The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What's New

• Yuja Migration Delayed to Mid-January
• Blackboard News
• Blackboard courses created on Nov 21, 2025
• Blackboard to Launch New FAQs in mid-December
• Blackboard Revamps Course Navigation to Streamline Workflows by Jan 9
• Three Faculty Named 2025-26 UMBC LA Fellows
• Instructional Technology team earns the Job Well Done 2025 Award
• Congratulations to Dr. Josh Abrams! New Doctoral Research on Digital Accessibility Solutions

Digital Accessibility

• A Commitment to Inclusion: UMBC's Digital Accessibility Initiative
• UMBC Faculty receive course accessibility mini-grants from Kirwan Center
• The Three-Step Framework for Accessible Documents: Reduce, Remake, Remediate
• 5 Ways to Create "Born Accessible" Course Materials
• Free Digital Accessibility Workshops from Blackboard
• The Art of the Description: How to Write Alt Text for Everyone
• Make Your Course Media Accessible: Video Captions and Audio Descriptions Support Every Learner

Training & Professional Development (recording archive | view upcoming events)

• Improve Your Blackboard Course Accessibility Score with Ally(01.08)
• Digital Accessibility Winter Camp (01.09)
• What's New in Ultra Courses for Teaching & Learning SP2026(01.13)
• Ultra Essentials: Blackboard Content, Organization, and Accessibility (01.14)
• YuJa Video Production Lab (hands-on) (01.20)
• Ultra Essentials: Create Assessments in Blackboard Ultra (01.21)
• YuJa Video Production Lab (virtual) (01.22)

In Case You Missed It: Recordings & Tips

• YuJa Migration Videos
• Recording & Sharing
• Editing
• Course Prep Checklists
• Tips to Wrap Up Your Blackboard Course for the Semester
• Effective Practices for Delivering Blackboard Tests
• Tips to Get Your Blackboard Course Ready for Next Semester

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• Important Update: Legacy Travel System Pre-Approvals Ending December 12
• Sherman Hall's Phase 1 renovation is complete, creating space for creative collaboration
• Tech Boost: Major AV Upgrades Enhance Teaching & Learning
• Tips and Best Practices for Managing Your Cloud Storage
• Declutter Your Inbox: A Guide to Cleaning Up Your Email
• Graduating Students' Access to UMBC Cloud Storage Services
• Google Career Certificates Available to Help You Gain In-Demand Skills
• Security Updates:
• Don't Take the Bait! How to Spot a Phishing Scam
• Stop! A DUO Push You Didn't Initiate
• Congratulations to the 2025 DoIT Service Award Recipients

The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What’s New

• Anthology announces retirement date for Blackboard Original Courses & Organizations
• FA2025 Courses Created in Blackboard on July 16, 2025
  • New Online Form Available to Request Merge of Blackboard Course Shells
• UMBC to migrate from Panopto to YuJa by March 2026
• Meet AVA: Blackboard’s AI-Powered Virtual Assistant for Faculty
• CourseArc offers new AI-supported features including image descriptions
• New Voicethread login for campus access

Training & Professional Development (recording archive | view upcoming events)

• New Faculty Orientation to Blackboard Ultra (8.12)
• Getting Started with Google Meet (8.13)
• Ultra Quick Start: Copy Content into Blackboard Ultra (8.14)
• What's New in Ultra Courses for Teaching & Learning FA2025 (8.14)
• Create Accessible Content with Google Office Tools (8.18)
• Ally Course Reporting to Improve Accessibility (8.19)
• What’s New About UMBC’s Blackboard Course Creation & Enrollment Process? (8.19)
• Accessible Images: Basics of Alt Text & Decorative Images (8.20)
• Poll Everywhere Course Management Features Training (8.20)
• Create Accessible Content with Microsoft Office Tools (8.21)
• New Faculty Orientation to Blackboard Ultra (8.21)
• Ultra Essentials: Create Assessments in Blackboard Ultra (8.25)

In Case You Missed It: Recordings & Tips

• Creating Accessible Content Series 
  • Digital Accessibility Guidelines Checklist
  • Creating Accessible Documents (44:51)
  • Creating Accessible Presentations (31:24) 
  • Creating Accessible Instructional Videos (45:19)
• Course Prep Checklists
  • Tips to Wrap Up Your Blackboard Course for the Semester
  • Effective Practices for Delivering Blackboard Tests
  • Tips to Get Your Blackboard Course Ready for Next Semester

