The University of Alabama has set a goal of converting all courses to Blackboard Ultra by January 2026. UA Online’s Instructional Design and Technical Support teams have been making excellent progress on moving our programs toward this goal through a detailed conversion, content review and quality check process, further enhancing our educational environment.
The new Blackboard Ultra includes several improvements, including:
- A clean, modern aesthetic that provides a consistent experience
- Enhanced accessibility features; instructors can set accommodations for a student once and apply those settings across the entire course
- Simplified navigation with course content displayed on a mobile-friendly interface
- An updated gradebook that is easy to read and navigate for all users
- New analytics and tools for student performance and engagement
Check out this overview video from Anthology Inc., the parent company of Blackboard, showcasing the Blackboard Ultra:
This page will continue to be updated with exciting news, resources for UA Online faculty and a FAQ section. You can also find many resources, including on-demand webinars, on CIT’s dedicated Ultra webpage.
For any questions not answered on this page or for information about the upcoming hands-on training opportunities with representatives from Anthology, contact the UA Online program manager for your academic unit.
UA Online’s Transition Plan to Blackboard Ultra: Timeline, Key Initiatives and Outcomes
Summer 2024
- UA Online reviews and selects the first pilot degree program for full conversion to Blackboard Ultra.
- Outcome: One master’s program was completely converted, ensuring a consistent student experience across the new LMS view.
Fall 2024
- UA Online’s Instructional Design and Technical Support teams conduct an initial evaluation of the pilot program.
- Outcome: Adjustments were made for the next group of graduate programs in the pilot.
- UA Online reviews and selects the second round of graduate degree programs for full conversion.
- Outcome: Sixteen additional master’s programs were converted to Blackboard Ultra.
- UA Online partners with the Center for Instructional Technology to create “Blackboard Ultra Overview” workshops for original course development content experts.
- Outcome: Four “Ultra Overview” workshops were hosted for content experts.
Spring 2025
- UA Online creates “Teaching in Ultra” workshops and brings Anthology/Blackboard representatives to campus for Spring 2025 online instructors.
- Planned Outcome: Two “Teaching in Ultra” workshops will be hosted in January 2025.
- UA Online begins converting the remaining developed online courses (approximately 450) to Blackboard Ultra.
Summer 2025
- UA Online develops and revises courses in the existing version of Blackboard for the final time during the Summer 2025 development cycle.
- UA Online completes the conversion of courses offered in OL, OLM, and ED2 formats to Blackboard Ultra.
Fall 2025
- UA Online develops and revises courses exclusively in Blackboard Ultra for the Fall 2025 development cycle.
Spring 2026
- The University of Alabama launches all courses and programs in Blackboard Ultra.