Sign up for essential Blackboard Ultra training

We are writing to you to provide information about essential training required for academics and teaching support staff who use our Learning Management System (LMS). Trinity is upgrading from Blackboard Original to Blackboard Ultra with the aim of providing an engaging, next-generation teaching and learning experience for all staff and students at Trinity.

At the end of last semester, we worked with a group of early adopters who are now using Blackboard Ultra. Feedback on the upgraded system has been positive; here's what one of the early adopters had to say:

"Ultra has changed the way I engage with Blackboard. It is intuitive, user friendly and engaging and has enabled more flexible approaches to teaching and learning. From an access point of view, the new interface will appeal to a more diverse student cohort and shows a commitment to inclusivity at Trinity." - Joanne Banks, School of Education

Sign up for this required training

All modules taught in the academic year 2025/26 will be hosted on Blackboard Ultra from the beginning of that academic year. Blackboard Original will not be available for 2025/26 modules, though copies of previous years’ modules will remain available in Blackboard Original. As Blackboard Ultra has enhancements both in its user interface and functionality offered, we are providing training and migration sessions to support Blackboard users in the necessary transition to the new system. Kicking off from 17th February, a mix of online and self-paced training options will be available to suit your needs in February, March and April. Sign up for these sessions here.

The sequence you need to follow is:

1. Complete the Ultra Essentials training (1 hour)
2. Complete the Assessment and Gradebook Essentials training (1 hour)
3. Attend a Migration Workshop (2 hour in-person)

Optional training will also be available for those using advanced features of Blackboard. If you subsequently need help, having completed the training and migration, then you can book a one-to-one support session (30 minutes).

Over a thousand academic staff and module contributors will need to have their modules ready for the beginning of academic year 2025/26. Please complete the training as soon as you can to enable a quick, smooth, and easy move over to the new system. We will collect and share details of your training progress and course completions so you can be contacted for further information and reminders as necessary.

More information is available on the Blackboard Ultra Upgrade Project website. If you have queries on this project, please contact blackboard.ultra@tcd.ie

Kind regards,