Here are the highlights of this month’s new and improved features in Blackboard Ultra. For more details, please follow the links below:
AI Design Assistant – Authentic Assessment prompt generation
AI Design Assistant now includes a new feature that helps instructors create more authentic assignments. When creating a new assignment, instructors will see an ‘auto-generate assignment’ button. This button enables instructors to automatically generate an assignment title, prompt, and set the cognitive level. Similar to other features of AI Design Assistant, by providing a description and complexity, more desirable prompts can be generated. Instructors can also select cognitive level, or use “Inspire me!” option to let AI automatically select the level. This feature assists in generating new ideas and writing descriptive prompts to create authentic assessments.
Delegated Grading improvements
Blackboard Ultra allows instructors to delegate grading tasks to graders. However, anonymous grading and assigning graders were mutually exclusive options. With the new improvement, this restriction is removed; instructors can now assign graders to grade anonymously from the assessment Settings panel. This provides more flexible options to instructors.
Improved attempt display in Flexible Grading
Instructors can allow multiple-attempt assessments using Blackboard Ultra, which could encourage more submissions from students. Regardless of the attempt aggregation model, the result of the most recent attempt was displayed in the Gradebook.
With the new improvement, the attempt display is based on the grading status and attempt aggregation model. This helps students and instructors to see more intuitive and accurate grades and grading status based on the selected aggregation model.
Sorting controls in Students view for assessments graded anonymously
When grading assessments anonymously in the flexible grading view, instructors can now sort submissions in Students view by submission date, either from oldest to newest or vice versa. This feature was added to improve the usability of anonymous grading.
Enhanced grid view
There are multiple enhancements made in the Gradebook grid view in this release. These enhancements help instructors navigate Gradebook more easily.
- Reduced the size of column icon and reduced white space. This enables more columns visible without scrolling.
- Removed group names and highlighting group assessments. This improves row visibility.
- The course name moves up and hides when vertically scrolling. This also improves row visibility.
- When hovering over a truncated student name, the full name displays in a tooltip.
- Student IDs are displayed beneath student names. This helps in distinguishing students who have the same name.
Total & Weighted Calculations
Instructors need a variety of calculation columns in the Gradebook. To accommodate the diverse needs of instructors, now the Gradebook provides Total Calculation Columns to be added to the Gradebook. This allows more flexible grading which Overall Grade column currently offers, including weighted calculations, and dropping the lowest or highest scores.
Category information on the Gradable Items page
Previously, category information is only available from the assessment editing window and in the Overall Grade column. To provide greater clarity and efficiency, now the category column is available from the Gradebook.
Attempt logs for enhanced assessment integrity
Assessment attempt logs can be a great way to understand how students are working through the assessment. Now attempt logs are available to instructors from the Context Menu on Submission page, and Grades tab under “student overview”.
The log provides the start and submission timestamps, and question specific details for Tests. For anonymous grading, this becomes available only when the grade is posted and anonymity is lifted.
Unused files management
File management is an important part of using shared storage space in an institution. Now Blackboard Ultra allows instructors to detect unused files so that either these can be deleted, or utilized properly in a course. This provides a way for instructors to effectively manage files frequently and efficiently.
The option to view “Unused Files” is available from the three-dot menu (…) on the Content page.
Batch Edit: Change to specific date and/or time
Now batch edit allows instructors to override the existing date and time (show on/hide after/due date). This provides convenience to instructors when multiple items require date changes.
Grade visible to students in Gradebook when item is hidden by release conditions
In Blackboard Ultra, when an assessment item was hidden by release conditions, the grade of the item was also hidden from students. This caused confusion among students and faculty. Now students are able to see their grades regardless of release conditions of assessments. Instructors no longer have to worry about hiding grades by setting release conditions.
The full list of January updates is available on the Blackboard Help Center website.
The full article is also posted on BB Hub: New and Improved Features in Blackboard Ultra – Jan 2024 Update – Faculty Blackboard
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