What if your discussion assignments could set clear expectations up front? Could your students benefit if your course could respond to their questions before you checked your inbox?

The December Ultra update closes out the year with enhancements that bring clarity, efficiency, and a touch of automation to your teaching. From AI-powered responses to customizable release conditions and upgraded discussion tools, these features help faculty support learners more effectively without adding to their workload.

To help set clearer expectations for student interaction, instructors can now add participation requirements to discussions. You can specify the number of posts and/or replies required, in addition to setting due dates. These requirements are visible to students and encourage more intentional and timely engagement. This is especially helpful in courses where discussions are graded or tied to reflection, collaboration, or community-building goals, and it allows students to better understand what “participation” looks like in your course.

Image 1: Instructors set participation requirements in discussion settings.

Image 2: AVA responding to a student’s message.

Ultra’s Learning Module Table of Contents is now available to instructors, providing a collapsible navigation panel that mirrors the student experience. You can quickly jump between content items and preview materials that are not yet released -- without switching to Student Preview or changing availability settings. This consistent view across roles improves usability during course design and review, making it easier to check flow, spot gaps, or make edits while keeping future content hidden from students.

Image 3: Instructor view of a Learning Module with the Table of Contents panel open.

Ultra now supports improved audio and video feedback directly within the feedback editor. Whether you’re working in Flexible Grading or providing overall feedback on an assignment, you can record your audio, video, and desktop, generate captions and transcripts, and use simple editing tools to polish your message. This upgrade makes it easier to deliver accessible, personalized feedback in multimedia format, enhancing your teaching presence and giving students a richer understanding of your comments. Note: Feedback videos are associated to the student's assessment and stay archived with the course.

Image 4: Video Studio recording embedded in the instructor feedback panel.

Finally, Instructors can now set release conditions based on whether a student has simply opened a previous item. This lightweight prerequisite option -- "Unopened" or "Opened or Started" -- lets you guide students through your course in a structured sequence without requiring them to complete a graded task. It's especially useful in module-based courses where students need to engage with foundational materials before progressing to more advanced topics, activities, or discussions.

Additional updates for December include:

• Originality Reporting option has been removed from the settings panel for AI Conversations because the activity involves interaction with an AI persona and does not generate a meaningful report.

• Blackboard updated the grade pill display for the Complete/Incomplete grade schema to improve clarity for instructors and students. Grade pills for incomplete items now appear in gray, making them visually distinct from graded submissions.

• MathJax support in the Content Editor now includes additional LaTeX delimiters (e.g., \(...\) for inline and display equations) for rendering mathematical formulas to improve compatibility with standard STEM workflows and simplify uploading exam content without changing source files. These options are in addition to the existing $ delimiters.

When you can expect the update

Faculty should see the latest updates in their Ultra courses around December 4-5, 2025. The next update to our Ultra test environment will take place on December 9, 2025; release notes are posted to the What's New in Ultra that same week. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. Please watch the FAQs, including the What's New with Ultra page, and myUMBC for additional information about Ultra.

Imagine if you could adjust test points in seconds without regrading everything manually? What if your course could automatically cheer students on when they succeed -- or nudge them when they need support? The November Ultra update introduces new tools to help you work smarter, not harder -- streamlining assessment edits, automating encouragement, and personalizing recognition. Whether you’re wrapping up the semester or refining your course for spring, these features are built to support both your grading workflow and your students’ motivation.

Instructors can now bulk edit question point values within tests, saving time during test setup or revisions. You can select all questions, filter by question type (e.g., all True/False), or select a combination of types and individual questions. This makes it easy to apply consistent scoring rules or adjust point values quickly across an entire assessment. Even after students have opened or submitted a test, you can still change point values, edit question text, give full credit, or revise correct answers -- and all grades will be recalculated automatically. However, certain structural edits (like adding or deleting questions, modifying matching options, or changing fill-in-the-blank structures) remain locked after student access to preserve assessment integrity. These changes offer instructors more flexibility in real-time without compromising fairness or accuracy.

Image 1: Instructors select Bulk edit points.

A new automation feature allows instructors to set up rule-based messages that send automatically when students reach defined performance thresholds. Whether offering encouragement to students who meet a goal or providing gentle support to those who fall short, these messages can be written in advance and delivered at just the right moment. This personalized automation helps instructors build student motivation and maintain a presence in the course without having to manually monitor and respond to every outcome -- especially helpful in large-enrollment or asynchronous courses. Subsequent releases of this feature will offer more customizations.

Image 2: In the Automation trigger, instructors set the conditions that will trigger the message to be sent.

Finally, Instructors can now customize Achievement badges using one of three new image options: upload a custom image, choose from a library of stock visuals via Unsplash, or generate an image using AI. These options give faculty more creative control and allow for more meaningful recognition of student progress. When badges are visually aligned with course themes, goals, or student interests, they can help foster a stronger sense of accomplishment and connection, turning a basic course mechanic into a personalized experience that resonates.

Image 3: Instructors can select or generate an image for the custom achievement.

Additional updates for November include:

• Gradebook Navigation: The column header menu in the Grid View has been streamlined, giving instructors quicker access to submission pages for each item. This improves consistency across item types and simplifies navigation during grading.
• Gradebook Downloads: Instructors now have the option to include or exclude hidden columns when exporting the Gradebook, offering more flexibility when working offline or sharing data with TAs or co-instructors.

