{"id":7798,"date":"2026-06-22T13:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T13:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/?p=7798"},"modified":"2026-07-06T14:55:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T14:55:35","slug":"evaluation-and-impact-planning-shifted-our-focus-what-uor-staff-and-students-told-us-about-blackboard-ultra-how-tel-responded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/2026\/06\/22\/evaluation-and-impact-planning-shifted-our-focus-what-uor-staff-and-students-told-us-about-blackboard-ultra-how-tel-responded\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluation and impact planning shifted our focus: what\u00a0UoR\u00a0staff and students\u00a0told us\u00a0about Blackboard Ultra\u00a0&amp; how TEL\u00a0responded\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">An institution-wide evaluation of the university move to Blackboard Ultra, and what the data surfaced about course design, student belonging and inclusion.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">By:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Jacqueline Fairbairn SFHEA and Emma Herrod SFHEA<br \/>\nTechnology Enhanced Learning, Centre for Quality, Support and Development<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Excerpt<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cRather than simply evaluating a platform, we found ourselves exploring how everyday Blackboard practices shape the student experience.&#8221;<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Overview<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The University moved every programme onto Blackboard Ultra in 2024\/25.\u00a0The Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) team used the switch to Ultra as an opportunity to create a more accessible and engaging digital learning experience for students\u00a0by introducing a new institutional course template, promoting more consistent course design in Blackboard, and encouraging new approaches to teaching and learning across the University.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">After the first academic year of use, we wanted to know if the\u00a0anticipated\u00a0benefits were realised, so we ran a mixed-methods evaluation with staff and students.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We found it useful to think about our evaluation using the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/evaluation-and-impact\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2019\/11\/Levels-e1725367305583.png\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Five Levels of Impact model.<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Our surveys and focus groups gave us plenty of evidence around Reaction and Learning, whether staff and students found\u00a0the new features\u00a0helpful, and whether they felt more confident using Blackboard.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">What surprised us was how\u00a0far\u00a0the\u00a0qualitative data pushed us up the\u00a0evaluation\u00a0model\u00a0towards Behaviour.\u00a0These were\u00a0changes in confidence, independence, and sense of belonging, particularly for\u00a0widening participation (WP)\u00a0students already navigating other barriers.\u00a0Students talked about greater confidence, independence and belonging, particularly those from groups already navigating\u00a0additional\u00a0barriers to learning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Objectives<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">To understand how staff and students were experiencing Blackboard Ultra and the new institutional template, beyond simply whether people could use the system.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">To find out whether the move to a\u00a0clearer and\u00a0more consistent course structure was\u00a0landing\u00a0as intended, particularly for\u00a0WP\u00a0students.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">To use what we learned to shape our Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) support and guidance, and to feed evidence-informed findings into wider institutional conversations about\u00a0the role of Blackboard in\u00a0teaching and learning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Context<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The University is a medium-sized HE institution, so the move to Blackboard Ultra was a significant undertaking with over 27,000 students, around 1,300 academic staff, and colleagues teaching across the UK, Malaysia and China; from a TEL perspective we support more than 2,300 Blackboard courses. All 14 academic Schools moved to Blackboard Ultra at the same time. We supported this with over 160 staff development sessions (650+ staff trained), roadshows across Schools, and a network of Ultra Champions.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Alongside the migration, we introduced a standard institutional course template, built around\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1)\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1)&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">a flat structure\u00a0that\u00a0limited folder nesting<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1)\" data-font=\"Arial\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1)&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/TEL-Support-Staff\/ultra-create-content-document\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Ultra Documents<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0to help sequence learning.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">These choices aimed to\u00a0reduce cognitive load, make things easier to find, and support more intentional course design,\u00a0rather than Blackboard functioning as a\u00a0file repository.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Implementation<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For our evaluation data, we took a mixed-methods approach because we wanted both the breadth of a survey and the depth of\u00a0user\u00a0discussions.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-22-at-14.29.42.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7799\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-22-at-14.29.42.png\" alt=\"Implementation diagram\" width=\"462\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-22-at-14.29.42.png 588w, https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-22-at-14.29.42-300x247.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Focus group:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0we\u00a0met\u00a0with ten of the university\u2019s student Inclusion Consultants, with a scribe on hand, and asked them to walk through their own Blackboard courses live, narrating what was helpful and what\u00a0wasn\u2019t.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Written reflections:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0the same students followed this up with independent written reflections\u00a0via\u00a0Padlet, which gave us further material for thematic analysis.