These are the highlights of this month’s new and improved features in Blackboard Ultra that will be live Thursday, September 5. The updates are related to three different areas:

1. Instructional Design
2. Flexible grading
3. Learner progression and personalized experience

Feel free to read this information on Innovative Learning's Blackboard Hub website.

Instructional Design

Knowledge Checks in Ultra Documents

Knowledge checks allow students to engage with content and receive immediate feedback, and the new block-based content designer has a knowledge check block included!

This is what a Knowledge Check block will look like for students:

Instructors can access detailed metrics including:

• Number of students participating
• Total number of attempts
• Percentage of students selecting each answer option
• and others!

These metrics look like this:

Course Content Page Enhancements

The new design incorporates:

• Subtle gradients and softer edges
• A more cohesive color palette with inviting, warmer tones
• More intuitive navigation, which reduces cognitive load and increases focus on the content

Anthology has also improved the differentiation among learning modules, folders, and content items in Blackboard Ultra because it is sometimes challenging to distinguish among these elements.

This is what the content will look like from the student’s perspective:

AI Conversation

Anthology is launching a new activity called AI Conversation in Blackboard Ultra. This is a Socratic questioning exercise guided by AI, allowing students to explore their thoughts on a topic.

There are two elements to the activity:

• AI Conversation
  • This lets students think critically about the topic that you, as the instructor, designs.
• Reflection question
  • This asks the student to share their thoughts on the activity.

Instructors have the following configuration options:

• A topic for the AI Conversation and an AI persona including a name, avatar, and personality trait
• Complexity level of responses
• Edit the reflection question, guiding the student on how best to reflect on this activity

This is what the configuration screen looks like for instructors:

And this is what students will see:

Flexible Grading

Exclude attempt when grading

Anthology has added a new option to help instructors remove submissions from the grading workflow without having to delete them in Blackboard Ultra. When grading a student, you can now select Exclude Attempt to remove it from the Needs Grading workflow.

View items that need grading and posting in the new Overview tab

We also added a new gradebook Overview tab to improve task orientation and grading efficiency. This tab contains two sections: Needs Grading (allows you to see all items ready for grading and a count of the total number of outstanding grading tasks in your course) and Needs Posting (increases accessibility and visibility of assessments that have been assigned grades, but that need to be posted).

Learner progression and personalized experience

The Student Overview page has a student activity log which instructors can use to check what a particular student did in a course.

The Activity log can be filtered by event type and can look to the past 140 days. The following events can be found in the report:

• Course Access
• Assessment Started
• Assessment Submitted
• Discussion Response
• Document Access
• Journal Access
• LTI Item Access
• SCORM item Access
• and others!

The full list of September updates is available on the Blackboard Help Center website.

Need additional support? The Innovative Learning Support Centre is here to help!

Presenting Sip & Chill Mobile Resources Cart – A Resource on Wheels

Exciting news from the Office of the Dean of Students. Introducing the Sip & Chill Mobile service! This in-person mobile service is designed to bring information directly to students in their primary campus spot—the classroom.

How does it work?

Professors/faculty members book the cart to arrive during a class break. The Sip & Chill Mobile Cart will be in the classroom to give students access to information about student resources, upcoming events, giveaways, and a complimentary beverage.

How to request a visit

Professors/faculty members can schedule a visit from the Sip & Chill Mobile Resources Cart to arrive during their class breaks by using the QR codes or hyperlinks within the attached poster. Reservations are limited to one visit per class per semester.

Schedule

The Sip and Chill Mobile Cart Resources Cart is bookable for the date and times listed.

• Date: Tuesdays to Thursdays, beginning September 3
• Time: Between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Campus:
  • September and November (North Campus and University of Guelph-Humber)
  • October and December (Lakeshore Campus)

IGS and Carrier Drive students will see the Sip and Chill Mobile Resources Cart on pre-set dates/times. Stay tuned.

If you have additional questions or if you need an alternate date option for booking, connect with Meshanda at meshanda.phillips@humber.ca and we will try our best to accommodate.

The College Employer Council has posted "Do You Know What’s In The CEC Proposals?" on its website.

More information is also available on the CEC’s website.

Starting fall 2024, Humber Polytechnic will be the first post-secondary institution in Canada to fully operationalize the social model of disability within its Accessible Learning Services (ALS). This innovative approach emphasizes breaking down physical, social, and attitudinal barriers, creating an inclusive and learner-centered environment that promotes equity and trust for all learners and encourages faculty creativity in learning spaces.

The new ALS service model was developed collaboratively with learners and staff over the past six months, ensuring a focus on empowering learners and proactively removing barriers to participation. Key changes include self-registration through an online intake form, options for learners to self-determine the length of their appointments, and less reliance on disability documentation only when necessary. These enhancements will streamline services, prioritize learners’ lived experiences, and offer flexibility in how learners interact with ALS.

This transformation reflects Humber's commitment to leading in accessible education and aligns with the broader goals of Humber Inspired. By embracing the social model, ALS is setting a new standard for student services and enhancing the learning experience for all.