Getting Started with Blackboard Ultra
New to Blackboard Ultra or looking for a refresher? This hands-on workshop is designed to help faculty get comfortable navigating and using the Ultra Course View. Participants will explore the intuitive interface, learn how to create and organize course content, set up assignments and discussions, communicate with students, and manage grades. Whether you’re transitioning from Original Course View or starting fresh, this session will give you the confidence to build a streamlined, student-friendly course in Blackboard Ultra.
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Virtual)
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Monday, Aug. 18, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Instructors with questions about the transition to Blackboard Ultra are encouraged to contact the Office of Academic Technology, Teaching, and Learning at 860.768.4661 or actech@hartford.edu.
AI Magic: The Ultimate Toolkit for Spellbinding Course Design w/Blackboard & Google NotebookLM
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 11 a.m. – noon (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Thursday, Aug. 21, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (Virtual)
Wave your wand and let AI work its magic! This spellbinding session unveils Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant for effortless quizzes, assignments, rubrics, and visuals, plus the AI Roleplay tool for immersive, interactive learning. But that’s not all—discover how Google NotebookLM can act as your AI research assistant, organizing course materials, summarizing key concepts, and streamlining your workflow. Save time, spark creativity, and enchant your students with AI-powered tools that make course design feel like wizardry. Join us and add a little magic to your teaching!
Getting Started with Kaltura
Monday, Aug. 18, 11 a.m. – noon (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Kaltura works like an in-house YouTube, allowing faculty to upload videos to a media library quickly and easily, then link to them from Blackboard and other websites. Faculty who are flipping the classroom, teaching online, using video clips in instruction, or working with student video projects should plan to attend this special information session about Kaltura. Kaltura Capture is a simple, convenient tool that can capture your voice, the action on your computer screen, and webcam video to create lecturettes. You can use it to record audio podcasts, video lectures, or narrated presentations and demonstrations. This session will guide you through the process of recording a narrated screen capture, editing it, and publishing it to Blackboard. Video and audio files should never be added directly to Blackboard; instead, instructors should be using Kaltura. If you require a 1:1 assistance to set up Kaltura, email actech@hartford.edu, and we will be happy to arrange either a face-to-face or virtual appointment.
Microsoft Teams
Monday, Aug. 18, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Virtual)
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (Virtual)
Microsoft Teams is a video-conferencing application that now integrates with Blackboard. It is a platform that can be employed for remote instruction, office hours, or collaborative group work in your courses. Microsoft Teams can be accessed via a desktop application or a browser and is available on mobile devices as well. In this session, we will show you how to set up a Teams Meeting in your Blackboard course, how to navigate the Teams interface, how to share files or documents with students, and how to share screens. We will also show you how to set up groups so your students can work on collaborative activities together. If you require a 1:1 assistance to set up Teams, email actech@hartford.edu, and we will be happy to arrange either a face-to-face or virtual appointment.
Understanding University Data Storage Options
Thursday, Aug. 21, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. (Virtual)
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 11 a.m. – noon (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Learn about the different ways you can store and share your files at the university. We'll explain the uses and benefits of OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Network Drives, and Local Drives in simple terms. Discover the best practices for each option to keep your data organized, secure, and easy to access.
What do All of these Microsoft Apps do Anyway?
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 11 a.m. – noon (Virtual)
Dive into the expansive suite of Microsoft applications in this informative workshop. Learn the key functions and practical uses of popular tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, and more. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your productivity, this session will demystify each app's purpose and show you how they can streamline your work and personal tasks. Join us to unlock the full potential of Microsoft's powerful software ecosystem!
Blackboard Organizations for Staff
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. (Virtual)
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Blackboard Organizations at UH are designed for communicating with students outside of traditional courses—ideal for sharing information with majors, supporting student clubs, managing campus programs, or building community sites for staff and students. This workshop introduces staff to the basics of using Organizations in the Ultra interface, including how to structure content, post announcements, manage membership, and share resources. Whether you're coordinating advising, supporting co-curricular initiatives, or creating a central hub for student engagement, this session will help you make the most of Blackboard Organizations. Please join us for an information session.
Request a Blackboard Organization
Blackboard Drop-In Sessions
Have a quick question about Blackboard? Need help with a specific feature or troubleshooting an issue? Stop by one of our Blackboard Drop-in sessions for on-the-spot support and guidance. These informal, come-and-go sessions are perfect for faculty and staff who need personalized help with Ultra Course View, content setup, grading, communication tools, or Organizations. No registration or agenda—just bring your questions! Drop-ins are available in person or virtually via Microsoft Teams for your convenience.
Friday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Friday, Aug. 22, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Virtual)
Monday, Aug. 25, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Monday, Aug. 25, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Virtual)
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Virtual)
Thursday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Woods Classroom, Harrison Libraries)
Thursday, Aug. 28, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Virtual)
Need a One-on-One Appointment?
If none of our workshop times or topics fit your needs, we’re happy to meet with you individually. Faculty and staff can schedule a one-on-one appointment for tailored support with Blackboard Ultra, course design, Organizations, or other academic technology tools. Appointments are available in-person or virtually via Microsoft Teams—whichever works best for you. Let us know what you’d like to focus on, and we’ll match you with the right team member to assist you.
Email us at actech@hartford.edu to schedule your appointment.