The gradebook in Blackboard Ultra can be accessed from several different places. In the gradebook, you can manage grades, leave feedback, view student engagement, set accommodations, and message your students about the assignments. 

Journals are a private communication tool between a student and instructor. Journals can be used for individual projects, ideas, self-reflection, or however you see fit. Instructors have two option to make journals a graded assignment and create a rubric for grading.

Enhance engagement with Kaltura. Kaltura is a tool that allows you to integrate rich media content into your courses. You can use Kaltura to create, host, and share videos, images, and audio files within your courses directly. 

Use Kaltura Capture to record videos of your desktop and webcam then embed them directly in your Blackboard Ultra course. This tool can record two camera inputs simultaneously, or a camera and a screen, or two screens. The recordings are automatically stored in your Kaltura My Media. You can even record and place it directly in your course for ease of use and enhanced student engagement.  

Express Capture allows you to record from the browser without needing to install any software. You can record and embed right in your course where you want the media. Record video or audio directions or course announcements while you are already in Blackboard Ultra. Express Capture will not record the screen only audio and video. 

Kaltura Media Gallery is like My Media. However, it is a storage space for media within your course. Unlike My Media, which is private to you, the Media Gallery is visible to everyone enrolled in the course. You can host multiple videos/media in one place. This allows you to add videos/media from the Media gallery directly to the Course Content page, so you do not have to search for content. 

Kaltura My Media is a private, personal storage space for your media. You can upload and manage your media content (video, audio, and image files). While you are in My Media you may edit video options, manage captions, create clips from your videos, delete videos, publish videos to the Course Media Gallery, and more. 

Kaltura Video Quiz allows you to embed questions or polls within the video for learners to answer as they watch the video. Questions and text can be in the form of multiple choice, true/false, open ended, or a reflection point.  The video will pause at the question then play again once the question has been answered. 

Think of a learning module as a container for an organized collection of content. Learning Modules let students navigate from one content item to the next with out the added distractions and extra clicks. Modules promote a more immersive learning experience for students. You can create a module for each week, chapter, unit, or any other grouping to enhance learning. 

Instructors and students can send messages to each other, multiple people, or an entire class. The message feature remains inside Blackboard, so there is no need to worry if an email address is incorrect. You can also send a copy of a message to the recipients’ email, so they get an extra notification. When composing a message, you have full access to the text/content editor box. You can change the font, font size, and color or add bold or italics to enhance your message. You are also able to insert links, file and image attachments, and videos.

Discussions are excellent ways to enhance student engagement, encourage critical thinking, and increasing interactions with fellow student's ideas.  This guide covers adding discussions, discussion settings, as well as analytics and grading in Blackboard Ultra courses.

Unlock the key components and strategies for designing and implementing educational videos that truly captivate and educate. Learn about essential elements, such as storytelling, visuals, and pacing, that elevate the effectiveness of educational video content.

Helping students to understand how to approach/read/interact with course materials can get them started down the road to success. For instructors, it is an efficient use of your time as it reaches multiple students, and still provides a level of engagement that students will appreciate.

Engagement in online courses is key for student success, teacher evaluation and the overall course experience. A great way to promote student engagement in your online course is to work on feedback. Students that receive regular feedback tend to perform better and as a result have good opinions of their time in the course.