This is an introductory guide designed to help you become familiar with how to begin setting up your first course from scratch in the new Ultra version of eCampus. This guide walks through the steps to add and manage content, customize your layout, create tests or assessments, interact with the gradebook, and use various course tools including the Collaborate online meeting tool. Click through the content sections below to learn more about the topics that interest you, or join us for a live training session during scheduled events.
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Getting Started with eCampus Ultra Training Sessions: the ITS Training group holds virtual training sessions for eCampus at the beginning of each semester. Visit the WVU Events Calendar page to see when classes are available or keep an eye on your email for eCampus training sessions.
You may also contact ITS Training to request one-on-one training, customized group trainings, or in-person training. We will design our content to meet your needs.
ITS Help Center: You will find a list of all eCampus Ultra for Faculty articles in our help center.
Blackboard Help: View Blackboard Anthology’s video tutorials or review the Blackboard Help guides.
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On the main WVU eCampus page, you will find a menu to help you navigate to useful tools and locate your courses. Learn more about theeCampus Ultra navigation menus. We have upgraded to the new Blackboard Ultra navigation interface in eCampus, now the courses are Ultra too for the pilot users.
WVU eCampus Institution Page
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On the Profile page, you can see your user account details, set notification preferences, and add name pronunciation (text and audio). Students can see the pronunciation info inside the course , on the Roster page, and when you send messages in the course messages tool.
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On the Courses page, you’ll see a list of your courses – click to open a course. Ultra courses are color-coded here, and , on the Calendar and Messages pages as well. You can star a course to mark it as a favorite, and move it to the top of the list. Click the ellipsis (…) to Hide a course that you don’t need to access right now.
There are also multiple ways to view the course list. Switch between the Listor Tiles layout by clicking the page style buttons on the upper left. If you have a lot of courses, use the search field at the top left to find a course by name. You can also filter your course list to see only courses you teach, courses in which you are a student, or courses you teach, etc.
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The calendar page displays all of your personal eCampus calendar events for all courses.
The calednar calendar defaults to show the current day’s schedule, with this week’s dates clickable at the top. Click on a day to see the schedule. Switch between Day and Month calendars by choosing a view option in the upper right corner. Click Due Dates (upper left) to view any assignments, tests, or upcoming events.
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Click the plus sign above the Day/Month buttons to add events, meeting schedules, or office hours to a selected calendar. You can click the Gear icon to select which courses/calendars to show on this navigation calendar page.
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The number of unread messages will also appear in a red bubble next to the name of each course. Click the plus (+) at the right of the course messages list itemto compose a new message from inside that course’s Messages tool. Click the course title link to view the messages Inbox and Sent box for the selected course. Close the course (X) to return to the main menu Messages page again.
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On the Grades page of the navigation menu you can view summary grade information for all courses. Faculty can see the overall grade average for all students in a course, and a list of gradable items that have submissions ready to grade, or grades to post.
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Click the course title on the Grades navigation page to go to the Gradebook for that course.
Click on an assignment to view all submissions for that item in the gradebook.
Click Post to post already graded submissions where students can see their grades.
Click View all work to expand the Grades page list for this course to show all gradable items.
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The Tools page displays links to additional resources such as the WVU eRS, My Mediasite, and SEI Student Feedback on Instruction.
Sign Out
Clicking the Sign Out menu item will log you out of WVU eCampus, and return you to the main login page.
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Roster - a grid of tiles (or list) showing who’s in the course. Students can also see this list.
You can filter by category by clicking the course members dropdown in the upper right.
Click the ellipses to the right of a student’s name to note any accommodations.
Course Groups – create and manage groups (for assignments, discussions, grading) for this course.
Progress Tracking – turn on progress tracking to use participatory grading for items in the course.
Course Image – Click Edit display settings to change the image that displays on the course list grid for this course.
Click the slider to also use the image as a banner at the top of the Content page.
Class Collaborate – join the default meeting room or click ellipsis to schedule, edit, access recordings, etc.
Attendance – Click Add Attendance to track attendance (graded or not)Announcements – create and view announcements you share with members of this course; click the magnifying glass to search for an announcement.
Books & Tools – click View course & institution tools to see a menu of other tools you can use in your course.
Tools with a plus can be added as a Tool Link on the content page.
Scroll to the bottom of the list to click a link to Browse all course tools.
Question Banks – Click Manage banks to build or import pools of questions for use in assessments.
Course Schedule – When you first set up a new course, an option to set the course schedule appears at the bottom. Click Add course schedule to set your class' meeting schedule in eCampus. Click Skip if you don’t wish to do this; you can always add it later in the Calendar settings.
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Click the plus sign in the middle of the page to begin adding content:
Create - begin the creation of an eCampus content item such as an assignment or test, a text document, web link, or discussion prompt.
Copy Content - copy items that already exist in another eCampus course.
