Blackboard Learn Ultra Conversion Guide
Option 3: Convert and preview an existing Original Course (containing
course content) to Ultra Course View
The Blackboard Support partners in eLearning Services and the Center for Teaching Excellence
(CTE) have developed this step-by-step conversion guide to walk you through various options to
get you started with your transition from Blackboard Original to Blackboard Learn Ultra in time
to start the Fall 2024 semester. It is important to know that as we transition to Blackboard
Learn Ultra, you will still have access to your courses from previous semesters in Blackboard.
Depending on the complexity of your course, please plan for 10 – 20 hours of work to fully
transition your course to Blackboard Learn Ultra.
Options for transitioning to Blackboard Learn Ultra
Option 1: Request an Ultra Sandbox and build or copy in content
Option 2: Convert your blank Original course shell to Blackboard Learn Ultra using the
Ultra Course Preview (then build or add course content)
Option 3: Convert and preview an existing Original Course (containing course content)
to Ultra Course View
At any time during this process, should you need additional support, please reach out to the
Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) about help with instructional design for your specific
course or submit a request to eLearning Services for assistance.
This document details steps for Option 3: Convert and preview an existing Original Course
(containing course content) to Ultra Course View (UCV)
1. Login to Blackboard at blackboard.sc.edu.
2. Once logged in, click “Courses” from the menu on the left-hand side.
3. Under Current Courses, locate the empty course shell in your course list that you would
like to convert to Blackboard Learn Ultra. If you do not see your course listed, click
“Upcoming Courses” and check there. To ensure your course appears on the “Current
Courses” page, click the star next to the course to make it a “Favorite”. This course will
now appear under “Favorites” on the Current Courses page.
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Let’s begin the process to convert your blank Blackboard Original course shell to Ultra using
the Ultra Preview:
1. Courses must be made private before you can use the Ultra Course Preview. To do this,
on the Courses page, locate the course you would like to convert to Blackboard Learn
Ultra. Click the 3 dots to the right of the course name and select “Make course private”
from the course's menu.
a. From within the course itself, you can also make the course private
icon in the upper right corner of the
course and click it to switch the course to private.
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NOTE: When your course is in preview mode, only instructors and administrators can
view it. Students will not be able to view the course when it is in the Ultra Preview
mode.
2. Once the course has been made private, a pencil icon will appear near the lock icon. This
is the icon used to begin the Ultra Preview. Hovering over the pencil icon will display
“Experience the new Learn”. Click this pencil to begin, then click the "Try the Ultra
Course View" button.
Once you have clicked the “Try Ultra Course View” button, the system will begin
converting the course to Ultra. Since the course shell is empty, this will only take a few
minutes. You will get an email when the conversion is complete.
3. Once your course has been converted using the Ultra Course Preview, you can see
exactly how your content will look in the updated, more modern Blackboard Learn Ultra
Course View.
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4. Now focus your attention to Conversion Exceptions in the “Details & Actions” menu on
the left-hand side. Click the link that reads “Review all course exceptions”. This will
allow you to view items that won't be carried forward in Ultra Course View. These items
are known as exceptions.
5. In the Conversion Details panel, select a priority group to view the specifics so you can
make the best decision for your course.
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Select View Exceptions under a priority heading to learn more. All exceptions in that
category appear in the panel. To see how the exception affects parts of your course,
select an exception. The list of affected content appears so you can understand the
specific changes. To help you better understand how your course environment will
change, the system groups exceptions into three priority groups, based on the potential
impact.
• Low Priority exceptions include course appearance changes, formatting changes,
or slight feature limitations.
• Medium Priority exceptions include feature behavior changes and formatting
and submission removal.
• High Priority exceptions include unsupported features and grade data removal.
NOTE: At this time, some features aren't included in the Ultra Course View. Several new
features are being released monthly in Blackboard Learn Ultra so this is constantly
changing.
To view a more detailed list of what features will and will not convert, please visit
Content types that will convert.
6. Permanently converting your course to the Ultra Course View is a big step.
It is time to decide whether to commit your course to the new Ultra Course View OR
revert back to Original Course View.
Commit to the new Ultra Course View: This will permanently convert your course shell
from Original Course View to Ultra Course View for the upcoming semester.
To do this, click the “Use the Ultra Course” button in the lower right corner. If you
choose to Use the Ultra course, it is not possible to go back to the Original Course View
for this course shell.
NOTE: If you choose to commit your course to the new Ultra Course View, this will
permanently convert your course to Ultra Course View. This conversion cannot be
undone.
Revert back to Original Course View: This will allow you to revert your course back to
the Original Course View.
NOTE: IF you made any changes to the course while in the Ultra Course Preview and you
decide to revert back to Original, all changes will be lost.
