Introduction

Welcome to the Blackboard Navigation page. Blackboard Ultra is designed to provide a streamlined and organized learning experience, but understanding where to find important tools and course information is essential for success. This page will help you become familiar with the Blackboard Ultra interface, navigate your courses confidently, locate important announcements and assignments, and access your Concourse syllabus.

Taking a few minutes to learn the Blackboard layout now can save you time and frustration throughout the semester. 

✅ Understanding Course Navigation

In the School of Social Work, you will find the same common elements:

• Course Content

• Calendar (this is different from the Calendar on the Institution page because it covers just the due dates and important items for this course only

• Announcements

• Discussions

• Gradebook

• Messages

• Groups

• Achievements

Not every instructor uses every component of Blackboard, but those items will always remain. Red indicators next to each menu item indicates that there are a number of unread actions associated with that item. Clicking on each item will change the main navigation view to that screen. 

Note: Clicking the Courses dropdown will allow you to quickly jump to another course. 

Inside each course, you will see the Course Content page. This is the main area where instructors organize materials. The course launches at the Course Content page by default. There is no way to change this. You will always land on the Content page. 

Common areas inside a Course Content page may include:

• Learning Modules

• Weekly Folders

• Assignments

• Discussions

• Tests and Quizzes

• Course Announcements

• Syllabus Information

• Multimedia Content

Many instructors organize content sequentially, meaning you should move through materials from top to bottom. 

Note: Use the Search Magnifying Glass icon in the top right corner to search for content found inside the course. 

If a learning module is used, an image and description will appear with a downward pointing arrow indicating the components inside the Learning Module. 

In addition to Learning Modules, you will likely find Folders containing content. One common approach is to have all Assignments and Exams in respective folders so that you can see them ahead of time, however, not all instructors follow this approach and may prefer to deploy a different method of sharing content.

✅ Launching and Viewing the Concourse Syllabus

Many courses use the Concourse Syllabus tool to provide official syllabus information inside Blackboard.

To access the Concourse Syllabus:

1. Enter your Blackboard course.

2. Locate the Concourse Syllabus link within the Course Content area.

3. Select the link to launch the syllabus.

The syllabus may open:
• Inside Blackboard
• In a new browser tab
• Within an embedded window inside the course

The Concourse Syllabus often contains:
• Course policies
• Instructor information
• Required textbooks
• Weekly schedules
• Assignment grading details
• Important course expectations

❗ PLEASE NOTE: Some browsers or pop-up blockers may prevent the syllabus from opening correctly. If nothing happens when selecting the syllabus link, allow pop-ups for Blackboard and try again using Google Chrome.

Page Summary

Blackboard Ultra is your primary learning environment throughout the MSW program. Understanding how to navigate courses, review assignments, access grades, and launch the Concourse Syllabus will help you feel more confident and prepared. Becoming familiar with these tools early will make your transition into online learning much smoother.

This page was last edited 7/1/2025.