{"id":134271,"date":"2021-04-08T14:54:08","date_gmt":"2021-04-08T18:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/?page_id=134271"},"modified":"2025-05-29T15:56:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T19:56:01","slug":"collaboration-tools-ultra","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/services\/teaching\/lms\/blackboard\/instructors\/coursemgmt\/collaboration-tools-ultra\/","title":{"rendered":"Collaboration Tools (Ultra)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>These collaboration tools provide many options for instructor and student interaction. They support real-time communication, file sharing, and collaborative editing, which enhance engagement and learning outcomes. Learn how to add other types of content with our tutorials on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/services\/teaching\/lms\/blackboard\/instructors\/develop\/\">developing your course content<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" id=\"Discussion-Boards\" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Discussion Boards<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<p>Discussions can encourage students to think critically about their coursework and interact with each others&#8217; ideas. You can create discussions around individual course items, or for course topics in general. After you start a discussion, you can post responses of your own to guide students.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/help.blackboard.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2021-08\/UCOdiscussions.png\" width=\"499\" height=\"263\" class=\"alignnone\" alt=\"Preview of Discussion Board\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch a video about Discussions<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to create Discussions - Blackboard\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cz4Yad2H9s8?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span>Create a discussion\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"emphasize\">directly on the <strong>Course Content<\/strong> page<\/span><span> so students can view it in context with other materials. Click the plus sign above or below the content where you want to place the discussion board.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/help.blackboard.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2020-11\/discussioncoursecontent.png\" width=\"483\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone\" alt=\"Preview on how to create a discussion\" \/><\/span><\/li>\n<li>Select the <strong>Discussions<\/strong> icon on the navigation bar to open the course discussions page. Select the plus sign in the upper-right corner to open the menu. You can add discussions and organize them with folders. Select the gear icon to open the <strong>Discussion Settings<\/strong> panel.<\/li>\n<li><span>You can add discussions for everyone or ask students to participate in group discussions. You can also make discussions count for a grade.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/help.blackboard.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2020-06\/ultra_instr_disc_new_pg.png\" width=\"655\" height=\"587\" class=\"alignnone\" alt=\"Preview of Discussion Settings panel\" \/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>As shown in section A of the graphic above, choose a name for your discussion. If you don&#8217;t add a title, &#8220;New Discussion&#8221; and the date appear as the title for you and your students.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Include guidelines and expectations in the main text box on the page (shown as section B). You can use the options in the editor to format text, attach files, and embed multimedia.<\/li>\n<li><span>New discussions are hidden by default. Students can&#8217;t see a discussion until you choose to show it, which you can edit by the visibility dropdown shown in section C of the graphic. If you select <strong>Conditional Availability <\/strong>from the dropdown, you can also set\u00a0<\/span>availability conditions<span>\u00a0based on date, time, and performance on other items in the course <strong>Gradebook<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>As shown in section D of the graphic above, s<span>elect the\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Discussion Settings<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0icon to open a panel with options for your discussion:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"interface\">Select <strong>Display<\/strong> on the <strong>Course Content<\/strong> page<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>to include the discussion on the<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Course Content<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>page.<\/li>\n<li>Hidden responses and replies can help students cultivate their own ideas on your initial discussion topic. Select<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Post first<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>to hide discussion activity from students until they respond to the discussion. When you want to use both post first and groups, select<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Post first<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>before you assign groups.<\/li>\n<li>When you choose to <strong>Grade discussion<\/strong>, more options appear such as the due date and maximum points. The maximum points apply to one or more posts made by a student. When you enable grading for a discussion, a column is created automatically in the gradebook.<\/li>\n<li>When you create a discussion, you can align one or multiple goals. Select<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Align with goals<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>to search for available goals. After you make the discussion visible, students can view the goals so they know your expectations.<\/li>\n<li><span>You can make it a <strong>Group Discussion<\/strong> to\u00a0<\/span>assign students to discussion groups<span>\u00a0so fewer people are involved. You can also assign a specific topic to each group, and\u00a0<\/span>grade group discussions<span>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Instructors can edit or delete anyone&#8217;s discussions, discussion titles, responses, and replies. Students can delete only their own discussions, responses, and replies. Open the menu for a response or reply to access the<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Edit<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>and<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Delete<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>functions. If you delete an initial response, all replies remain. The system displays a message about your deletion so others know what happened.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/help.blackboard.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2020-06\/ultra_instructor_discussion_edit_delete.png\" width=\"495\" height=\"475\" class=\"alignnone\" alt=\"Preview of Edit and Delete functions\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>If you delete the discussion topic and responses and replies exist, everyone is informed about the deletion. The deletion message also appears if students delete discussion topics they created.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For additional information about Discussions, please <a href=\"https:\/\/help.blackboard.com\/Learn\/Instructor\/Ultra\/Interact\/Discussions\">visit this page<\/a>.<br \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" id=\"Journals\" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Journals<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nJournals are personal spaces for students to communicate privately with you. Students can also use journals as a self-reflective tool. They can post their opinions, ideas, and concerns about the course, or discuss and analyze course-related materials.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Create a Journal in Blackboard\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1043430940?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"blackboard-user-sentiment\"><span>Create a journal<\/span><\/div>\n<p>On the Course Content page, select the plus sign wherever you want to add a journal. Select <span class=\"emphasize\">Create<\/span>, then scroll down to the <span class=\"emphasize\">Journal<\/span> button at the bottom of the Create Item panel. You can also expand a folder or learning module to add a journal within them.<\/p>\n<p>Enter a meaningful title to help students find the right journal in the content list. If you don&#8217;t add a title, &#8220;New Journal&#8221; and the date appear on the Course Content page.<\/p>\n<p><span><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/help.blackboard.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2020-07\/ultra_instr_journals_create_2.png\" width=\"462\" height=\"349\" class=\"alignnone\" alt=\"Preview on how to add a journal\" \/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span class=\"emphasize\">As shown in section A in the graphic above, add a prompt to set expectations and guidelines<\/span>. You can use the options in the editor to format text,<span>\u00a0<\/span>attach files, and embed multimedia. If you don\u2019t add a prompt, students see a message that you haven\u2019t added instructions for this journal.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"emphasize\">N<\/span>ew journals are hidden by default. Students can&#8217;t see a journal until you choose to show it. By selecting the dropdown in section B of the graphic, you can set<span>\u00a0<\/span>availability conditions<span>\u00a0<\/span>based on date, time, and performance on other items in the course gradebook. On the<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Course Content<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>page, students can see when you set the journal to show.<\/li>\n<li>You can make a journal count for a grade as well. Select the gear icon (section C in the graphic above) to open the<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong><span class=\"interface\">Journal Settings<\/span><\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>panel. When you choose to grade a journal, more options appear such as the due date and maximum points. The maximum points apply to one or more entries made by a student. You can also use Ultra&#8217;s grading tools, like feedback and rubrics, to grade journals.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For additional information about Journals, please <a href=\"https:\/\/help.blackboard.com\/Learn\/Instructor\/Ultra\/Interact\/Journals\">visit this page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These collaboration tools provide many options for instructor and student interaction. They support real-time communication, file sharing, and collaborative editing, which enhance engagement and learning outcomes. Learn how to add other types of content with our tutorials on developing your course content&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18839,"featured_media":0,"parent":61305,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18839"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134271"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":157891,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134271\/revisions\/157891"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}