Blackboard Ultra Updates: May 2025

1. Text-based columns in Gradebook

Impact: Instructors and students
Updated Help Page: Ultra Gradebook
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-1566

Instructors can now create custom text-based columns in the Gradebook, giving them the ability to record information for an assessment, such as performance code, group membership, and tutoring information.

Text-based columns in the Gradable Items view are accessible through a properly marked-up table layout. Screen reader users can navigate and hear headers and rows accurately. Sorting and assistive technology features ensure an inclusive experience for all users.

Instructors can now create text-based columns in the Gradebook. These columns allow instructors to record up to 32 characters. The column is not restricted to text input.

Instructors can:

• Create text-based columns via the Add workflow in both the grid view and Gradable Items page;

• Name the column, control student visibility, and add a description;

• Add and edit text information for a specific student using an inline eidt workflow.

Text-based columns exclude the following:

• Points values (automatically set to 0 points)

• Due dates

• Categories

• Gradebook calculations and related calculation UIs

Content in text-based columns auto-posts and supports sorting functionality within the Gradebook grid view. Instructors can also download and upload text-based columns using the Gradebook's upload/download function.

Image 1: Instructors can select Add Text Item to create a text-based column.

Image 2: Instructors can enter column name, set visibility for students, and enter a description for the text-based column.

Students can access text-based columns and associated information in their Gradebook when the column is set to Visible to students.

2. AI Design Assistant: Auto-generate AI Conversations

Impact: Instructors 
Updated Help Page: AI Conversation 

The AI Design Assistant can now auto-generate AI Conversations. AI Conversations are conversations between students and an AI persona. 

• Socratic Questioning: Conversations that encourage students to think critically through continuous questioning.

• Role-play: Conversations that allow students to play out scenarios with the AI persona, enhancing their learning experience.

Creating personas and topics for an AI Conversation can take a lot of time. To streamline this process, the AI Design Assistant can generate three suggestions at once. You can select what the AI Design Assistant generates. You can choose to generate: 

• AI Conversation title

• AI persona

• Reflection question 

These suggestions provide inspiration for an AI Conversation. Instructors can refine the AI Design Assistant’s suggestions in several ways:

• Provide additional context

• Adjust the complexity of the question

• Select context from the course

• Manually revise the question 

The time saved by auto-generating AI Conversations allows instructors to focus more on embedding AI Conversations into their courses. 

Image 1. The auto-generate feature is now available in AI Conversations.

Image 2. There are several ways to customize AI Conversations.

3. "View submission one time" test results setting

Updated Help Page: Assessment Settings
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-355

We added a new test result setting option, View submission one time. When a student completes the test, they can review their answers and detailed feedback, such as which questions were answered correctly. The View submission one time option lets instructors provide students with immediate feedback, while maintaining test security.

To access this setting option, select Available after submission in the Assessment results section of the Assessment Settings, then select View submission one time from the Customize when the submission content is visible to students dropdown. This dropdown is available only if Allow students to view their submission is selected.

Students benefit from immediate feedback on their test performance in a secure and limited timeframe. Restricting access after the review session balances the need for meaningful insights with the importance of maintaining academic integrity.

4. Qualitative rubrics with no-points options 

Updated Help Page: Create Rubrics
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-382

Instructors can now create and use no-points rubrics for qualitative evaluation. This rubric type allows instructors to assess student work based on criteria and feedback, rather than numerical values. In addition, the AI generation option now supports no-points rubrics, providing a streamlined method to create detailed evaluation criteria.

Instructors can select No Points as a rubric type when creating or generating a rubric. This option is available alongside existing percentage and points-based rubrics. Instructors can also edit rubrics to switch between different rubric types, including percentage, points range, and no points.

Image 1: No Points option is available in the Rubric Type dropdown.

5. Enhancements to discussions

Updated Help Page: Discussions (for instructors), Discussions (for students) 
Idea Exchange ID: LEARNU-I-5098 

We made several enhancements to discussions to improve the user experience and make discussions more engaging and efficient. 

• Updated wording: We used to call discussion contributions "responses" and "replies." We changed this to "posts" and "replies."

• Improved input field text: Previously, the text within the input field was "Type a response." The text within the input field is now "Post a response to the discussion."

• Avatar update: We previously included the user's avatar beside the input field. We removed the avatar to increase the area for adding content to the discussion. 

Image 1. The button to post a reply was labelled Respond and the user's avatar was included beside the input field. The text inside the input field instructed the user to type a response.