DoIT News

Subscribe to Your IT Newsfeeds

Follow us on myUMBC to receive updates in your inbox! Discover all of the ways to stay connect to topics that interest you below.

Stay up-to-date on the latest technology status updates, advancements, success stories, and how-to tips

Learn about recent cybersecurity attacks and articles about threats, scams, and attacks

Receive resources and training for instructors, solving pedagogical challenges

Stay connected to the High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF), an interdisciplinary core facility for scientific computing and research on parallel algorithms at UMBC

Review important communications related to university travel process and USM policies

Receive time-sensitive updates regarding the DocuSign software

Read discussions and resources about the latest accessibility standards, tools, and events

Explore the AI advancements across UMBC

DoIT News

Stay connected with campus tech news, security alerts, and new digital tools at UMBC.

Showing items tagged ultra-experience. Show All

Ultra enhances usability, gradebook, test timer in November

Flag student retention and other grade alerts in your stream

Usability and a few gradebook improvements come to Ultra in November. New, larger icons with thicker line strokes and blue backgrounds improve accessibility and better support quick scanning of...

Posted: October 23, 2020, 12:29 PM

More than 40% of UMBC Blackboard Courses Using Ultra

Ultra adoption continues to grow as UMBC faculty shifted to online learning in response to COVID-19 safety precautions. More than 40% of all active Blackboard courses are now using Ultra in the...

Posted: October 9, 2020, 1:33 PM

New Batch Group Management Tool Available in Bb Ultra

Custom solution works in both Ultra & Original courses

Group management is one of the most important tools in a Blackboard course. For large courses, group management is a critical component of assigning students to groups and managing engagement or...

Posted: September 18, 2020, 12:25 PM

Password protection & automated test feedback come to Ultra

Enhancements to Collaborate, gradebook & announcement tools

Password protection and automated feedback are two assessment tools coming to Ultra in September. These valuable features enhance the instructor's ability to secure assessments and provide...

Posted: August 31, 2020, 1:28 PM

Content Editor Updates Enhance Announcements, Embedded Media

Ultra journals now included in course copy

The August Blackboard update introduces an enhanced text editor to the Ultra course announcement tool, allowing faculty to add and display more types of content, embed web links and media, and...

Posted: July 28, 2020, 11:43 AM

Basic Journals Arrive to Ultra Courses in June

Tweaks include assessment feedback, course copy improvements

Next month's Blackboard update brings a frequently requested tool to Ultra courses: the Journal! Journals are a personal space for students to communicate privately with instructors or to reflect...

Posted: May 29, 2020, 10:07 AM

Updated Ally indicators for Ultra courses in February update

Tweaks provided for self-enrolled groups & discussion boards

This month's Ultra update focuses on increasing the visibility of Ally in Ultra courses. Faculty who upload files directly to the Course Content area or within folders and learning modules will...

Posted: February 7, 2020, 12:32 PM

Google Assignments and File Embed Available for Bb Courses

Use Google's Rich Editor to Provide Student Feedback

In January 2018, Box discontinued Crocodoc in favor of the Box inline grading tool. The goal of this transition was to provide a similar and simpler experience users know from the traditional Box...

Posted: January 8, 2020, 11:32 AM

Students like Ultra design, organized courses

User surveys reveal consistent satisfaction with Ultra style

More than 70% of 606 student survey respondents who took a course that used Ultra during the FA2019 semester said they were satisfied with the experience. When asked, students described Ultra as...

Posted: December 17, 2019, 2:20 PM

New group enhancements scheduled for December Ultra update

Ungraded assignments also coming this month

Managing large numbers of students and groups is an important tool in Blackboard. In the current version of Ultra, faculty had to create assignments and discussions before they could create and...

Posted: December 3, 2019, 11:26 AM