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• Tom Penniston selected for prestigious Fulbright Award to advance learning analytics
• Internet2 NET+ Honors UMBC’s Jack Suess with the 2025 Cloud Superhero Award
• Security Updates:
  • Update your annual eduroam wifi Certificate
  • GlobalProtect VPN Authentication Change
  • How To Detect a Phishing Email
• How to Get the Most Out of Webex

The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What’s New

• DoIT to Change Blackboard Auto Course Creation & User Enrollment
• Summer courses created on April 24
• Jack Suess, UMBC's VP of IT and First CIO, to retire after new leader named
• Expanding UMBC Access to AI Tools and Support
• myUMBC Answers: AI-Powered Search Bar Updates
• Using Google Doc "Versions" to Detect Student Originality vs. AI Abuse
• Blackboard Reminder: Update Browsers to Latest Version

Training & Professional Development (recording archive | view upcoming events)

• Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Workshop (June 2-24)
• Registration deadline: May 30
• Digital Accessibility Summer Camp (June 4 - Faculty & June 5 - Staff)
• Contact Instructional Technology to join the waitlist
• FYI - Analytics @ UMBC Overview & 2025-26 LA mini-grants CFP (due 6/6/25)
• Faculty Opportunity: Enroll in Free Google Generative AI Courses This Summer

In Case You Missed It: Recordings & Tips

• Creating Accessible Content Series 
• Digital Accessibility Guidelines Checklist
• Creating Accessible Documents (44:51)
• Creating Accessible Presentations (31:24) 
• Creating Accessible Instructional Videos (45:19)
• Learning Analytics Community of Practice Talks
• View past recordings
• Course Prep Checklists
• Tips to Wrap Up Your Blackboard Course for the Semester
• Effective Practices for Delivering Blackboard Tests
• Tips to Get Your Blackboard Course Ready for Next Semester

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• Exciting Changes in the Division of Information Technology
• Welcome new DoIT Team Members, Leonard ‘Lenny’ Frieson III and Mary Arsenault
• Updates from DoIT’s Project Management Office
• New Travel System Coming to UMBC
• Google Career Certificates Available to Help Students Gain In-Demand Skills
• DoIT Student Digital Stories Archive
• DoIT Remembers Professor Zane Berge (1953-2025)

The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What’s New

• Blackboard offline for required system maintenance on 12/25 (12 AM - 6 AM)
• WT/SP2025 Bb courses created on Nov 22
• Publisher Integration Updates to VitalSource, Cengage, Pearson, Macmillan on Dec 19
• Ultra's Progress Tracking Tools Help Instructors Identify, Connect, and Support Learners
• New Course Management Features in Poll Everywhere Starting Jan 6
• Introducing Qwickly Attendance Plus Pilot with Upgraded Features for SP2025
• National IT Survey Highlights Teaching and Learning Trends in Online Learning
• Vasbinder Creates OER Course from 2023 M.O.S.T. Faculty Grant
• Exploring the Faculty Journey from QM Course Certification to becoming a Master Reviewer

Training & Professional Development (recording archive | view upcoming events)

• Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Asynchronous Online Workshop (01.06 - 01.24) 
• Getting Started with Microsoft Teams (01.06) 
• Blackboard Ultra's AI Course Design Assistant Tool (01.08)
• Ultra Content Release and Visibility Settings (01.09)
• CourseArc Essentials (01.10)
• Getting Started with Google Meet (01.13)
• Copy Content into Blackboard Ultra (01.14)
• What's New in Ultra Courses for Teaching & Learning SP2025 (01.17)
• Create Assessments in Blackboard Ultra (01.21)
• Semester-Start Gradebook Management for Ultra Courses (01.21)
• Poll Everywhere New Course Management Features Training (01.22)
• Improve Course Accessibility with Ally's Remediation Tools (01.24)

In Case You Missed It: Recordings & Tips

• Creating Accessible Content Series 
• Digital Accessibility Guidelines Checklist
• Creating Accessible Documents (44:51)
• Creating Accessible Presentations (31:24) 
• Creating Accessible Instructional Videos (45:19)
• Learning Analytics Community of Practice Talks
• Using AI to Create, Align and Assess Multiple Choice Questions (10/3/24)
• Lessons Learned Nudging Students with myUMBC Personal Posts (11/14/24)
• Course Prep Checklists
• Tips to Wrap Up Your Blackboard Course for the Semester 
• Effective Practices for Delivering Blackboard Tests
• Tips to Get Your Blackboard Course Ready for Next Semester

