As we move into June, summer brings a mix of teaching, planning, and preparation for the months ahead. Whether you are actively teaching, refreshing a current course, or looking ahead to fall, the Center for Instructional Technology is here to support you. This month’s highlights share opportunities, tools, and updates to help you strengthen your Blackboard courses, explore new features, and create clear, engaging, and accessible learning experiences.
Blackboard Ultra Reminder
All UA courses—including 2026 summer and fall—are in Blackboard Ultra. If you have content in an older Blackboard Original course, it can be copied into Ultra; however, we recommend reviewing all materials to ensure everything functions as expected in the updated environment.The Center for Instructional Technology (CIT) team is available all summer to answer questions and help you prepare your upcoming courses. For assistance, contact us at cit@ua.edu.
New Blackboard Webinar from CIT
Designing Exemplary Blackboard CoursesJoin us to learn how to build a Blackboard course that is clear, organized, and designed for student success. This workshop focuses on course structure and content organization aligned with exemplary course design standards. Participants will learn how to create and organize modules, copy content from previous courses, integrate external tools, and apply accessibility best practices to develop a polished and effective learning experience. See the Upcoming Learning Opportunities section below for workshop dates and more information.
Blackboard Tips & Tricks
Set Up Grade Categories EarlyOrganizing your Gradebook from the start can save time and prevent confusion later in the semester. Setting up grade categories helps structure your assessments, supports clear grading workflows, and keeps everything aligned from day one. Taking a few minutes to plan ahead means no scrambling at the end of the term. More information on grade categories Utilize Class ConversationsClass Conversations provide a built-in space for students to ask questions, share ideas, and engage with course content directly within Blackboard. This feature helps promote peer learning, clarify confusion, and reduce repetitive emails by keeping discussions connected to specific content. It’s an easy way to foster interaction without adding extra tools. More information on Class Conversations
What’s New in Blackboard?
Provide answer-level feedback for multiple choice and multiple answer questions.Instructors can now add feedback for each answer option in multiple choice and multiple answer questions. This helps students understand why each choice is correct or incorrect after an attempt is submitted.
Lock answer options in a fixed position for multiple choice and multiple answer questionsInstructors can now lock specific answer options in a fixed position so they remain in place when other options are randomized. This is useful for answer choices such as “None of the above” or “All of the above” that should always appear at the end of the list regardless of randomization settings.
Stay on track with important Blackboard updates arriving in March. A full overview is available in the Anthology blog post: What’s New in Blackboard – June 2026.
This website uses cookies to collect information to improve your browsing experience. Please review our Privacy Statement for more information.
This website uses cookies to collect information to improve your browsing experience. Please review our Privacy Statement for more information.