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Staff and student surveys:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0we ran an institutional survey (195 staff, 195 students), combining Likert-scale and open-response questions. We piloted the questions with student partners and our TEL practitioner forum first, which led to some useful revisions around terminology and question ordering.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:100,&quot;335559740&quot;:259,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Platform and accessibility data:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0we drew on Blackboard\u2019s Ally statistics and worked with our digital accessibility officer and student volunteers to test a sample of courses, focusing specifically on instructor practice rather than the system\u2019s built-in accessibility.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We were interested in three things in particular: how helpful people found Ultra\u2019s features; how well the new template supported navigation and wayfinding, and what people thought of our TEL support and guidance. The aim was to produce a descriptive, exploratory piece of work to surface insights about how Blackboard Ultra was being adopted.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Impact<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For instructors;\u00a0the\u00a0main\u00a0headline\u00a0was that staff confidence in using\u00a0Blackboard\u00a0was consistently higher than their confidence in designing\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reading.ac.uk\/cqsd\/-\/media\/project\/functions\/cqsd\/documents\/ade\/tandl-resources\/prp-digitally-enabled-learning.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Digitally Enabled\u00a0Learning<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0within it. Under time pressure, a lot of modules were understandably starting out as content repositories rather than properly sequenced learning spaces. Feature usage backed this up:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">two-thirds of staff weren\u2019t using Bulk Edit;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">half weren\u2019t using the course search bar,\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">a quarter\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0using\u00a0Ultra\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/TEL-Support-Staff\/ultra-create-content-document\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Documents<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0at all,\u00a0often because the priority was simply getting content moved across rather than redesigning it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For students;\u00a0the picture was more nuanced once we broke it down by widening participation group:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Black,\u00a0Asian\u00a0and other minority ethnic students\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">reported particularly strong positive\u00a0perceptions\u00a0of the new template, around\u00a0ten\u00a0percentage points above the overall baseline\u00a0on questions about navigation and wayfinding. Their comments suggested Blackboard was helping them navigate academic expectations more broadly, not just\u00a0locate\u00a0files.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cFrom a learner\u2019s perspective, Blackboard functioned as a centralised academic hub, enhancing the coherence and self-regulation of my study practices.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335572083&quot;:12,&quot;335572084&quot;:8,&quot;335572085&quot;:3805020,&quot;469789810&quot;:&quot;single&quot;}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Commuter students\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">particularly valued\u00a0features that supported quick, flexible, just-in-time engagement\u00a0such as\u00a0announcement pop-ups, a consistent mobile\u00a0view\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0course\u00a0search bar. For these students, clear structure\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0just convenient,\u00a0it helped them be more strategic with their time. We were struck by how much they wanted to see active lecturer presence in their courses; they liked\u00a0feeling connected to the module as it unfolded.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cBeing able to use my phone and still have the same layout really helps me stay on track when I\u2019m commuting.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335572083&quot;:12,&quot;335572084&quot;:8,&quot;335572085&quot;:3805020,&quot;469789810&quot;:&quot;single&quot;}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Students reporting a long-term health condition or learning difference\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">told a different story. This group was furthest from\u00a0positivity\u00a0averages\u00a0and showed the greatest sensitivity to inconsistency in layout, file\u00a0naming\u00a0and assessment visibility. They valued the\u00a0system\u00a0update itself, but inconsistent instructor practice within the\u00a0course\u00a0template was amplifying anxiety rather than easing it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-ccp-border-bottom=\"0px none \" data-ccp-padding-bottom=\"0px\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cOverall, I believe the update of Blackboard Ultra to have been a significant factor in terms of easing my anxiety about my studies and examinations this year.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335572083&quot;:12,&quot;335572084&quot;:8,&quot;335572085&quot;:3805020,&quot;469789810&quot;:&quot;single&quot;}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-ccp-border-top=\"0px none \" data-ccp-padding-top=\"0px\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cSometimes the assignment info was a bit all over the place, across different\u00a0[template]\u00a0sections, which made it difficult to make sure you\u2019d read all the information needed.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335572083&quot;:12,&quot;335572084&quot;:8,&quot;335572085&quot;:3805020,&quot;469789810&quot;:&quot;single&quot;}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Taken together, the message was consistent\u00a0(even where the experiences differed);\u00a0clear, predictable course design changes how confident and connected students feel, and the\u00a0effect is\u00a0more\u00a0strongly\u00a0experienced by\u00a0students who are already navigating\u00a0additional\u00a0barriers\u00a0to learning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Outcomes: what can\u00a0teaching\u00a0colleagues\u00a0do?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The evaluation surfaced a set of small, low-effort changes instructors can make that have a real, positive impact on belonging and the learning journey. None of these require redesigning a module from scratch:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Use meaningful file naming.