Groups in Blackboard Ultra (Student View)

This guide pertains to Ultra Course View.

If your course is in Original Course View, see the Original Course View tutorial collection.

Overview

In Blackboard Ultra, students use groups to collaborate with one another. These collaborations may take place for the entirety of the semester or for specified projects or assignments. Depending on your instructor's course settings, you may be preassigned to your group(s) or have the option to sign up for your own group.

How to View Your Current Group

1. Upon entering your course shell, select the “Groups” option from the upper menu.

2. You will see every set of groups created so far for your course. Selecting the drop-down arrow on the right side of the screen will reveal the group that you are currently in.

3. Selecting “Show Members” will display the other people assigned to your group.

How to Sign Up for a Group

1. Upon entering your course shell, select the "Groups" option from the upper menu. From here, you should see a list of group sets and available groups to join.

2. Identify your group of choice. Available groups will be indicated by the "Join" button on the right side of your screen.

a. In some cases, there may be a "Show Members" option below each group. Clicking this option will display all members of the group in a separate menu on the right side of your screen.

3. Select the “Join” option next to the group of your choice. If you change your mind, you may select the “Move to this group” option next to the other available groups.

Note: Your instructor may set a deadline to sign up for groups. If you do not join a group before the deadline, you will be randomly assigned to an available group.

Group Assignments

Your group may be associated with a specific assignment. To check for associations, look under the title of an assignment as it will include your group title.

Please note that in group assignments, one member will submit an item on behalf of the entire group. This is especially important on assignments that only allow one attempt, as you will be unable to submit materials if one of your group members has already done so. Be sure that your group members agree on the contents of your project and who will submit it.

Group Discussions

Your instructor may assign your group to a discussion forum. Unlike a group assignment, you may all submit responses. Additionally, these responses only stay viewable within your group.

1. Log into Blackboard and select your course shell.

2. Under “Course Content”, locate a discussion forum as indicated by the speech bubble icon. Alternatively, you may select "Discussions" from the upper menu.

3. After entering the discussion forum, you will see your group name, discussion topic, and total posts by each member. As a reminder, only students within your group and the professor can see your responses.