Instructional technologies provide many opportunities to support assessment and track student performance in Blackboard.
The following articles provide details describing the best practices we regularly publish to support our pedagogical community of practice.
July Update Brings Rubric Evaluation Report to Ultra Courses
Discussion descriptions, AI conversation timers, course favs
This month's Ultra update provides a new report that gives instructors class-wide rubric data at a glance, and a dedicated field that separates discussion context from prompt. Paired with clearer...
Posted: July 2, 2026, 10:29 AM
Smarter Feedback and Flexible Rubric Improvements Arrive in the June Ultra Update
Turn every answer choice into a teachable moment
What if a wrong answer could teach just as much as a right one? This month’s Blackboard update brings tools that let instructors do exactly that: Guiding students not just to the correct response,...
Posted: May 28, 2026, 10:32 AM
Set Multiple Due Dates for Discussions & Define Assignment Types in April Ultra Update
New tools for clarity, consistency, and control in your Ultr
Have you ever wanted students to see exactly what's expected of them in a discussion, without having to navigate back to the assignment details to check? Or needed to recognize that one group...
Posted: April 3, 2026, 8:20 AM
Simplified Course Navigation and Supercharged Test Setup with the January Ultra Release
Redesigned course layout and time-saving test tools
In January, UMBC faculty and students will experience a redesigned course navigation in Ultra that makes key areas easier to access and understand. The updated layout brings a full-width header...
Posted: January 6, 2026, 9:50 AM
Fix Point Values on Tests, Automate Encouragement, and Customize Achievements in November Ultra Update
Speed up grading and celebrate student success
Imagine if you could adjust test points in seconds without regrading everything manually? What if your course could automatically cheer students on when they succeed -- or nudge them when they...
Posted: November 6, 2025, 11:28 AM
Add metadata to tests & question banks in the October Ultra Release
Improved student experience for fill-in-the-blank tests
The October Ultra release is a lightweight update featuring a valuable feature for faculty assessment management, allowing easier reuse of test questions and question banks. Instructors can...
Posted: October 2, 2025, 10:51 AM
Explore Jumbled Sentences and Gradebook Tools in Ultra’s June Release
Track unread discussions & student activity
The June 2025 update to Blackboard Ultra brings a fresh set of enhancements designed to support instructional efficiency, student engagement, and accessible course design. From new question types...
Posted: June 3, 2025, 12:56 PM
More gradebook updates, test access logs coming in January
Grade visibility, batch edit, authentic assessment prompts
Expanding the functionality for the gradebook and assessments has been a central theme for the past year of Ultra development. When the winter term starts in 2024, Ultra courses will feature...
Posted: December 21, 2023, 8:01 AM
UMBC Scans Akindi's 9 Millionth Bubble Sheet
DoIT began the transition to Akindi bubble sheets in FA2021
At the end of Spring 2021, DoIT announced a pilot of Akindi, a tool that serves as a Scantron alternative that allows instructors to print and score bubble sheets from any local printer/scanner....
Posted: April 7, 2022, 8:19 AM
Four Biology Faculty Give 1st Exam In-class AND Online
WiFi & student laptops turn UC into a "testing center"
Before the Spring 22 semester started, four Biological Sciences professors -- David Eisenmann, Hua Lu, Jeffrey Leips, and Kevin Omland -- reached out to DoIT to see if they could (and should) try...
Posted: March 3, 2022, 4:16 PM
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