Getting Started in Blackboard

Guidelines for New Users to Blackboard  |  Blackboard Request Form  |  Resources for Working in Blackboard  |  Mobile App Available 

Guidelines for New Users to Blackboard

Whether you’re new to online teaching or new to Blackboard Ultra, it’s best to start simple and build over time. Begin with a week or two of course materials, then continue adding content as you go. This approach helps students get engaged early while giving you time to develop and refine the rest of your course.

We’ve compiled the basics of course building to help you get started in Blackboard Ultra. Once you’re comfortable working in Ultra, you can continue expanding and enhancing your course content.

Help Students Feel Comfortable Online

Students may also feel uncertain about online learning, especially at the start of the semester. Help reduce anxiety and set clear expectations by doing the following: 

• Customize your Blackboard Profile. All users in Blackboard have a personal profile that supports online interaction. Your profile is pre-populated with basic information like your name and email, but you can customize it with additional data and even add a profile picture. By default, your name and picture will appear in several places in BB, including course discussions, blogs, messages, conversations, groups, and the class roster. To update your profile, log in to Blackboard and click your name in the left-hand menu. 
• Update your notification settings in Blackboard. Choose when and how you wish to be notified of activity in your course. 
• Clearly share contact and course information. Ease student anxiety by including information on how to contact you and where to find your course information.
• Add an introduction Video. Adding a short introduction video can help students realize that their instructor is a real person with enthusiasm for the subject matter. We recommend using YuJa to create your introduction video.
• Post your syllabus early. Add a course syllabus with Simple Syllabus, providing students a clear overview of course expectations, schedules, and policies.
• Offer office hours. Hold office hours through discussions or Zoom to help orient your students to your course and answer questions on a regular basis.
• Support Online Learning. Provide resources for working online and materials that they can print or download for future reference.
• Create assignments and activities aligned with your learning outcomes. Build assignments, assessments, and other activities that meet your course objectives and learning outcomes.
• Build courses with accessibility in mind. Use Blackboard Ally and other resources to make sure the content you are adding is accessible for all learners.

Teaching online can feel overwhelming at first, but we're here for you! By completing these foundational steps, you’ll have a course that’s ready for students and easy to build on.

Visit Blackboard's Navigate Inside an Ultra Course to learn more.

Blackboard Request Form

The Blackboard Request Form may be used to add and remove users from a course, merge multiple sections, import content, and request an under development site. Requests are usually processed within 2 business days.

• Instructors and Teaching Assistants must be listed in Campus Connection. Then, they will be automatically added to the course Blackboard site. The request form may be used for other add/remove user requests.
  
  • If an instructor requests an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) be added to a course, please make sure to select this specific option on the request from. Approval from the department chair is required to complete these requests. There are two roles available for UTA's. College/departments must decide, based upon their requirements, which type of role is being used.
    • UTA-Grader role provides access to all of the same tools the instructor and teaching assistant have in the course. This includes posting content, grading, and participating in discussions, blogs, wikis and all student interactions.
    • UTA-Builder role provides access to all tools the course builder has in the course. This includes posting content and sending announcements. This role does NOT provide access to grading or any student interactions.
  • Note: Giving someone TA or Instructor access to a course in Blackboard Ultra allows them to copy content from one course to another.
• If a course copy request is submitted by an individual who was not the original instructor/developer, we require written approval from the original instructor or the Department Chair/Dean.
• When a department Chair/Dean requests access to a course or requests to have someone added to a course, we recommend the Department Chair/Dean notify the original course instructor as a courtesy, but this is not required.
• The above procedures are in place based on FERPA guidelines to protect access to student grades. 

Mobile App Available

Access the Blackboard mobile app for streamlined access to your activity stream, courses, grades, messages, and tools. While the Blackboard app can handle most content types, it is not designed to handle every possible type of content. Therefore, you should optimize your course content for use in the mobile app. 

For additional guidance, review the collection of help articles for using the Blackboard App:

• Accessibility in the Blackboard App
• Your Account in the Blackboard App
• Course Content in the Blackboard App
• Assessments and Grades in the Blackboard App