Problem
USJ is currently undergoing the switch to Blackboard Ultra. Starting in the Spring of 2027, all new courses will be in Ultra. The links in this article provide you with information on how to interact with students in your course, including sending announcements and messages, posting discussions, and organizing students into groups.
Environment
Faculty
Resolution
Post course-wide updates that appear to every student as soon as they log in.
https://help.anthology.com/blackboard/instructor/en/interact-with-students/announcements.html
Set up threaded conversations where students respond to a prompt and to each other.
https://help.anthology.com/blackboard/instructor/en/interact-with-students/discussions.html
A built-in messaging tool for one-on-one or group conversations with students, separate from email.
https://help.anthology.com/blackboard/instructor/en/interact-with-students/messages.html
Covers creating and managing student groups for projects, discussions, and group assignments.
https://help.anthology.com/blackboard/instructor/en/interact-with-students/groups.html
WATCH & LEARN
▸ Blackboard Instructor Video Library
Short, official Blackboard videos that demonstrate features in action, organized into topic-based playlists.
https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Ultra/Watch_Videos
▸ Blackboard Tutorials — Instructors (YouTube)
A curated YouTube playlist of official Blackboard instructor tutorials — a good option for a lunch-break crash course.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLontYaReEU1tCbsCDP-u_wsKdkDBegIhH
Cause
Blackboard's Original course layout is being discontinued, requiring all universities to make the switch to Ultra.