View this email in your browser
 
Grand Valley State University
As the Fall 2023 semester ends, we're pleased to share that over 87% of Blackboard Ultra Courses have been activated and are accessible to students. This percentage marks the highest availability recorded since the onset of the pandemic, reflecting the dedication and effort invested in transitioning to Blackboard Ultra. As we approach the semester's end, eLearning Technologies is here to support you in finishing strong and preparing for the Winter 2024 semester. Your commitment is appreciated, and we're ready to assist you further.
In this email newsletter:

Grading Tips for Blackboard Ultra

If you are grading assessments with essay questions, use the "needs grading" filter to filter out automatically graded questions.
This tip lets you view and grade a question for all students.
Have comments that you use over and over again in your feedback? See this resource for creating a comment library for grading.
We've compiled a list of some of the most commonly used Gradebook functions in our service portal. Your eLearning Liaison is also available to help provide advice.

Virtual Office Hours for 2024 Winter Preps

The eLearning Technologies team will host virtual office hours for 2024 course preps and assist with end-of-semester questions. Use this Zoom link and bring your questions! If you need a date and time different than these dates and times, you are encouraged to contact your eLearning Liaison with questions or submit a consultation request through our service portal.
  • 12/15/23 • 9am – 11am
  • 1/4/24 • 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm
  • 1/5/24 • 9am – 11am and 1pm – 3pm

Frequent New Semester Requests

As you start thinking about your Winter 2024 courses, you may want to take advantage of the following common requests:

2024 Blackboard Roadmap

To commemorate the conclusion of the semester and our successful transition to Blackboard Ultra, eLearning Technologies, in partnership with Information Technology and Anthology, distributed nearly 2000 donuts and hot cocoa to our students on December 5 and December 6, 2023.
Students appreciated the sweet treats and overwhelmingly said they appreciated the updated interface of Blackboard Ultra. We heard four common statements from students when comparing Blackboard Ultra to Blackboard Original.
  1. They like the ability to see content without downloading it.
  2. They appreciate Ultra's mobile responsiveness.
  3. They like the modern interface, its easier navigation, and the ability to find content.
  4. They like the ability to track upcoming and missed assignments.
During the afternoon of December 6, 2023, representatives from Anthology provided an update and roadmap session about future enhancements planned in 2024. The slides from the Roadmap session and a link to the presentation recording are now available.
Please note that if you completed our feedback survey to submit questions before the roadmap event, those questions have been shared with Anthology product development. You will receive a direct responses by email after the holiday break.

December Feature Enhancements in Blackboard

Improvements and new features are added to Blackboard Ultra monthly. See the Release Schedule for the planned timeline and the Release Notes for the features and enhancements of December 8, 2023. We'd like to draw your attention to three in particular:
Large Rubric Support
Rubrics are no longer limited to a maximum of 15 rows. Unlimited rubrics are valuable in situations where a higher number of criteria are needed, such as in accreditation processes.
Group Assignment Mixed Due Dates
Instructors may want to set different due dates for each group working on a group assessment. With the December release, instructors can assign a unique due date to each group using the exceptions workflow. On the group assessment Submissions page, the instructor may add or edit exceptions for a group.
The Exceptions panel displays relevant information, such as the assignment name and selected group name, helping to ensure the accuracy of an exception. Instructors can set a due date for the group using the date and time picker.
Additional image insertion and generate options
Announcements, Assessment Questions, and Submission Feedback now include the image insertion icon.

Extended Access to Previous Blackboard Semesters Coming in 2024

Starting with the Fall 2023 courses, eLearning Technologies will keep two academic years plus one semester online in Blackboard at one time and available to instructors. This change is an increase of three additional online semesters to copy and review previous content. We will also continue to keep three years of course archives off-line.

Ideas for Organizing Your Ultra Course Site

Now that you've had a semester teaching in Ultra, are you looking for ideas on organizing your Winter 2024 Ultra course?
This sample video tour will help you explore strategies for structuring your course site. And remember, you can contact your eLearning liaisons to learn more.

Schedule Time with Your eLearning Technologies Team Members

Feel free to connect with our eLearning Technologies team at any point during the semester to schedule a consultation. Our team comprises instructional designers, instructional technology project specialists, digital media developers, system analysts, and dedicated graduate assistants focused on digital learning. Locate your assigned eLearning Technologies team members on our eLearning Technologies Support by Colleges website. Reach out through email or phone, or conveniently submit a consultation request via our Service Portal. We're here to assist you!
May your fall semester end well, your holidays be restful, and your teaching be continually rewarding.
Sincerely,
Kim Kenward, Director of eLearning Technologies
kenwardk@gvsu.edu
GVSU Information Technology
Visit our eLearning Technologies website or follow us on our socials:
Twitter Facebook YouTube
podcast by Jamison Wieser from Noun Project / Question by Adrien Coquet from Noun Project / feedback by Vectorstall from Noun Project / moving by Adrien Coquet from Noun Project / door open by shashank singh from Noun Project / wellness by Adrien Coquet from Noun Project / reminder by conchan from Noun Project / explain by Iconographer from Noun Project / Six by Adrien Coquet from Noun Project / Tour by Colourcreatype from Noun Project / key by Aaron K. Kim from Noun Project / closed by Gregor Cresnar from Noun Project / cleaning by Nubaia Karim Barsha from Noun Project / new by jiskan427 from Noun Project / leaf by Deepz from Noun Project / foundation by M. Oki Orlando from Noun Project / working together by Khoirin from Noun Project / Accessibility by mikicon from Noun Project / Toolbox by Danil Polshin from Noun Project
1 Campus Drive
4490 Kindschi Hall of Science
Allendale, MI 49401
Share this:
Unsubscribe from future emails.
Subscribe to our email list.