When you can expect the update

Faculty should see the latest updates in their Ultra courses around November 6-7, 2025. The next update to our Ultra test environment will take place on November 11, 2025; release notes are posted to the What's New in Ultra that same week. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. Please watch the FAQs, including the What's New with Ultra page, and myUMBC for additional information about Ultra.

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In August, DoIT announced that UMBC will transition to YuJa as our new video capture and hosting platform, replacing Panopto. YuJa is a modern video system with advanced editing capabilities, active learning quizzing, detailed analytics, accessibility support, and sophisticated content sharing options. While migrating to YuJa now – to be ready for the Spring 2026 term – is challenging, doing so also reduces ongoing concerns about Panopto's media and folder management, pace of feature development, and increasing fees.

"In anticipation of my winter session course, I was able to quickly and easily migrate my videos to YuJa," said Tara Carpenter, Chemistry, who teaches UMBC's largest courses, CHEM 101 & 102. "I was also able to download the YuJa software and prepare to record a video in just a few minutes without prior training. Not only is it easy to use, but the features look amazing for professors and students."

YuJa is now fully available to campus users with access via Blackboard and myUMBC login. You can start using YuJa for recording and hosting video content right away!

What happens to existing Panopto video content?

UMBC plans to migrate all video content from Panopto and it will take two key stages to move this media between two vendors. Starting November 10th, Panopto is preparing our video content for export, including compiling a large metadata file with user information, video titles, associated closed captions, corresponding edits, and embedded quizzes. This stage of the process can take up to four weeks. The second stage will require YuJa to import the video content, which can take another four weeks to process. At this time, we estimate the video migration to conclude around January 9, 2026, allowing for the holiday break and barring unforeseen technical issues. If we anticipate delays, we will notify the campus.

When can I access my existing media in YuJa?

During the migration, you will be able to access your imported Panopto content as soon as each media file is processed to your YuJa account. You will find your content in your Media Management page, associated with your user profile, and from there, you can share it with your courses. You do NOT have to wait until the entire migration is finished to use your imported content in YuJa or to start recording new videos in YuJa.

What happens if I need access to existing Panopto content for Winter classes and it is not yet available in my YuJa account?

Panopto will still function for viewing content in Blackboard and via other sharing options. However, if you are concerned now about your winter course, you can self-migrate content, or if you wait for the bulk migration and you do not see your content in YuJa, please contact Instructional Technology via RT ticket by December 22, 2025, for specific support in this scenario. 

Can I move my own content?

Yes, of course! Faculty and staff who have small video collections, or videos without edits and quizzes, can choose to move their own content at any point once YuJa is available. This is an optional step available to faculty who prefer to manage their own videos. You may encounter duplicate videos as imported content appears, which can be removed as you determine.

How will I know about the status of the migration?

Instructional Technology will also post updates via myUMBC and via pop-up message in Blackboard once the migration begins with periodic progress reports about the status of the migration. 

Will DoIT keep all migrated content in YuJa?

After a period of time, some migrated video will be marked for removal -- for example, video that is orphaned since users are no longer with UMBC. Additionally, DoIT will establish video retention policies based on a variety of criteria such as lack of views over a certain period of time or copyright violation. These criteria will be vetted in collaboration with the Faculty Senate Computer Policy Committee by early Fall 2026 along with storage quotas for all users.

Can I keep using Panopto during the content migration?

Yes, you can still share and view content, including media used in Fall courses. However, we recommend that you do not use Panopto to record new media starting November 10th since YuJa will have the list of content it is importing. If you choose to create new videos in Panopto during the migration, you will need to move that media yourself from Panopto to YuJa once the migration ends. There will not be another bulk migration after the first one concludes. If at all possible, please start using YuJa now if you need to record new media.

When does Panopto access end?

Access to Panopto via Blackboard will end on December 22, 2025 after the fall semester concludes. This means that the tool will not be available in Blackboard courses and organizations, but video content will still be available in Panopto to view until the end of our license. Users can still log into Panopto via myUMBC until March 23, 2026 to download and move any remaining video content. UMBC's contract with Panopto ends on March 25, 2026, at which point we will no longer have access to the platform.

What training is coming for YuJa?

Instructional Technology will offer the following workshops on getting started in YuJa as well as two Video Production Labs in January to offer 1-1 support for migrating your media. Please review our upcoming schedule on myUMBC, or register for one of these events:

• 11/20 Recording and Sharing in YuJa
• 12/10 Editing in YuJa
• 12/12 Quizzing and Active Learning in YuJa
• 1/20 Video Production Lab (in person)
• 1/22 Video Production Lab (virtual)

Additional training will be scheduled.

Follow the Instructional Technology myUMBC group for more information about YuJa updates and training events. To log into YuJa via myUMBC, please visit umbc.edu/go/yuja. To review the documentation, please visit umbc.edu/go/yujafaqs. Additional questions about the migration are addressed in this Google Doc.

• Check our extensive FAQ collection 
• What's new in Ultra? | Known Issues 
• Open a ticket via RT
• Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups
• Request a consult with instructional technology staff

• Explore the purpose and structure of microcredentials at UMBC.
• Map course learning outcomes, assessments, and criteria to microcredentials.
• Align proposals with UMBC’s taxonomy, NACE competencies, and the Microcredential Evaluation Rubric.
• Draft and refine proposals with peer feedback and support from staff and the Microcredential Review Board (MRB).

• Full participation in the two-day workshop
• Submission and approval of one or more microcredential proposals by the MRB
• Implementation of approved microcredentials in a for-credit course
• Sharing project outcomes externally (such as a blog post, publication, or Provost’s Symposium presentation)