What’s New in Ultra: TILT’ed is your monthly guide to the latest updates and features in Blackboard Ultra, hosted by Thomas Mathews Horne and Danielle Reilley from Fort Hays State University’s Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT) team. Each episode breaks down the newest release highlights in clear, practical terms—showing how small changes can make a big impact on teaching, learning, and course design. From gradebook improvements and communication tools to AI features and accessibility updates, Thomas and Dani help faculty stay informed, save time, and make the most of Ultra’s evolving capabilities. Whether you’re a seasoned online instructor or just getting started, this podcast keeps you connected to what’s new, what’s next, and what works in digital teaching.
TILT Talk: TILTed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 17
In Episode 17 of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani explore the September 2026 Blackboard Ultra release, featuring improvements to the beta Content Editor and a new way to restrict accepted file types for assignment submissions. Learn how these updates improve accessibility, simplify course content creation, and help set clearer expectations for students. Plus, get an important reminder about the December 31, 2026, deadline for transitioning from Original Course View to Ultra.
11 Aug 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 16
This month on What's New in Ultra – TILT'Ed, Thomas and Dani explore the packed August 2026 Blackboard Ultra release, featuring a brand-new Content Editor, major Groups improvements, notification fixes, discussion sorting, and a redesigned Gradebook Grid View. They discuss the new Content Editor's Early Access period, drag-and-drop group management, bulk group creation, and improvements designed to make grading and course management easier. They also cover important navigation changes and updates related to the Original Course View sunset as FHSU faculty prepare for the fall semester. Tune in for practical tips, important reminders, and everything you need to know about what's new in Blackboard Ultra this month.
10 Jul 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 15
This month on What's New in Ultra – TILT'Ed, Thomas and Dani celebrate the podcast's first anniversary while exploring the July 2026 Blackboard Ultra release. They discuss new description fields for discussions and journals, flexible time limits for AI Conversations, Favorites in the Course Switcher, and the long-awaited Rubric Evaluation Report that brings powerful assessment analytics to Ultra.
They also share an important reminder for all FHSU faculty: with Blackboard Original content becoming read-only at the end of the year, now is the perfect time to schedule your transition to Ultra. Tune in for practical tips, workflow improvements, and everything you need to know to prepare your courses for the upcoming semester.
10 Jun 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 14
In this episode of What's New in Ultra: TILT'Ed, we explore the June 2026 Blackboard Ultra release, featuring updates that enhance flexibility, communication, and feedback workflows. Learn about locked answer positions for randomized assessments, improved rubric grading workflows, student-level announcement tracking, enhanced feedback reminder automations, and answer-level feedback for multiple-choice questions. Plus, discover how these refinements can help you create more meaningful assessments, provide richer feedback, and streamline everyday teaching tasks.
10 May 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 13
In this episode of What's New in Ultra: TILT'Ed, we explore the May 2026 Blackboard Ultra release, focused on streamlining everyday workflows and improving the user experience. Learn about the redesigned Groups Management interface, enhanced discussion due date visibility, inherited release condition transparency, group grading workflow improvements, document accessibility updates, and the new course switcher search feature. Plus, discover how these updates can save time, reduce confusion, and support more efficient and inclusive teaching.
7 Apr 2026
TILT Talk: TILTed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 12
In this episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Dani and Thomas break down the April 2026 Blackboard Ultra updates, highlighting improvements designed to simplify workflows and enhance usability. From clearer discussion due date visibility and AI conversation message limits to streamlined assignment submission options and more flexible group grading, this release focuses on real instructor and student needs. They also explore accessibility-focused updates like video playback controls, improved discussion analysis labeling, and better announcement email previews. Tune in to see how these thoughtful enhancements can improve your course design and teaching experience.
9 Mar 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - Special Accessibility Edition Part 2
In Part 2 of this special accessibility series of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, we focus on practical steps faculty can take to improve course accessibility before the upcoming course-copy cycle. This episode explores how to use Blackboard Ally to review your Course Accessibility Report, prioritize fixes, and address common issues such as missing alt text, inaccessible documents, and video captions. We also discuss realistic strategies for remediation and highlight resources and workshops available through TILT to support faculty as they work toward WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance.
9 Mar 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - Special Accessibility Edition - Part 1
In this special edition of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, we begin a two-part conversation about digital accessibility and the upcoming April 24, 2026 compliance deadline. In Part 1, we discuss what the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standard is, why the difference between accessibility and accommodations matters, and what the new Department of Justice regulations under Title II of the ADA mean for course content delivered online. This episode focuses on understanding the expectations, the legal context, and how FHSU is approaching accessibility in a strategic and manageable way. Part 2 will explore how to use Blackboard Ally to review course accessibility and prioritize improvements.
9 Mar 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 11
In this episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, we highlight the March 2026 Blackboard Ultra release (version 4000.10). Learn about improved Course Message threading, larger SafeAssign file uploads, flexible discussion participation requirements, and updates to assessment tools like partial credit and anonymous grading. We also explore new AI-generated Knowledge Checks that help embed comprehension checks directly into course documents.