Upload - select a file from your computer to share on the content page.
Cloud Storage - share a file from your WVU MIX account’s Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Box accounts.
Content Market - share content items from 3rd party tools such as textbook publishers, and many more instructional tools.
Content Collection - browse your eCampus content collection for this and other courses to share files on the content page.
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Create a discussion, such as a HELP topic, Readings discussion, Organize in folders, add a link to a discussion in a learning module on the content page. Expand here
Gradebook
View and edit grades for assessments, create calculated columns, manage grade schemas, assignment categories, grading rubrics, and more.Expand here
Messages
The in-system mail tool for eCampus, the same you see on the navigation page. Inbox and Sent box show your messages.
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After you have added some files or edited content areas, you’ll see Ally accessibility icons next to files and on the editing page of eCampus items. <Insert accessibility benefits everyone statement.> Ally assesses the accessibility of files and content items at a granular level, so you will see the Instructor Feedback tool link usually on the edit view of that item. Ally options will appear for most kinds of uploaded documents.
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Assignments can take any format that you like. You can build a quiz using one of the many question types, or write up instructions for a writing assignment, audio or video submission or written solution. You can include a grading rubric or attach institutional goals & standards for grading to an assignment. A little more about assessments in Ultra.
Blackboard Anthology Help Center: Create and Edit Assignments
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Tests can contain many types of questions and content that assess students' grasp of the content. Something more about assessing students' grasp of the content…more about tests…you can use many question types, use the text and equation editors to build exactly the question / examples you want…test item types will be scored and calculated in that category.content…
WVU Help Center: Creating a Test in eCampus Ultra
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On the Content page (or inside a Learning Module box on the content page), click the Plus + to open the content menu.
Click Create to open the Create Item panel.
Under the Assessment section, click Test.
At the top of the test page, enter a Name for the test.
Click the plus (+) in the center of the page to add questions.
Choose the question type (from a pool, calculated formulas, essays, fill in the blank, hotspot, matching, multiple choice, true/false, or add text or upload a file)
To create a multiple - choice question:
Click in the Question text box to type the question. Use formatting tools, or add content like images from the tool bar.
In the multiple answer boxes, type the answers.
Check the correct answer box for at least one.
Change the points or credit for this question at the top.
Click Save to place the question on the test.
To create a true/false question:
Type the T/F statement in the text box.
Select whether it’s true or false.
Edit the # of points or make extra credit, then Save.
To create crate an essay question:
Enter a question / essay prompt in the text box.
Enter an example correct response by clicking the box below.
After you’ve added all the questions , select the Test Settings you’d like this test to have:
Click the gear icon to view all test settings.
Due Date – choose a date and time when students must submit their test, also select whether to allow late submissions, any attempts after the due date, conversations about the test, or offline submissions.
Presentation Options – display one question at a time, prohibit backtracking, randomize question, answers, or pages.
Grading & Submission – grade book category, number of attempts allowed, grade method (points, percent, letter), max number of points, grading and evaluation options.
Assessment results – what students can see about their submitted test and grade, and when; what answers they submitted, any automated feedback, scores for each question, what was the correct answer, etc.
Assessment Security – set an access code, require Respondus LockDown Browser
Additional Tools – set a time limit for the test, use a grading rubric (only if your test does not use auto-graded questions), Goals & Standards tool, group assignments.
Description – add a description of this test for students to see under the title.
Click Save to save the test options you’ve selected.
Choose whether to allow students to add Additional Content at the end of the test by clicking the . (checkmark slider.)
Hidden/Visible: select whether this test will be visible or hidden for now by choosing from the visibility drop-down at the (top of the page.)
Click the X to close the test editor page.
Drag and drop the test to move it into the appropriate module or folder on the content page.
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Some Recommendations for Tests
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Communication Tools
There are several built-in communications options to allow you to send announcements, share upcoming deadlines or events, send and receive mail messages, and engage in discussions or Q&A with your students. Tabs at the top of the course area link to these tools.
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Click the Messages tab in the top menu.
A list of your received messages for this course will appear. Click on the message to view its full content, or click the trash icon to delete it.
Click the plus + in the upper right corner to start a New Message.
Click in the Recipients field to select course members by name or grouping. You can also begin typing to see a list of matching people and groups.
Click on individual or group names to select recipients.
Click a checkbox to choose whether to:
Send an email copy - this will send a copy to users’ MIX accounts.
Allow replies - permits users to reply to this message in eCampus' Messages tool.
Type or copy/paste the information to be shared in the Message field. Use the formatting options to edit text or attach files and share links or contentthings like you would for any other content in eCampus.
Click Send at the bottom of the page.
You will also receive any replies in this tool, visible on both the Messages tab inside your in-course and on the eCampus navigation page.
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Click the Calendar tab at the top of your course to open the Schedule view of the calendar.
