How to create an exam in Blackboard Ultra: features, functions, and more

Blackboard Ultra is one of the most popular and widely used LMS platforms worldwide. 

Educational institutions and private companies use it to conduct their evaluation processes successfully. Virtual classes, online exams, and the interaction between students and teachers are all possible through this accessible and intuitive digital ecosystem.

In this article, we will explain how to take an exam on Blackboard Ultra and explore the features and functions of the platform.

What is Blackboard Ultra?

Blackboard Ultra is an online learning platform (LMS) used worldwide for online teaching, learning, and evaluation.

It is a component of the Anthology ecosystem that aims to empower students and educators with interactive and data-driven experiences, enabling them to achieve their goals.

By leveraging the capabilities of Anthology, Blackboard Ultra provides a platform for students and faculty to collaborate and interact, resulting in better learning outcomes and success.

Features of Blackboard Ultra

Blackboard Ultra has many features and tools that allow teachers and students to participate in a fully collaborative online learning environment.

Some of the most important features of Blackboard Ultra include:

Course management

Blackboard Ultra allows teachers to create and manage online courses. From uploading content to managing groups and setting grading policies, the platform enables teachers to customize their courses to meet their students’ needs.

Assessment

It also offers a variety of tools for creating and administering online assessments, including tests, quizzes, and assignments. Teachers can customize the assessment settings, including duration, number of attempts, and types of questions.

Communication

Blackboard offers various communication tools, including announcements, email, and online discussions. Teachers can use these tools to communicate with students and vice versa.

Collaboration

Blackboard Ultra also offers online collaboration tools, including Blackboard Collaborate (now known as Class Collaborate), which allows teachers and students to participate in real-time virtual meetings.

We’ll see it below.

What is Blackboard Collaborate?

Blackboard Ultra has many features that allow teachers and students to participate in an effective online learning environment. Blackboard Collaborate (now known as Class Collaborate)  is one of them.

Blackboard Collaborate or Class Collaborate is a video conferencing tool that enables teachers and students to participate in real-time online meetings. The tool also allows for sharing presentations, documents, and other files online.

To register for Blackboard Collaborate, students need to click on a link provided by the teacher and follow the instructions to join the virtual session.

Additionally, Blackboard Collaborate offers features such as breakout rooms, polls, and interactive whiteboards, which can enhance engagement and collaboration in online learning.

How to create an exam in Blackboard Ultra

Designing and conducting an exam in Blackboard Ultra is easy and straightforward. If you are the person responsible for doing so in your company or institution, you just need to follow these steps.

Step 1: Create an assessment

To create an assessment in Blackboard Ultra, you first need to go to the “Course Content” area and click on the “+ Create” option. Then, select “Test” and choose the type of assessment you want to create.

Step 2: Configure the assessment

Once you have created the assessment, you must configure it according to your needs. This may include the number of questions, the duration of the assessment, and the grading policy.

Step 3: Add questions

Next, you must add questions to the assessment. Blackboard Ultra offers a variety of question options, including true/false, multiple-choice, and short answers.

Step 4: Publish the assessment

Once you have added the questions, you need to publish the assessment so students can access it. Students can access the assessment from the course area on their page.

Step 5: Grade the assessment

Once your students have completed the assessment, you need to grade it. Blackboard Ultra offers a variety of tools for grading assessments online, including the ability to add comments and margin notes.

Supervising exams in Blackboard Ultra improves with SMOWL

Supervising exams online in Blackboard Ultra is essential for institutions that must reliably and securely monitor online exams. 

Smowltech, a company with over 10 years of experience in the technology sector and developer of SMOWL proctoring products, has announced a new and innovative integration with this Anthology LMS.

With this integration, instructors and administrators can intuitively and seamlessly incorporate SMOWL into their online courses and assessments, ensuring a safe and reliable testing environment for students.

Want to know how it works? Keep reading!

How is SMOWL integrated into Blackboard Ultra?

SMOWL’s mission is to promote greater access to high-quality education through the use of its remote supervision software.

This software allows students or users to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of course materials from anywhere with an internet connection. 

As a result, SMOWL is a valuable tool for anyone who needs to validate their learning remotely, regardless of their location or circumstances.

This integration enhances the functionality and ease of use of Blackboard Ultra and SMOWL, providing a more complete and simplified online learning and assessment solution.

The new native integration of SMOWL within Blackboard Ultra centralizes all services for teachers and administrators. 

In this way, SMOWL can simplify the activation and configuration of activities and access all supervision data without leaving the course.

How does SMOWL work?

The main objective of SMOWL is to supervise a user’s activity during an exam or evaluation process, whether face-to-face through a computer or entirely online. In any case, SMOWL adapts to each institution according to its needs.

Each institution can choose whether they prefer to:

• Supervise the activity on the user’s computer during the exam and configure the type of allowed applications during the exam through SMOWL CM.
• Apply a more restrictive approach with SMOWL LOCK that allows them to lock the user’s browser, display incidents if they try to leave the browser, copy and paste, etc.

Institutions can also choose more complex options for monitoring and identification with a webcam (even with a second camera!).

SMOWL uses various measures such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and secure cloud storage to ensure exam data security and integrity.

At Smowltech, we are committed to protecting the privacy of student records during the proctoring process. We comply with data privacy regulations, including FERPA, the European Union’s GDPR, and California’s CCPA.

In addition, SMOWL offers a variety of customization options for data analysis and result graphics on its MySmowltech platform.

Looking to the future: 100% online education through supervision

As you may have noticed, Blackboard Ultra provides a comprehensive learning management system that allows instructors to create, manage, and deliver course materials online.

This platform includes features such as discussion forums, assignment submissions, and grade tracking, which can help facilitate engagement and interaction between students and instructors, even when they are not in the same physical location.

By using SMOWL’s remote proctoring software, instructors can verify that students are taking exams fairly and without any unauthorized assistance while also allowing them to take exams from any location with an internet connection.

This can help increase student access and flexibility while reducing the risk of cheating and protecting the value of online academic credentials and qualifications.

In addition, it allows your company or institution to save on supervision costs and other expenses such as paper and to opt for higher education accreditations since your digital training and certifications can be 100% reliable.

Overall, the combination of Blackboard Ultra and SMOWL’s supervision can provide a powerful set of tools for digital education, allowing instructors to offer high-quality courses and assessments in a secure and reliable online environment.

Request a free demo and you could see firsthand how SMOWL’s proctoring products work within the Blackboard Ultra environment.