Transition to Ultra

Since 2019 the Digital, Portal and Intranet Services (DLPIS) team have made progress towards moving our existing Blackboard Learn system to a new interface, called ‘Ultra’. In July 2021, the first phase of this was completed with the move to ‘ultra base navigation’. This essentially changed the overall look and feel of the site, but retained the original look to the key components of course and module areas.

2021/22 – The Ultra Pilot

In 2021/22 a number of courses from across the university involved in an evaluation of the Ultra interface for modules. Moving these pilot courses to using the new interface represented a significant change for both staff and students involved, and provided a great opportunity for the DLPIS team to understand the impact of the interface change, and also to gain feedback on how the process was handled by the team, including training and support offered.

Initial staff training was given in the form of online workshops, supplemented with bespoke online webpages. A Microsoft Team was also used to establish a ‘community’, bringing together staff involved in the pilot. This team was used to host discussions, Q&A and signpost staff to latest release notes.

At the end of Semester 1 (2021/22), feedback was obtained via an online survey distributed to all staff involved. 1:1 discussions with staff were also facilitated to capture a deeper understanding of the experience, where possible. A student survey was also distributed via module leaders involved in the pilot, although response rate was poor, and subsequently the data was not included in the evaluation.

2022/23 – The Early Adopter Program

For the 2022/23 academic year, the existing pilot courses continued with using the new interface for modules. As the students who had studied the previous year moved from Level 4 to Level 5, additional modules within these pilot courses starting using Ultra in 2022/3. Academic schools were also asked to consider including additional courses into the pilot, which was now titled the ‘Early Adopter Program’. Engagement varied across schools, with some schools including all Level 4 modules in the program, whereas other schools had no additional courses added.

The DPLIS team responded to the concerns raised in the pilot stage, for example using a module template for 22/23 Ultra modules, as well as enabling Turnitin for assessment use. Feedback from the initial pilot was also addressed with Anthology, who responded during 2022 with the required improvements to the assessment functionality.

A similar support model was used with staff new to Ultra in 2022/23, and another evaluation was carried out at the end of Semester 1. The aims of this evaluation were to compare and contrast the experiences of staff new to Ultra (in 22/23) to those who were part of the pilot in the previous year (21/22). The evaluation also aimed to identify if there were still any features not meeting staff expectations.

Findings were more positive than the previous year, with some staff very complimentary about the change in interface. There were still some concerns raised by some respondents. However, there was also a noticeable trend – staff who were less happy with the new interface were the staff involved in the previous year’s pilot. Staff new to Ultra in 22/23 were generally happier with the new interface. This can be explained by these staff not realising certain issues had been fixed, or new features released (such as Turnitin).

2023/24 – Full Roll Out

In preparation for the full roll out of the Ultra interface to all modules/courses, a number of specific sub-projects were engaged with during the 2022/23 academic year.

Training and Support

A four-phase training model was launched in 22/23, with the intention of supporting staff and preparing them for the new interface in 23/24. This started with Information webinars early in the academic year, briefing staff on the timeline for changes. The first workshop ‘Ultra Basics’ was launched in January 2023 and has run weekly ever since. Staff could also request a ‘sandbox’ module, giving them a safe place to experiment with Ultra in advance of receive access to their 2023/24 modules. Additional workshops were launched in April 2023, which coincided with the creation of 2023/24 modules. Learning Technologists also worked with colleagues, running bespoke workshops and offering 1:1 support.

Communications

The DLPIS team worked with Marketing and Communications to develop a comprehensive communications plan for staff and students. Some examples include:

• Emails to Course Leaders at all stages of the project
• Videos sent to students – the first to inform students of the upcoming changes and expected benefits, the second to guide students on how to navigate the new interface.
• Webinars run for Course Reps to inform them of changes.

Student User Testing

The DLPIS team partnered with a student as part of the Digital Learning Partners Project, to conduct some student user testing. The consisted of recruiting and interviewing current students who had not used Ultra before. They were set a series of tasks, using their current modules. They were then asked to complete the same tasks in an Ultra demo module, and provide feedback. Students were very positive about the new Ultra interface, however there were some small opportunities for improvement which were fed back into the other sub-projects for action.

Conclusion

From 2023/24, all module areas on My Studies will be using the new Ultra interface.

For University of Brighton staff: Our Ultra SharePoint site contains an overview of the project, including resources and a link to our workshops page. Staff can also contact their Learning Technologist for advice and support. Full details of the evaluation, including the key findings can be found on the Ultra Project SharePoint site.