Welcome to the Blackboard faculty support page!

We have nearly completed the transition from Blackboard Original to Blackboard Ultra. The Ultra course experience offers enhanced accessibility, improved mobile responsiveness, and a cleaner, more efficient workflow for both instructors and students.

Through Spring 2026, this page will support instructors using both versions of Blackboard.

If you are unable to open a PDF file, check that you have a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Reader, installed on your device. If you have trouble viewing a video, please let us know. As always, if you have any questions, please contact the Academic Instructional Technology Center at asaitc@adams.edu or 719-587-7371.

Blackboard Ultra

FAQs

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Submit a question here!

❗How do I OCR a scanned PDF?

How do I OCR a scanned PDF?

You can use the Ally File Transformer within Blackboard to OCR scanned pdfs:

Select Assist in the base navigation menu

Scroll down to Ally File Transformer

Upload your file then select OCRed PDF

Note: This works well for smaller files. For larger files:

First check to see if there’s already an accessible digital copy available online

You can scan then OCR documents at the Nielsen Library.

Please also see the Ultra Migration Session Recordings within Blackboard on the Institution Page, and the following resources:

Using Ally to Fix PDFs (PDF)

Improving Content Accessibility in Blackboard

❗Most efficient way to edit due dates and release conditions?

What’s the most efficient way to edit due dates and release conditions?

Important: Do not delete due dates or release conditions before using Batch Edit. This tool can only change existing date information.

To access Batch Edit:
1. Go to the Content page.
2. Parallel to the Course Content heading, look on the right for the three dots next to the magnifying glass.
3. Click the three dots then select Batch Edit from the dropdown menu.

To edit dates with Batch Edit:
1. Click on modules or folders to open them.
2. Use the checkboxes to select items
3. Click the Edit dates button at the bottom of the screen to change release condition dates and due dates simultaneously.

Why aren't my grades posting automatically?

Why aren’t my grades posting automatically?

→Check the setting: open the assessment from the Content page, then click its gear icon to access the settings panel. Scroll down to Grading & Submissions and select the Post assessment grades automatically checkbox, then click Save.

→If the setting is grayed out or you don’t see it, then the assessment may be incompatible with automatic grade posting. Common examples include assignments with rubrics, discussions and journals, as well as columns created in the gradebook.

Why can't my students see their grades or my feedback?

Why can’t my students see their grades or my feedback?

Usually, this is because the grades need to be posted. To check this, go to the Gradebook then to the Overview tab. Scroll down to the Needs Posting section. If any items are listed here, click the Post Now button to make grades for those assignments visible to students.

You can also make sure the assignment itself is visible to students by going to the Gradebook and to the Gradable Items tab. Click the three dots next to an item and select Edit. In the upper right corner, use the dropdown menu check the assessment’s visibility settings.

How do I add an additional attempt on a test or assignment?

How do I add an additional attempt on a test or assignment for a student?

Go to the Gradebook, then the Grades view. Click on the cell for that student’s submission, then from the dropdown menu, select Add or edit exceptions. Scroll down to Attempts allowed then use the dropdown menu to change the number of possible attempts for that student. Last, click Save. The student’s cell for the assignment should now display the dashed-clock exception icon.

Hide students in the Gradebook who are no longer in my course?

How do I hide students in the Gradebook who are no longer in my course?

Yes! Go to the the Gradebook then click the gear icon on the right side of the navigation bar to open the Gradebook Settings panel. Scroll down to Students Visibility and toggle to activate the setting.

❗Hide students in my downloaded Gradebook?

How do I hide students in my downloaded Gradebook?

→First, set up your working Gradebook file in your spreadsheet program:

In Ultra, download the Full Gradebook. Under Record Details choose Select All Items. Leave all other options on their default.

Open the downloaded Gradebook in your spreadsheet program. This will serve as your working Gradebook file.

Hide the rows of students who no longer have access to the course. In Excel and Google Sheets, right click on a row and select Hide or Hide row. Here’s how to do this in Numbers.

→When you want to update the Gradebook in your spreadsheet program:

Download the desired content from the Gradebook.

Open the downloaded file.

Copy and paste the appropriate columns into your working Gradebook file. Your working Gradebook file will automatically place data for students who no longer have access to the course into their hidden rows, so you can navigate your working Gradebook file as though it only contained students with access to the course.

How do I set the time zone in Blackboard Ultra?

There is no time zone setting in Ultra because Ultra automatically displays the user’s time zone. Here are some examples. You can also use this time zone calculator for MST/MDT and your local time.

Why am I getting an error when I try to login to Blackboard?

This is usually because you’re signed into your personal Google account instead of your adams.edu account. To fix this, go to google.com. Then in the upper right corner, locate a circle icon with a letter or profile image. Click on the icon to switch to your adams.edu email account. If your adams.edu account isn’t listed, click Add account. Finally, try logging into Blackboard again.

Still need help?
Submit a question here!

Trainings, Session Recordings, and Sandboxes

Trainings & Session Recordings

Find information on upcoming trainings by logging into Blackboard then scrolling through the Institution Page. You can also find recordings on this page under Blackboard Ultra Migration Session Recordings. If you’d like more help, reach out to our trainer, Dr. Chelsea Oden, at cnoden@adams.edu.

Institution Page is the top menu item in the left global menu when first logging into Blackboard. To the right, users can scroll to see training session information and recordings.

Sandboxes

Educational and interactive sandbox shells are available to instructors who want hands-on practice and space to experiment with features in Ultra. Please contact our trainer to learn about specific availability!

Getting Started in Ultra

Ultra vs. Original: Quick Comparison (Video)

Updated Terminology in Ultra

Time Zones and Dates (PDF)

Question Types in Ultra and Original (Google Slides)

Profile and Notification Settings (Google Slides)

Creating and Organizing Content

Uploading a Syllabus (Video)

Reviewing and Reuploading a Syllabus (Video)

Creating a Learning Module (Video)
- Clip: Adding an Ultra Document
- Clip: Adding a Link

Generating Learning Modules (Google Slides)

Releasing Modules by Date (PDF)

Using the Content Editor (Video)

Adding Videos (PDF)

Setting Up Kaltura (PDF)

Customizing Access to Course Materials (PDF)

Accessibility & Ally

For training session recordings, please log into Blackboard then scroll through the Institution Page to locate recordings under Accessibility Tools and Support as well as Blackboard Ultra Migration Session Recordings.