What do I need to know about transitioning from Blackboard Original to Blackboard Ultra?
On this page:
WORD OF CAUTION as you Migrate Content from Blackboard Learn Original to Ultra
Issues and Exceptions Copying Content from Blackboard Learn Original to Ultra
Differences Between Blackboard Original to Ultra with Regards to Content Levels
Do I need to download the content from my Blackboard Original Courses for the migration to Blackboard Ultra?
You do not need to worry about losing access or copying content from your Blackboard Learn Original courses during the migration process to Blackboard Learn Ultra. While we do not recommend conducting full course copies from Blackboard Original courses to the new Blackboard Ultra course environment, there is a process called "granular course copy" which we will be sharing with faculty that allows you to grab those things you wish to move over to the new course in Ultra. Blackboard Ultra's Granular Course Copy is actually a very slick process that allows you to access those course materials you'll need in the new environment while simultaneously building the course from the ground up in Ultra so that it is organized in the manner you desire.
Also, please rest assured, we will provide workshops and/or on-demand videos to introduce you and help you with this process. More about this will be announced as Summer and Fall 2024 course shells become available.
Timeline for Migration to Blackboard Ultra
From Fall 2024 forward, ALL academic courses will be within Blackboard Ultra.
WORD OF CAUTION as you Migrate Content from Blackboard Original to Blackboard Ultra
In preparation for converting your courses, we strongly advise against full course copies, as this typically results in a mess which will require you to spend a significant amount of time cleaning up. Ultra allows for "granular course copy" where you pick and choose what you want to copy over while giving careful consideration to where you would like the copied content to appear within your new Ultra course.
Blackboard Original and Ultra Terminology Comparison
You may also be interested in comparing the terminology between Bb Original and Bb Ultra.
Issues and Exceptions Copying Content from Blackboard Original to Ultra
If the system encounters problems with a content copy, an error report appears at the top of the Course Content page. Select View Exceptions to learn more about why the content failed to copy. Most exceptions are not significant and won't require any adjustment from you. On the Exceptions Report panel, view exceptions by category. Select a category to see a list of items that weren’t copied and a brief explanation. For some exceptions, you may need to manually create this item in your new course. For example, Surveys and Wikis aren't converted from Original to Ultra. For Surveys, you may want to replace them with Google or Microsoft Forms. For Wikis, you may want to use a Microsoft or Google Integration for Collaboration use cases.
Differences Between Blackboard Original to Ultra with Regards to Content Levels
Content nesting refers to how content items can be contained within other content items on the Course Content page. By default, courses in Ultra Course View support up to two levels of hierarchy on the Course Content page. For example, a folder within a folder is two levels. A folder within a Learning Module is also an example of two levels. This is different from the Original Course View, which had no restrictions on the number of sub folders that could be used. This change simplifies course structures to enhance student experience.
The flattening process refers to how items can move when copied, imported, or converted into Ultra courses. The process moves items with a depth greater than two to the lowest supported level in Ultra courses.