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Keep titles predictable,\u00a0short\u00a0and distinct, so students can\u00a0wayfind\u00a0easily, including on mobile.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Use the file description field.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0A brief description helps students orientate themselves and understand what\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0find in a resource before they open it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Give a sense of \u2018you\u2019.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Students value knowing their lecturer is present in the course; a conversational tone, or a short video or audio update, goes a long way.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Combine files in Ultra Documents.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Avoid long lists of separate files; use Ultra Documents to guide students through content in sequence.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Aim\u00a0for anti-scroll Ultra\u00a0Documents.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Keep them short \u2013 they should \u2018feel\u2019 like an A4 sheet of paper, not an endless scroll.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Uphold consistency.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Stick to consistent course structures and templates so students can find information quickly, week to week and module to module.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:140}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Schedule release of content and announcements.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Timed releases help guide students through the module as it unfolds, rather than leaving everything visible at once.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4><strong>Reflections\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">What made\u00a0the evaluation project\u00a0useful\u00a0was resisting the urge to treat\u00a0it as\u00a0a checklist of requirements met.\u00a0The questions that mattered most we\u00a0not\u00a0\u201cdo people like the\u00a0updated\u00a0system\u201d,\u00a0but \u201chow do\u00a0everyday\u00a0practices affect\u00a0user\u2019s experience\u201d.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If we were doing this again,\u00a0we would\u00a0like to find a more systematic way of following up with the WP\u00a0students\u00a0whose experiences diverged most,\u00a0particularly students with a health condition or learning difference, where the gap between intention and instructor practice was\u00a0most\u00a0distinct.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">One thing we\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0anticipate\u00a0was how far the findings would travel.\u00a0We\u2019d\u00a0planned this as a local, TEL-focused\u00a0evaluation\u00a0piece;\u00a0however,\u00a0it\u00a0opened\u00a0a wider conversation about institutional approaches to engaging colleagues with Blackboard Ultra practices and\u00a0ultimately supporting\u00a0student learning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Follow up<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The findings have since been shared with the University\u2019s Teaching and Learning and Infrastructure Committees, the Awarding Gaps steering group\u00a0and Reading\u2019s Commuter Student working group, among others.\u00a0Colleagues presented the work\u00a0externally at the Blackboard User Group and\u00a0at the\u00a02026\u00a0Durham Blackboard Conference.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Locally, in TEL we will be looking towards:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Developing metrics to\u00a0monitor\u00a0adherence to the Ultra template and file-naming conventions, working with School Directors of Teaching and Learning to\u00a0identify\u00a0courses needing support.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Shifting more of our TEL support towards course design and digital pedagogy, rather than technical training alone.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:100}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u2022\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u2022&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Continuing to work with the\u00a0university groups to shape thinking about\u00a0how the VLE can better support belonging and connection for students<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">None of this would have carried the same weight without the evaluation\u00a0planning\u00a0behind it. It gave us a\u00a0thorough\u00a0evidence base and a student voice to bring into conversations.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0probably the\u00a0bigger lesson here;\u00a0evaluation\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0just about checking\u00a0whether a project worked. Done well, it gives you the legitimacy to\u00a0keep having the\u00a0conversation afterwards.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">References<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reading.ac.uk\/cqsd\/-\/media\/project\/functions\/cqsd\/documents\/ade\/tandl-resources\/prp-digitally-enabled-learning.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">CQSD Digitally Enabled Learning guide<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/evaluation-and-impact\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Reading\u2019s Evaluation and Impact resources<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:200}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An institution-wide evaluation of the university move to Blackboard Ultra, and what the data surfaced about course design, student belonging and inclusion.\u00a0 By:\u00a0Jacqueline Fairbairn SFHEA and Emma Herrod SFHEA Technology Enhanced Learning, Centre for Quality, Support and Development\u00a0 \u00a0Excerpt\u00a0 \u201cRather than simply evaluating a platform, we found ourselves exploring how everyday Blackboard practices shape the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":7978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[91,14],"tags":[19,243],"departmentunit":[],"school":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2026\/06\/sandisk-XQMlNhjorBQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7798"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7798"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7807,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7798\/revisions\/7807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7798"},{"taxonomy":"departmentunit","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/departmentunit?post=7798"},{"taxonomy":"school","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/t-and-l-exchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school?post=7798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}