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• Important Notice: Google Quotas Established
• DoIT Receives NSF Grant for Campus Cyber Infrastructure
• 4 Faculty, 2 Staff Named 2024-25 Learning Analytics Fellows
• Technology Tested and Updated in Classrooms
• DoIT Project Report, FY2024 Q3 & Q4
• Campus Phone Upgrades

The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What’s New

• Anthology to Change Layout of Ultra Courses on September 6
• DoIT Support for Collaborate Will End Next Summer, 2025
• Fall 24 Bb Courses to Use Ultra by Default
• Ultra Courses to Support Additional Level of Nested Folders

• Ally Now Supports AI-Generated Descriptions for Images

• New Course Management Features in Poll Everywhere

• Reminder: Google Jamboard to Retire in Fall 2024

• FA2024 Blackboard Courses Created (05.13) & Students Enrolled (07.31)

Training & Professional Development (recording archive | view upcoming events)

• Tips & Tricks for the Ultra Gradebook (8.21)

• Create Assessments in Ultra (8.21)

• New Faculty Orientation to Blackboard (8.21)

• Getting Started with MS Teams (8.23)

• Poll Everywhere New Course Management Features Training (8.23)

• Ultra Essentials for Teaching Assistants (8.26)

In Case You Missed It: Course Prep Tips

• Reminder: Enhancing Media and Accessibility Using Panopto  

• Course Prep Checklists

• 8 Steps to Migrate Your Course to Ultra 

• 4 Reasons to Use Copy Content to Prepare an Ultra Course

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• Damian Doyle Named Deputy CIO at the University of Virginia

• Ada Crutchfield joins Instructional Technology team

• Stay Alert: Tips for Password & Duo Security

• YouTube change impacts ad blockers, increases ads on 8/1

• Updated myUMBC Features New Unified Apps Menu and Improved Spotlights Area

• New Voicethread launches for all UMBC users

• Reminder: Why & How Getting Help is Changing @ UMBC

• FYI: Successful Peoplesoft Campus Solutions Migration to AWS

The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What’s New

• Fall 24 Bb Courses to Use Ultra by Default
• 4 Reasons to Use Copy Content to Prepare an Ultra Course
• Ultra Courses to Support Additional Level of Nested Folders
• Ultra Adoption by Faculty Eclipses Original for SP2024
• Google Jamboard to Retire in Fall 2024
• Learning Analytics Mini Grants CFP Due 6/7/24
• Enhancing Media and Accessibility Using Panopto
• Panopto Mandatory Recorder Upgrade for Mac Users
• Blackboard Courses Created: SU2024 (April 22, 2024) & FA2024 (May 13, 2024)
• AY20-21 Blackboard Courses Scheduled for Server Retirement
• DoIT’s Susan Biro Selected to QM Academic Advisory Council
• 19th UMBC Course Earns QM Certification with New 7th Ed. Rubric

Training & Professional Development (recording archive | view upcoming events)

• Ultra Quick Start Series: 30 minutes to get you started
• Copy Content into Blackboard Ultra (5.15)
• Content Release and Visibility Settings (5.16)
• Create New Content in Blackboard Ultra (5.20)
• Create Assessments in Blackboard Ultra (5.28)
• Optimizing Course Quota (5.30)
• Blackboard Ultra's AI Course Design Assistant Tool (5.17)
• 30 Minutes: Check Course Accessibility with Bb Ally (5.21)
• Ultra Boot Camp: Kickstart Your First 2 Weeks (choose morning or afternoon on 6.4 or 6.6)

In Case You Missed It: Recordings & Tips

• Learning Analytics: Community of Practice SP2024 Series Recordings
• Selecting Course Materials and Tech Tools For Upcoming Terms
• Course Prep Checklists
• 8 Steps to Migrate Your Course to Ultra 
• Tips to Wrap Up Your Blackboard Course for the Semester 
• Effective Practices for Delivering Blackboard Tests
• Tips to Get Your Blackboard Course Ready for Next Semester

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• Why & How Getting Help is Changing @ UMBC
• Stacy Cahill '01 Joins UMBC as the New CISO
• Track Attendance in Poll Everywhere (Beta Release)

