1. Course Shell Setup
☐ Access my Blackboard Ultra course shell.
☐ Review course layout or structure provided by my school or program.
☐ Update course title, welcome message, and contact information.

2. Content & Navigation
☐ Upload or link required readings and multimedia content.
☐ Organize content into clearly labeled modules or learning units.
☐ Use Ultra’s single-page layout to streamline access to materials.

3. Assignments & Grading
☐ Create all assignments with clear instructions and due dates.
☐ Set up the Gradebook and confirmed grade calculation method.
☐ Add rubrics or grading criteria where appropriate.

4. Communication & Engagement
☐ Post a course announcement to welcome students.
☐ Enable discussion boards or engagement tools (if applicable).
☐ Review notification settings and communication preferences.

5. Accessibility & Inclusive Design
☐ Check documents for readability and accessibility (e.g., headers).
☐ Verify all videos have captions or transcripts and all images have alt text.
☐ Review layout for clarity, contrast, and ease of navigation.

6. Final Review
☐ Preview course as a student to ensure usability.
☐ Confirm the Blackboard support in my department and what trainings are available from campus educational technology support teams.

Checklist created by:

Bronwyn Keefe, PhD, MPH, MSW
Assistant Dean of Workforce and Professional Development & Research Associate Professor
Research Assistant Professor
Director, Center for Aging & Disability Education & Research (CADER) & Network for Professional Education
Coordinator, Aging Specialization and Lowy-GEM Program
School of Social Work

Karen Jacobs, OT, EdD, OTR, CPE, FAOTA
Associate Dean, Digital Learning and Innovation at the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Clinical Professor
Program Director, Online Post-professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program
Department of Occupational Therapy

Lyndsey McMahan, PhD, LCSW
MSW Director of Inclusive Pedagogy
School of Social Work