9 Feb 2026
TILT Talk: TILTed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 10
In this episode, we break down the February 2026 Blackboard Ultra release (version 4000.8), featuring two thoughtful updates designed to reduce friction for instructors. We explore smarter automations that can automatically remind students to review unread feedback—helping close the feedback loop without extra manual follow-up—and new Document layout enhancements that allow blocks to be stacked vertically for cleaner, more flexible, and mobile-friendly course content. We also share updates on the launch of the new TigerLearn.FHSU.edu resource hub and where to find continued support, ideas, and community inspiration. Whether you’re focused on efficiency, design, or student engagement, this release brings practical improvements you can use right away.
7 Jan 2026
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 9
In this episode, Dani Reilley and Thomas Mathews Horne kick off 2026 with a deep dive into Blackboard Ultra’s 4000.6 release, featuring a completely refreshed user interface. Learn how the new full-screen course experience, redesigned navigation, and improved accessibility aim to reduce friction and make everyday workflows more intuitive for instructors, students, and administrators. The episode also covers document layout improvements, enhanced test and assignment options, gradebook refinements, and new automation activity logs. Tune in for a practical overview of how these updates focus on polish, usability, and a smoother teaching and learning experience in Ultra.
8 Dec 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 8
In this month’s episode, Thomas and Dani walk through Blackboard Ultra’s December 2025 release—version 4000.4—which brings clearer workflows, more instructor control, and thoughtful quality-of-life updates. Highlights include setting release conditions on any content item, adjusting group memberships mid-project, seeing accurate submission counts in the Gradebook, enjoying a consistent tabbed grading interface, setting participation requirements for discussions, managing AI originality reports, improved audio/video feedback playback, an instructor view of the Learning Module table of contents, and enhanced MathJax support. Thomas and Dani agree: this release focuses on flexibility, consistency, and helping instructors guide students through courses more smoothly than ever.
7 Nov 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 7
In this episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani celebrate a major milestone with the Blackboard Ultra 4000.1 release. This update focuses on practical, time-saving improvements that make teaching and grading more efficient. Highlights include the long-awaited ability to bulk edit question points in tests, simplified gradebook navigation with consistent “View Submissions” options, the option to include hidden items when downloading the gradebook, and new automated student messaging that helps instructors encourage or support students without extra effort. Each feature addresses real challenges instructors face daily, making Ultra even more intuitive and impactful for teaching and learning.
8 Oct 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 6
In this month’s episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani dive into the October Blackboard Ultra release (3902.1), packed with thoughtful refinements that make teaching smoother and communication clearer. From the sleek new Course Messages redesign—with chat bubbles and avatars—to consistent Save and Cancel buttons, smarter question tagging, and improved fill-in-the-blank formatting, this update is all about polish and usability. Tune in to hear how these updates enhance both instructor workflow and the student experience.
12 Sept 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 5 (September 2025)
The September 2025 Blackboard Ultra release (3900.125) is one of the most significant updates yet, with improvements spanning instructional design, grading, assessments, communication, and accessibility. In this episode, Thomas Mathews Horne and Danielle Reilley break down the highlights, including:
New block styling options for Documents
AI-powered feedback features (Summarize & Rewrite)
Question management updates and QTI v2.1 export
Enhancements for group work and rubrics
Accessibility and gradebook improvements
Most features are live now in Ultra courses, with AI tools available at no cost until June 2026. Tune in to learn how these updates can streamline your teaching and improve the student experience.
18 Aug 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 4
In this episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani break down the August 2025 Blackboard Ultra release (3900.123), featuring new document styling options, Video Studio in Announcements, improved Learning Module navigation, accessibility upgrades with semantic HTML tables, and streamlined course management tools like enhanced LTI handling and group conversions—all designed to make teaching and learning more engaging, accessible, and efficient.
15 Jul 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 3
In this jam-packed episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT’Ed, Thomas and Dani break down the feature-rich 3900.121 release in Blackboard Ultra. From time-saving grading enhancements and QTI question imports to long-awaited upgrades like image captions, MathJax support, and retroactive achievements, this release is all about improving workflow and teaching flexibility. Whether you're deep into course design or just trying to keep up with the latest tools, this episode highlights what matters most for instructors.
13 Jun 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 2 - June 2025
In this episode, Dani and Thomas walk through the latest Blackboard Ultra updates from the 3900.118 release. From new jumbled sentence question types (including AI-generated ones!) to improved discussion tracking and streamlined Knowledge Checks, this month’s enhancements are all about smarter assessments, clearer communication, and better mobile usability. Tune in for practical tips and quick takeaways to help you make the most of these new features.
12 May 2025
TILT Talk: TILT'Ed - What's New in Blackboard Ultra Ep. 1
In this inaugural May episode of What’s New in Ultra: TILT'Ed, Thomas Mathews Horne and Danielle Reilley from the TILT team at Fort Hays State University dive into the latest Blackboard Ultra release (3900.116). Discover how the new AI Design Assistant feature streamlines interactive learning, explore the long-awaited option for qualitative rubrics without points, learn about the new “view submission one time” test setting for secure assessments, and get the scoop on enhanced Learning Object Repository search functionality. Whether you're faculty or support staff, this episode breaks down what’s new and how it can improve your course design workflow.
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