Student Navigation
The menu bars at the top and left of the course page are what you use to navigate the course content, including course information, announcements posted by the instructor, as well as course readings and assignments that you need to complete. Students who are able to navigate Blackboard Ultra are able to manage course deliverables and complete submissions in a timely manner.
Top Navigation Bar
The top navigation bar will be visible in Blackboard Ultra courses. The seven menu items are important to note, since these will be the same in all Blackboard courses and guide you to information that is necessary for your semester's journey.
Content
The course content page displays four critical areas: the top navigation bar, the name of your instructor(s) (Course Faculty), information on your progress, attendance, additional tools, etc (Details & Actions), and the Course Content homepage that showcases your course modules, readings, assignments, etc.
Details & Actions
Roster: you can see who is in your class
Progress Tracking: your instructor may or may not turn this feature on for your course. If so you can track your course activity
Attendance: you can check your attendance record in the course.
Books & Tools: you can access Kaltura, PlayPosit and other tools your instructor has linked to the course through this link.
Course Content
You can access all the materials your instructor has made available in Blackboard under the Course Content area. Please view Course Content Info from Blackboard Help to further inform and guide you on the types of course content and how to access them.
Calendar
The calendar section provides an opportunity to sort and organize your assignment deliverables. Course dates entered by your instructor such as deadlines for assignments, labs, discussions, tests, quizzes, etc., are compiled automatically in the Calendar.
You can select between Schedule and Due Dates to determine the number of upcoming items, or the closest due items in the Day or Month.
Due Dates will give you a vertical list of items and their due dates closest to today's date.
Schedule provides you with a daily or monthly view of all your items and their respective due date.
For more information see the Student Calendar page.
Announcements
Announcements are used by instructors to alert students about new information that pertains to the course. New announcements will pop up the next time you open the course.
To check for all announcements you can click the Announcement tab in the top navigation bar.
Discussions
The Discussions section presents the peer discussion activities that your course entails. To join a discussion or add a post, click on the Discussions tab at the top navigation. View the Discussion Board Participation Guide from Blackboard Help to learn how to navigate the discussions board.
Gradebook
The Gradebook section provides you with key information regarding your academic progress in the course:
View the complete Answers guide to Gradebook for Students for more in-depth information on the gradebook and feedback features for student success.
Item Name: the name of your assignment, discussion, or projects that you should complete. This area also includes if and when you submitted/participated.
Due Date: the deadline for submission of items.
Status: indicates when an item has been submitted and/or graded.
Grade: displays the points or letter grade for each item.
Feedback: written feedback from the instructor is found here by clicking on the purple comment bubble icon.
Messages
You can send and receive email messages to other members of the course, and also receive messages from your instructors by clicking on the Messages tab. Unlike announcements, new messages do not pop up when you open the course. If you have an unread message(s), you will see a colored number icon appear next to the Messages tab in the top menu bar.
Groups
If your instructor uses groups in Blackboard, you can view and send messages to your other group members, and access group assignments under the Groups tab.