Due to unsafe road conditions for Anchorage and surrounding areas, UAA’s Anchorage campus will be on a delayed start today, Thursday, Dec. 4. Campus will open at 10 a.m. to allow for safer travel.
Blackboard Ultra at UAA
Blackboard is the main online space for all UAA courses. For 2025-26, our courses will be a mix of the old Original course view and the upgraded Ultra view. In Fall 2026, all UAA courses will be in Ultra. These resources will help you get started with Ultra.
Students
- Ultra Help for Students
Ultra Help for Students
- Blackboard Ultra Support for Students at UAA - YouTube Playlist
- UAA IT Knowledge Base - Ultra Student Support Articles
- Blackboard Help Center for Students
If you are a student who needs help in a Blackboard Ultra course, contact the UAA Technical Support Center at 907-786-4646, text “SUPPORT” to 844-705-0262, or email uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu.
- Try out Ultra
Try out Ultra
Use this sample course to get comfortable with Blackboard Ultra and try out the tools your real courses might use. Although this course has “graded” items to show how the Gradebook works, there is no official grade or credit associated with it. It's just an opportunity to practice with Ultra.
To self-enroll in this course:
- Visit Blackboard Ultra - Sample Course for UAA Students
- Sign in with your UA Account
- Click Submit on the Self Enrollment page
- Click OK to be taken to the Course Content page
- Is my course in Original or Ultra?
Is my course in Original or Ultra?
It’s easy to tell the difference between Original and Ultra course view! Start by opening your course in Blackboard. The first difference is the course menu. Original courses have a left menu that usually starts with Announcements. Your instructor can customize what’s on this menu. In Ultra courses, the menu is at the top and starts with Content, then Calendar. That menu is the same in all of your Blackboard Ultra courses.
Another difference is where you land when you open the course. Original courses generally open on the Announcements page, although your instructor can change that. Ultra courses always open on the Course Content page.
Visit the UAA Student Help & Support page for help with Original courses. Take a look at the video below to see more of the differences between Original and Ultra.
(Video to come) Distinguishing between Original & Ultra course view
Faculty
- Ultra Help for Faculty
Ultra Help for Faculty
- Blackboard Ultra Basics at UAA - YouTube Playlist
- UAA IT Knowledge Base - Ultra Faculty Support Articles
- Blackboard Help Center for Instructors
If you are an instructor who needs help in your Blackboard Ultra course, contact the UAA Instructional Designers at uaa_design@alaska.edu, or book an appointment at bit.ly/uaa_design. The UAA Technical Support Center is available to help with technical issues at 907-786-4646, text “SUPPORT” to 844-705-0262, or email uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu.
- Teaching in Ultra
Teaching in Ultra
On the Faculty Success Blackboard Ultra page, you can learn about using Ultra, the UAA timeline for transitioning, comparing Ultra and Original course views, and more.
- Register for Ultra trainings
Register for Ultra trainings
Faculty Success provides regular, asynchronous Ultra trainings to help faculty convert their Blackboard Original courses to Ultra.
Register for Blackboard Ultra Course Conversion training
Check out the Faculty Success Blackboard Ultra page and newsletter for more workshops and other opportunities to learn about Ultra. You can also contact the Faculty Success Instructional Design team (uaa_design@alaska.edu) to request a workshop or presentation for your department.