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Showing items tagged assessments. Show All

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

Black and white robot dog running with the words "New to Ultra" written on light turquoise background

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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