The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What's New

• 62% of Fall 2023 Blackboard Courses Now Using Ultra

• Learn about Ultra updates

• Unlock collaborative learning with cloud tools in Blackboard 

• Test Drive New Blackboard Faculty AI Course Design Tools

• USM Call for Proposals: Incorporating Generative AI into Learning Experiences

• Quality Matters Releases 7th Edition Rubric

• 18 UMBC Courses Now Meet Quality Matters Certification

• Chem Prof, DoIT Staff Publish Chapter in Analytics Book

• Panopto Blackboard Integration Updates Improve Course Copy & Assessments (12.21)

Training & Professional Development(recording archive | view upcoming events)

• Embed & Collaborate in Bb with Office 365 & Google Files (01.09)

• AI Course Design Assistant 3-Hour Workshop for Ultra Courses (01.10)

• What's New in Ultra Courses for Teaching & Learning SP2024 (01.12)

• Use Poll Everywhere in Your Courses (01.16)

• Ultra Essentials: Grading & the Ultra Gradebook (01.17)

• Join one of four open sessions to learn about Ultra (01.22)

• Blackboard Ultra Assessments in 45 Minutes or Less (01.23)

• Access for All: A Course Accessibility Workshop (01.23)

• Panopto Essentials (01.24)

• The New VoiceThread (hosted by VoiceThread for UMBC faculty/staff) (01.24)

In Case You Missed It: Recordings & Tips

• Support student success with Ultra's progress tracking tools

• Accessible Course Design Supports Diverse Learning Styles

• AI and Accessible Images for Inclusive Courses

• Tips for choosing third-party tools for Blackboard 

• Course Prep Checklists

• Tips to Wrap Up Your Blackboard Course for the Semester 

• Effective Practices for Delivering Blackboard Tests

• Tips to Get Your Blackboard Course Ready for Next Semester

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• DoIT's Tom Penniston Presents Paper at Copenhagen Conference

• "Finish Line" Featured in UK Online Learning Journal

• 6 Faculty, 2 Staff Receive 2023-24 LA Mini Grants

• New Report Can Help Faculty Visualize Student Engagement

• New Media Studio Moves to ENGR 023

• DoIT General Access Unit System (gl.umbc.edu) to Require Duo MFA

• Transition for UMBC Documentation in Confluence (wiki.umbc.edu)

• WT/SP2024 Blackboard courses created on November 29, 2023

  
  

  
  

The UMBC Instructional Technology Update is provided by the Division of Information Technology for students, faculty and staff. If you have questions or need help, please consult the Blackboard Help FAQs or directly at www.umbc.edu/blackboard/help.  You can also contact the Technology Support Center at 410.455.3838 or submit an RT (Request Tracker) ticket via the myUMBC Help Menu or directly at my.umbc.edu/help.

HEADLINES

What's New

• Reminder: UMBC to Complete Bb Ultra Migration by Start of SP2025
  • More Departments Move to Fully Adopt Ultra for Fall 2023 
  • Learn about Ultra updates
• Ultra Courses to Offer New AI Course Design Assistant Tools
  • 7 ChatGPT Strategies to Enhance Course Designs
• Tool updates:
  • Blackboard Tool Integration Upgrades
  • Panopto Mac Users: Mandatory Recorder Upgrade
• Accessing a Blackboard course to fulfill an incomplete
• Quality Matters offers free Accessibility & Usability Resource Site

Training & Professional Development (recording archive | view upcoming events)

• What's New in Ultra for Teaching & Learning FA2023(8.18)
• New Faculty Orientation to Blackboard (8.17)
• 5 Things You Can Do with Bb Ally for Accessibility (8.21)
• Gradebook Hacks: 5 Tips to Prep for the Semester(8.22)
• Preview Exclusive AI Course Design Tools for Ultra Courses (8.23)
• Get Ultra-Ready: Access comprehensive training & support 

In Case You Missed It: Recordings & Tips

• Recordings Posted: M.O.S.T. OER Creation Showcase
• Recordings from the SP2023 Data Science & Learning Analytics Series
• Course Prep Checklists
  • Tips to Wrap Up Your Blackboard Course for the Semester 
  • Effective Practices for Delivering Blackboard Tests
  • Tips to Get Your Blackboard Course Ready for Next Semester

Other DoIT & UMBC News

• New Interface for DUO Multi-Factor Authentication (8.15)
  • Reminder: All Students Required to Use Duo
• Technology Support Center (TSC) Now Operating Remotely
• FA2023 Blackboard courses created on July 25, 2023
  • Reminder: AY19-20 Blackboard Courses Retired from Server 
• UMBC Archiving Unviewed Panopto Videos (06/01/23)