Blackboard Learn Ultra Base Navigation

Blackboard Learn, our institutional virtual learning environment (VLE) has been upgraded to Learn Ultra Base Navigation.

Ultra Base Navigation provides a modern and user-friendly approach to navigation and new ways to engage with key information across all of your courses without changing Learn courses themselves.

What is Ultra Base Navigation?

Ultra Base Navigation (UBN) provides a more focussed entry point to Learn, designed with accessibility and mobility in mind. A refined navigation menu allows you to access courses quickly and engage with key information across all courses in one place. UBN makes it easier to find course updates and see notifications. The upgrade will provide an improved digital experience for our students and staff.

The update to UBN will not include an update to Ultra style courses. There will be a separate activity involving Blackboard, ICT and Faculty Ed-Tech Labs to assess Ultra style courses and review the possibility of piloting the new course functionality at Imperial.

How will the upgrade affect me?

The introduction of UBN will not change how your courses are delivered and Imperial will continue to use the 'Original style' Blackboard courses. 

You will need to take action if you have bookmarked specific courses or content pages in your browser.  Once UBN has been enabled, the URL to specific courses and content pages will change and you will only be able to bookmark the course homepage.  You will still be able to access your courses via https://bb.imperial.ac.uk/ and then re-save or update your existing bookmarks.

UBN is an upgrade designed to improve the overall look and feel of Learn. The main changes you will notice are to the 'My Blackboard' home page/landing page.

You will find a more streamlined, easy-to-use and efficient virtual learning environment, along with some new features to explore.

What are the Main Benefits of Ultra Base Navigation?

Learn Ultra Base Navigation brings a number of benefits for all users:

• It is designed to be more accessible and responsive. It also introduces new features that can support inclusivity in teaching and learning, for example by enabling you to add your pronouns and clarify the pronunciation of your name.
• It moves away from the traditional, siloed course view and allows you to quickly get an overview of key course information in one place.
• It introduces new functionality such as the activity stream and the cross-course calendar that can help you better manage your time. Assessment details can be found in one location and the combined courses calendar can be linked to an external calendar of your choice.
• A new approach to navigation that opens courses and tools in layers, reducing the number of steps to move between courses and tasks.