Blackboard Quick Start Checklist for Staff Users (Ultra Course View)

Target audience:

Blackboard Course Instructors / TAs / Supporting Staff who are interested in Ultra Course View.

Estimated time for going through this checklist:

30 minutes

About

This checklist lists out basic features of Blackboard Ultra Course View. If you would like to go through the tasks in a sandbox (testing course), please fill out Blackboard Ultra Course View (Pilot) Request Form: https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13662768,  or send your sandbox request to elearning@cuhk.edu.hk / ITSC Service Desk (https://servicedesk.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk).

Checklist

1. Access Blackboard

1. Check Browser Support
2. Go to https://blackboard.cuhk.edu.hk. Login with:

• Username: Your CUHK email
• Password: OnePass password
• 2FA (DUO Two Factor Authentication) is required. 

• Demo video

For more: 

• How to login Blackboard?
• You can also install Blackboard App and access Blackboard in your mobile device following the instruction here.

2. Notification Settings

1. On your Activity Stream Page, select Stream Settings (the gear icon) to open the Notification Settings panel.
2. Edit your Notifications Settings.

• Demo video

3. Explore Courses page

1. Access Courses page after signing on Blackboard.

• Demo video

4. Set Course Availability

You can set course availability on the Courses page or inside a Blackboard course.

On the Courses page

1. Access Courses page after signing on Blackboard. 
2. Open a course card's menu (the three dots) to change your course availability (e.g., choose Open course).

• Demo video

Inside a Blackboard course with Ultra Course View

1. In the Details & Actions panel, check the course availability. 
2. If the course is private and you would like to open it to students, click Students can’t access this course. 
3. Then Open to Students to open the course.

• Demo video

5. Create an Announcement

1. Access a Blackboard Course with Ultra Course View. 
2. On the Content Page, select Announcements.
3. Click Create Announcement (the plus button) to open the New Announcement page.
4. Enter a title and message for the announcement. Use the options in the message editor to format text.
5. You can send an email copy to all course members, including yourself. Select the Send an email copy to recipients check box.
6. Select Save to save your announcement as a draft. The announcement is still not visible to your students yet. 
7. On the Course Announcements page, click Post Now when you're ready to post announcements. Please note that you can only post announcements when the course is open to students.

• Demo video

You can also create Announcements using Blackboard Learn App: Announcements in the Blackboard Learn App

6. Add Content

1. On the Content page, select the plus sign.
2.  Click Create to add content, such as learning module, folder, document and link.
3. Select an item's visibility (e.g., click Hidden from students) to change it. You can also create rules to release content. 

• Demo video

7. Create a Discussion

You can create a discussion directly on the Content page, or on the Discussion page. 

On the Content page

1. On the Content page, select the plus sign.
2. Select Create. 
3. Select Discussion. You could make an initial post to start a discussion.  
4. You could also click the Discussion Settings (the gear icon) to check and update the settings.
5. Select the discussion's visibility (e.g., click Hidden from students).

• Demo video

On the Discussion page

1. Select the Discussions tab on the navigation bar to open the course discussions page. 
2. Click New Discussion. You could make an initial post to start a discussion.  
3. You could click Add Folder and organize the discussions with folders. 
4. You could also click the Discussion Settings (the gear icon) and select Allow students to create discussion topics.

• Demo video

You can also create and participate in Discussions using Blackboard App: Discussions in the Blackboard app

8. Add an Assignment

1. Access the Content page. Select the plus sign wherever you want to add an assignment.

2. Select Create.

3. Select Assignment under Assessment.

4. Click the assignment name and input a new name.

5. Go through Assignment Settings. You could click Settings (the gear icon) to edit and view more options.

6. When you finish updating the assignment settings, click Save.

7. Select the assignment's visibility (e.g., click Hidden from students).

• Demo video

9. Add a Test

1. On the Content page, select the plus sign wherever you want to add a test.

2. Select Create.

3. Select Test under Assessment.

4. Click the test name and input a new name. 

5. Go through Test Settings. You could click Settings (the gear icon) to edit and view more options.

6. When you finish updating the test settings, click Save.

7. Select the plus icon to add questions.

8. Select the test's visibility (e.g., click Hidden from students).

• Demo video

10. Manually enroll a user in your course

1. On the Content page, under Details & Actions and Books & Tools, click View course & institution tools . 

2. Select CUHK User Management - LTI.

3. Click Enroll User.

3. Input the Staff ID or Student ID of the user who you would like to enroll in your course.

4. Select Role. 

5. Click Submit.

• Demo video

For more features, please refer to:

• Blackboard Instructor Guide (Ultra Course View)
• Blackboard Help
• Note: The 'Zoom Meeting' tool in Blackboard Learn Ultra Courses is integrated with Panopto. By default, the Zoom cloud recordings recorded with that tool will be uploaded automatically to the course Panopto folder and shared with users enrolled in that course.