As you are hopefully aware, NIU has been slowly transitioning Blackboard courses from the Original Course View to the Ultra Course View. Many NIU faculty have already made the transition and are teaching in the Ultra Course View and are leading the adoption and use of innovative technology. As all Spring 2024 Blackboard courses will be taught in the Ultra Course View, the following highlights the extensive support that is available from the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning leading into and throughout the fall semester.
Making the Move to Blackboard Ultra Course View Workshops
- 1-hour online workshop that introduces the Ultra Course View and how to move or build your course
- August 8, 2-3 PM
- August 16, 9-10 AM
- August 24, 1-2 PM
- September 6, 9-10 AM
- Monthly throughout the fall semester
Blackboard Ultra Office Hours
- Virtual drop-in opportunity to meet with CITL staff and ask questions about using Ultra Course View (no registration required)
- August 25, 11-1 PM at citl.niu.edu/20230825-officehours
- Periodically throughout the fall semester
Blackboard Ultra Transition Academy
- 3-week online course that guides faculty through building their course in the Ultra Course View, includes synchronous small group meetings for personalized support
- September 18 – October 8
- October 30 – November 19
- Learn more and register for either session
Self-Paced Workshop on Transitioning to Blackboard Ultra Course View
- Online, self-paced, public version of the Ultra Transition Academy (same content, no assignments, and no small group support)
- Check it out
One-on-one Consultations with CITL staff
- Schedule a dedicated time to meet online or in-person with CITL staff to ask questions about your courses
- To schedule an online consultation: citl.niu.edu/conversations
- To schedule an in-person consultation: email a request with potential meeting times to citl@niu.edu
Ultra Course View Template
- Optional and fully editable templates with best practices for using Ultra Course View baked in
- Provides a structure you can use to start building your course (which is sometimes easier than starting with a blank page)
- Request at citl.niu.edu/ultra-templates
In addition, CITL has provided extensive documentation and tutorials on the Teaching and Learning with Blackboard website, including a guide with Tips for Building Effective Courses in Blackboard.
Our CITL team is available to speak at an upcoming department meeting, if you’d like, to answer faculty questions about the Blackboard Ultra Course View. To schedule a member of our team to join an upcoming department meeting, simply email citl@niu.edu.
The Ultra Course View creates a more modern, accessible, and mobile-friendly learning environment for our students, which helps us all be more student-centered. For the latest information, support and resources on Blackboard Ultra Course View, visit niu.edu/blackboard/ultra
