What is Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation

This article provides information and resources on Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation.

Question

I would like to learn more about Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation.  What resources are available? 

 

Environment

• Blackboard 

 

Information

GRCC upgraded its Blackboard Learn environment to Ultra Base Navigation in May of 2023. This new navigational system is a streamlined, mobile-friendly, and modernized interface that improves the user experience for GRCC faculty, staff, and students. This page will serve as an informational hub to provide resources, such as training materials and support documentation.

Here’s what to know about the upgrade:

• Your courses haven't changed. Ultra Base Navigation is an upgrade to the Blackboard experience outside of the course; course content, navigation, and structure is unchanged.
• No action is required on your part. The upgrade does not require you to change anything in your courses.
• The experience is an improvement. Ultra Base Navigation streamlines many elements of your Blackboard use, including grading, communicating with students, and navigating between courses.

Using Ultra Base Navigation

Ultra Base Navigation replaces the old My Course List with the new Courses page. The Courses page gives access to all of your courses at once and lets you sort, filter, and favorite the most important ones. When you select a course, it will appear overlaid on the main Blackboard menu, in the same Original view you're used to.

Organizations work the same way as courses in Ultra Base Navigation. All of your organizations are available in the Organizations page, with the same filtering and favoriting capabilities.

New Features in Ultra Base Navigation

• The Ultra Base Navigation Menu is visible at all times, enabling intuitive navigation between important Blackboard functions and surfacing the most important information from all of your courses. 
• The Institution page is a new hub page with information for students. This page has links to tutoring, Blackboard help, student support, and more.
• The Activity Stream is the new landing page in Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation. This stream shows important upcoming due dates, course updates, and recent assignments and discussion posts. Students can navigate directly to their grades and assignments, and instructors can easily check students’ progress in their courses.
• Ultra Base Navigation also offers an improved Calendar. The Calendar view compiles all of your course calendars with important GRCC events. The Ultra Base Navigation Calendar can also synchronize with your Google calendar. 
• Communication between instructors and students is improved with Ultra Base Navigation’s new Messages feature. Use Messages to communicate directly with students in each of your courses all in one interface.
• Your Profile is easily accessible in Ultra Base Navigation. Add your preferred name, pronunciation, pronouns, and change your notification settings all in one place.

Resources for Students

Blackboard has a suite of student-facing resources for Ultra Base Navigation:

• Their Profile
• The Activity Stream
• Courses & Organizations
• The new Calendar
• Checking their Grades
• Students may also view this video for a quick overview of Base Navigation from their perspective. Faculty are not required to instruct students on using Base Navigation, but are encouraged to share these resources with students as they navigate this transition.

Learn More

Review our previously recorded sessions, demos, and Q&As. 

• Introducing Ultra Base Navigation
• Understanding Ultra Base Navigation
• Ultra Base Navigation Q&A