Introduction

Effective communication with students is vital for a successful learning experience. Blackboard Ultra provides a range of tools to facilitate clear and consistent communication, ensuring that students stay informed, engaged, and supported throughout their course. This guide will help you navigate the different communication features available in Blackboard Ultra.

Announcements

As an instructor, you can make announcements to the class using Blackboard. Announcements appear in the class and can be used to inform or direct students to any updates or important aspects of the course. In addition, announcements can also be sent as an email copy to recipients, which is helpful for ensuring everyone receives the information promptly.

1. From the Announcements page, click the Plus sign to create a new announcement. The New Announcement window appears.

2. In the Title field, enter the name of the Announcement.

3. In the Message field, type out the content of your announcement. Include all relevant details and any necessary links or attachments.

4. Set the Date and Time for the announcement to appear by clicking on the calendar and clock icons. This allows you to schedule when the announcement will be visible to students.

5. To send an email copy of the announcement to all course participants, check the Send an email copy to recipients box.

6. Click Save to post the announcement. Your announcement will now be visible to students based on your settings.

Messages

As an instructor, the Messages tool in Blackboard Ultra allows you to communicate directly with students within the course environment. This ensures all course-related communications are centralized, making it easier for students to keep track of important information and discussions.

1. From your course, click Messages located in the Course Menu. This will take you to the Messages page where you can view and manage all your course messages.

2. From the Messages page, click New Message to compose a new message. The New Message window appears.

  3. In the Recipients field, select the students or groups you wish to message by clicking on their names or using the search function to find specific individuals.

  4. In the Subject field, enter a brief title for your message to help students quickly understand the topic.

  5. In the Message field, type out the content of your message. Be clear and direct, including any necessary details or instructions.

  6. Click Send to deliver your message. Students will receive a notification about the new message within the Blackboard Ultra platform.

Email

The third way of communicating to students is to communicate using email. We do not recommend the use of email because the contents of the communication are outside of the Blackboard environment. This runs the risk of not being seen by students or shared outside of Blackboard which reduces the ability to keep messages private. 

Communciation Methods Comparison

Announcements are great for important updates and reminders that you want all students to see. They can be scheduled to appear at specific times and can also be sent as an email copy to ensure everyone receives the information. However, they are limited to the course environment, and students need to log in to see them.

Messages provide a way to communicate privately with individual students or groups within the course. They keep all course-related communications centralized, and students receive notifications when they get a new message. The downside is that students need to be logged into Blackboard to access these messages, and they do not receive an external email copy.

Email is effective for ensuring that important information reaches students directly in their inboxes, even if they are not logged into Blackboard. This method is excellent for urgent communications or reaching students who might not check Blackboard regularly. However, emails can sometimes be overlooked in a busy inbox, and they are not centralized within the course. As a result, we do not recommend email and favor Announcements and Messages instead. 

Push Notifications

Enabling push notifications in Blackboard Ultra ensures that both you and your students receive timely updates about course activities and important information. This feature helps keep everyone informed and engaged.

1. From your course, click on your Profile icon, usually located in the top right corner of the screen. This will open a dropdown menu.

2. Select Notification Settings from the dropdown menu. This will take you to the notification preferences page.

3. In the Notification Settings page, choose the types of notifications you want to receive by checking the boxes next to each option (e.g., announcements, messages, due dates).

4. Set your preferences for how you want to receive notifications (e.g., email, mobile app) by adjusting the corresponding settings.

5. Click Save to update your notification preferences. You will now receive notifications based on your selected preferences.

Encourage students to enable push notifications to stay updated on important course activities and deadlines.