On June 27, Sacred Heart University students and faculty received an email from SHU Academic Technology announcing that Blackboard had officially been upgraded to Learn Ultra. This upgraded the look of Blackboard, changing the design of the MySHU portal and the way classes were displayed for students and professors.
“Blackboard Ultra is the new, improved, and more modern looking version of Blackboard, which replaces Blackboard Learn. Ultra has been available for a couple of years now, but it is only recently that Academic Computing has deemed it ready for adoption,” says Associate Provost Steven Michels, one of the people behind the new update.
For many Sacred Heart students, it took a little bit of getting used to the new features on Blackboard Ultra.
“I think after a few weeks of using the new features provided by the new Blackboard, it got a lot easier,” said senior Moetiz Shilleh. “For me, this new Blackboard has very similar functions and didn’t take too long of an adjustment period.”
Keeping the pandemic and online learning in mind, the school provided workshops for faculty so that they could have a better understanding of how to use the new features.
“The Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching (CEIT) had a four-week long workshop for faculty over the summer, which focused on Ultra in addition to preparing classes for SHU-Flex and the fall semester. Academic Computing also had a series of videos, tutorials and consultations for faculty beginning in July,” said Michels.
New features of Blackboard Ultra include Activity Stream and Messages, with the hopes of consolidating critical information into quick and easy access.
“I like Blackboard Ultra,” said junior Corey Picard. “I think it makes it easier to find your assignments, especially since there is a lot more online work now.”
One of the other main features of Blackboard Ultra is the Calendar view, which allows students to see all of their due assignments in one place. Some students find this to be helpful, while other features may be annoying or difficult to use.
“I hate that we get random emails about assignments tied to the new Blackboard, as well as how the new Blackboard doesn’t automatically single out the classes you’re enrolled in,” said junior Brianna Zelma. “But I do think it does a better job of keeping things organized from week to week.”
For some students, they are having a difficult time navigating through the new features.
“While Blackboard is a great way to submit assignments and keep students organized, sometimes it can be a bit difficult to find certain assignments,” said freshman Grace Langdon. “It is common for different professors to have their own way of teaching and posting announcements and assignments in different places than other professors.”
At the same time, other students enjoy how accessible Blackboard Ultra is.
“I like it because it is easier for me to find assignments and everything on there,” said sophomore Kaylah Grant. “I can also access my professors’ emails better because before I could never find them.”
Some Sacred Heart students feel that the switch from the previous Blackboard to Blackboard Ultra has been easy for them.
“It was not a hard switch from the previous Blackboard because they are pretty similar. I find that this version of Blackboard is easier to use than the last one,” said junior Emilee Camodeo.
