions about using any of these elements can be directed to William or Wendy.
Uploading
Uploading Files
If you want to upload a file, like your course syllabus in PDF format, you can have it displayed on your course shell.
Click on the plus sign for your shell, or your current folder, like you're going to add a new document.
Click "Upload" from the available options.
This will bring up the file select window for your operating system. Select the file you want to choose and click "Open".
This will bring you to another set of options:
Display Name: The name you want to give the file.
View and download: Provides a viewer for the file in your shell, as well as a download option.
View only: Students will be able to view the file, but not download it.
Download only: There will be a download link, but no file viewer.
Once you click "Save", the file will be added to your shell.
Our mission at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is collaborating with faculty to create engaging educational experiences through development, instruction, and design.
