Ultra Upgrade FAQs – Piloting Questions

What does “pilot” a course or courses in Blackboard (Bb) Ultra mean?

To "pilot" a course means to volunteer to teach one or more courses in the Bb Ultra format during the Spring 2025 semester.  (Generally, the term “pilot” means to have a group of people test a software program before rolling it out for wider use.)

What do I need to do before Spring 2025 to pilot a course (or courses)?

1. First, sign up for the FVTC Bb Ultra Training in Workday. You will need to be signed into the FVTC Intranet for the link to work.  When the page opens, enroll in the course.  Then, the next day, log in to Blackboard to find the course.  (Click “Training” in the “Terms” drop-down menu when you get to your course list.)  Open the course and begin.
2. By December 13^th, notify the Bb Team/CIE that you intend to pilot one or more courses.  (See the answer to the question below for notification instructions.)
3. Have your course shells in Bb Ultra upgraded and ready to go by the start of the class(es).

Is it too late to volunteer to pilot for Spring?   How do I notify the Bb Team/CIE that I want to pilot?

No, it’s not too late to volunteer!  December 13^th is the target date to submit your Spring 2025 course copy requests and indicate which if any, courses you would like to pilot in the Bb Ultra format.  In your reply to the “Reminder” email from Online Courses Support/ online@fvtc.edu (one came through at 8:01 a.m. today), type “Yes” in the far-right column of the table for each course you plan to pilot.

What if I don’t have my current Bb course shell ready to copy to Bb Ultra by Dec. 13th?

That’s fine.  As long as you have your course shells upgraded and ready to go by the start of your class(es), you’ll be fine.  December 13^th is a target date to help the Bb Team and the CIE team plan, but both teams know that many instructors will still be working on their course content up until (and, possibly even into) the start of the class(es).

What if I change my mind about piloting?

No problem.  If you change your mind about piloting, just send an email to the Bb Team (online@fvtc.edu) and the team will make you a new course copy using the current (“classic”) Bb format.

Are there any benefits to piloting a course (or courses) in Spring 2025?

All Spring 2025 pilots will receive gifts/swag from the CIE and will be entered into drawings for various prizes, including private airplane rides, spa gift certificates, all-expense-paid trips to San Antonio to attend the Anthology Together (Blackboard) 2025 conference, etc.  Instructors receive one entry for each course they pilot.  (Conference trip prizes are reserved for salaried faculty.)

Ultra Upgrade FAQs – Training Questions

What is the required Blackboard (Bb) Ultra Training?

The training is called FVTC Bb Ultra Training.  It is made up of eight modules (topics): Intro to Bb Ultra, Bb Ultra Essentials, Building Content in Bb Ultra, UDL and Ally in Bb Ultra, Creating Assessments in Bb Ultra, Using Discussions and Journals in Bb Ultra, Using the AI Design Assistant in Bb Ultra, and Bb Ultra Gradebook Basics.

How do instructors take the required training?

Instructors have the following options:

Complete all eight modules in the self-paced/online format, or one at a time in 50-minute training sessions offered in-person or virtually

Mix and match training delivery formats, to complete all eight modules, including up to four virtual sessions on Faculty Fusion Day

How does an instructor sign up to take the Blackboard Ultra Training?

First, sign up for the FVTC Bb Ultra Training in Workday. You will need to be signed into the FVTC Intranet for the link to work.  When the page opens, enroll in the course.  Then, the next day, log in to Blackboard to find the course.  (Click “Training” in the “Terms” drop-down menu when you get to your course list.)  Open the course and begin.

After your enrollment is processed in the self-paced training, you will also have an Ultra Test course shell to use for the training. You will receive an email alerting you to the test shell. Please allow 24 to 48 business hours for this processing.

After you have enrolled in the (Self-Paced) FVTC Blackboard Ultra Training. Use "ultra" to search for the F2F or Virtual 50-minute offerings.

What is being offered on Faculty Fusion Day (Nov. 6)?

Almost all sessions on Faculty Fusion Day are modules from the FVTC Bb Ultra Training.  Instructors can complete up to four modules in the virtual sessions that day.  There will also be sessions focused on the MS Teams integration into Bb Ultra.  (Note: Beginning Summer, 2025, Teams will be the delivery platform for virtual classes instead of Collaborate.)  Anyone who has completed the eight foundational training modules is encouraged to attend one of the MS Teams sessions.