What's New in Ultra: TILT'Ed

Dani Reilley
  • 0.0 (0)
  • COURSES

What’s New in Ultra: TILT’ed is your monthly guide to the latest updates and features in Blackboard Ultra, hosted by Thomas Mathews Horne and Danielle Reilley from Fort Hays State University’s Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT) team. Each episode breaks down the newest release highlights in clear, practical terms—showing how small changes can make a big impact on teaching, learning, and course design. From gradebook improvements and communication tools to AI features and accessibility updates, Thomas and Dani help faculty stay informed, save time, and make the most of Ultra’s evolving capabilities. Whether you’re a seasoned online instructor or just getting started, this podcast keeps you connected to what’s new, what’s next, and what works in digital teaching.

Episodes

  1. 12/08/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 8

    In this month’s episode, Thomas and Dani walk through Blackboard Ultra’s December 2025 release—version 4000.4—which brings clearer workflows, more instructor control, and thoughtful quality-of-life updates. Highlights include setting release conditions on any content item, adjusting group memberships mid-project, seeing accurate submission counts in the Gradebook, enjoying a consistent tabbed grading interface, setting participation requirements for discussions, managing AI originality reports, improved audio/video feedback playback, an instructor view of the Learning Module table of contents, and enhanced MathJax support. Thomas and Dani agree: this release focuses on flexibility, consistency, and helping instructors guide students through courses more smoothly than ever.

    10 min

  2. 11/07/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 7

    In this episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani celebrate a major milestone with the Blackboard Ultra 4000.1 release. This update focuses on practical, time-saving improvements that make teaching and grading more efficient. Highlights include the long-awaited ability to bulk edit question points in tests, simplified gradebook navigation with consistent “View Submissions” options, the option to include hidden items when downloading the gradebook, and new automated student messaging that helps instructors encourage or support students without extra effort. Each feature addresses real challenges instructors face daily, making Ultra even more intuitive and impactful for teaching and learning.

    8 min

  3. 10/08/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 6

    In this month’s episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani dive into the October Blackboard Ultra release (3902.1), packed with thoughtful refinements that make teaching smoother and communication clearer. From the sleek new Course Messages redesign—with chat bubbles and avatars—to consistent Save and Cancel buttons, smarter question tagging, and improved fill-in-the-blank formatting, this update is all about polish and usability. Tune in to hear how these updates enhance both instructor workflow and the student experience.

    7 min

  4. 09/12/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 5 (September 2025)

    The September 2025 Blackboard Ultra release (3900.125) is one of the most significant updates yet, with improvements spanning instructional design, grading, assessments, communication, and accessibility. In this episode, Thomas Mathews Horne and Danielle Reilley break down the highlights, including: New block styling options for Documents AI-powered feedback features (Summarize & Rewrite) Question management updates and QTI v2.1 export Enhancements for group work and rubrics Accessibility and gradebook improvements Most features are live now in Ultra courses, with AI tools available at no cost until June 2026. Tune in to learn how these updates can streamline your teaching and improve the student experience.

    10 min

  5. 08/18/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 4

    In this episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani break down the August 2025 Blackboard Ultra release (3900.123), featuring new document styling options, Video Studio in Announcements, improved Learning Module navigation, accessibility upgrades with semantic HTML tables, and streamlined course management tools like enhanced LTI handling and group conversions—all designed to make teaching and learning more engaging, accessible, and efficient.

    12 min

  6. 07/15/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 3

    In this jam-packed episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani break down the feature-rich 3900.121 release in Blackboard Ultra. From time-saving grading enhancements and QTI question imports to long-awaited upgrades like image captions, MathJax support, and retroactive achievements, this release is all about improving workflow and teaching flexibility. Whether you're deep into course design or just trying to keep up with the latest tools, this episode highlights what matters most for instructors.

    10 min

  7. 06/13/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 2 - June 2025

    In this episode, Dani and Thomas walk through the latest Blackboard Ultra updates from the 3900.118 release. From new jumbled sentence question types (including AI-generated ones!) to improved discussion tracking and streamlined Knowledge Checks, this month’s enhancements are all about smarter assessments, clearer communication, and better mobile usability. Tune in for practical tips and quick takeaways to help you make the most of these new features.

    9 min

  8. 05/12/2025

    TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 1

    In this inaugural May episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT'Ed, Thomas Mathews Horne and Danielle Reilley from the TILT team at Fort Hays State University dive into the latest Blackboard Ultra release (3900.116). Discover how the new AI Design Assistant feature streamlines interactive learning, explore the long-awaited option for qualitative rubrics without points, learn about the new “view submission one time” test setting for secure assessments, and get the scoop on enhanced Learning Object Repository search functionality. Whether you're faculty or support staff, this episode breaks down what’s new and how it can improve your course design workflow.

    10 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

What’s New in Ultra: TILT’ed is your monthly guide to the latest updates and features in Blackboard Ultra, hosted by Thomas Mathews Horne and Danielle Reilley from Fort Hays State University’s Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT) team. Each episode breaks down the newest release highlights in clear, practical terms—showing how small changes can make a big impact on teaching, learning, and course design. From gradebook improvements and communication tools to AI features and accessibility updates, Thomas and Dani help faculty stay informed, save time, and make the most of Ultra’s evolving capabilities. Whether you’re a seasoned online instructor or just getting started, this podcast keeps you connected to what’s new, what’s next, and what works in digital teaching.

Information