The University continues to affirm itself as a technological centre of excellence. From 12 February 2024, the University’s Teaching and Learning and Development Centre (TLDC) will provide academic staff members with training on Blackboard Learn Ultra. Acting Deputy Director: E-Learning Cebo Nyondo, said that Blackboard Learn Ultra is the latest version of the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS), and will offer staff some advantages. “Staff will experience the simplified navigation, a mobile-friendly experience, intuitive workflows, and data-driven learning analytics, making it easier for them to keep their students engaged and on the path to success. You can preview some of Blackboard Learn Ultra’s key features on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6H2M2egLbY,” said Nyondo.
Nyondo officially informed university staff that come 10 February 2024, a brand-new Course View awaits them upon logging into the University Learning Management System (LMS) via https://mutelearn.mut.ac.za. This brand-new Course View comes with a whole host of tools and features, including streamlined grading and seamless integration with the third-party tools they know and love. Assuring the staff of content continuity, Nyondo emphasised that no course content would be lost due to this update; however, it will remain in its current format. Furthermore, he underscored the training sessions that the eLearning unit will provide to support staff in transitioning their content to an Ultra Course View.
The training that will start on Monday,12 February 2024 will cover the following essential topics:
- Introduction to Blackboard Learn Ultra
- Backing up your existing course information and resources
- Effective teaching techniques with Blackboard Ultra
- Converting courses for Ultra navigation
Nyondo encourages staff to take this opportunity to take blended teaching to the next level through these introductory training sessions.