Click the plus + in the upper right corner (next to the Day/Month buttons) to choose to add to the calendar.
Select Edit Course Schedule.
Click the plus + to enter the regular meeting time for your course.
The Nickname field allows you to give the calendar item a friendlier name. Enter a shorter course title or meeting name.
Use the date and time selectors to choose the Start date and time, and the End date and time of your regular class meetings (online or in-person).
Check the All Day box only if your meetings are in fact, all-day affairs.
Select the recurrence and frequency of your meetings:
Choose to track the recurrence by days, weeks, or months.
Choose to set the meeting frequency. You’ll see some different options depending on your choice.
Enter a Location for the scheduled course meetings. The location can be a physical place, your class Collaborate meeting room, or a URL to join a meeting.
Click Save to place the meeting schedule on everyone’s course calendar.
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Click the Announcements tab at the top of the course page. You will see any previously posted announcements listed.
Click the plus (+) in the upper right corner of the Announcements page to create a new announcement.
On the New Announcement page, you’ll see all three fields are required:
Title - enter a title to let course members know what this is about
Recipients - all course members receive announcements
Message - type up a message to convey the necessary details
Optionally, you can select check-boxes to:
Send an email copy to recipients - so they will get a copy in their MIX email account, or
Schedule the announcement to display at a future date. (You can't select a display date in the future if you send an email copy.)
Click Save to share the announcement now or at the time you’ve chosen. The announcement will appear on everyone’s navigation page Activity Stream and course announcements page.
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The announcement will also be displayed in the Content area when the student opens the course for the first time after the announcement was posted. |
Discussions
Discussion boards are built into the course in eCampus Ultra as a tab at the top of the course. Discussions can provide opportunity for thoughtful back-and-forth on the actual course topics or a place for students to ask questions about the logistics of the course. Discussions can be graded, and they can be organized into folders – for example if they will participate in a new discussion for assigned readings every week, you can group those discussions together.
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Grade Schemas - click the Manage Grade Schemas link to edit the existing grading scales, or add a new personalized grade schema.
Student Performance - set up alerts that will appear in your eCampus activity stream to notify you when any student is not active in the course or when their grade falls below a designated percentage.
Automatic Zeros - check a box to select whether eCampus will automatically assign a zero when students fail to submit work by the due date.
Overall Grade - click the Manage overall grade settings link to setup how the final/total grade for the course will be calculated.
Grade Categories - default categories include basic types of graded assessments: assignments, tests, discussions, journals, exams, homework, presentations, and quizzes. You can create new categories, too.
Course Rubrics - rubrics can help students to know what criteria will be used for grading an assessment, and ensure that everyone’s paper is graded according to the same standard. Click Create New Rubric to design one.
Overall Grade Notations - create a mark (outside of the regular course grading scheme) that can be recorded as a student’s Overall Grade; for example, to note that a student has withdrawn from the course. Click the individual’s Overall Grade from the grid view to select a notation grade (like a 'W') instead.
Set Up the Overall Grade
eCampus Ultra lets you build a final grade formula in the Overall Grade column. With a brand-new course shell, you will see a Set it up link on the main content page inviting you to set up the overall grade. That link will take you to the Gradebook Settings, which is also easily accessed from the Gradebook page of the course.
Click the Gradebook tab at the top of the course page.
Click the gear icon to open the Settings panel.
Scroll down a bit to see the Overall Grade section, and click on Setup up overall grade.
Choose a type of grading setup (click to show examples):
a total Points grading setup,
a Weighted grade setup for items or categories,
or Advanced to use the formula builder to create a specific grade formula.
Click Next after selecting the grading format to see the Overall Grade editing page.
You can still switch the calculation type by clicking the buttons at the top.
For each Category, you can click Edit calculation rules to choose to drop the lowest or highest scores, or use only the highest or lowest score.
Expand (click drop-down) any category to see the assessments in that category, see how many points each is worth, exclude an item, or unlink it from its current category grouping.
Under Overall Grade Settings, click the drop-down to select how the overall grade is displayed: letter, points, or percentage.
The default display will also show this calculation to students in their view of the gradebook. Uncheck the show to students checkbox to hide this gradebook item.
Click Save to create the new calculation as a gradable item (column in the gradebook).
Close (X) the Overall Grade page to return to the main gradebook settings panel.
Close (X) the Gradebook Settings panel to see the new Overall Grade appear as a gradable item.
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More about the Overall Grade
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There are multiple ways you can access items that require manual grading in eCampus Ultra. You approach will depend on how you administer evaluations and what kind of content you will be grading.
WVU ITS Help: Grading Assignments & Tests in eCampus Ultra
Grade Items from the Gradebook
Click the Gradebook tab at the top of your course.
Click the List View button, and then the Gradable Items tab to make sure you are looking at the list of gradable assessments.
Click the Item Name in the Item column, or the # to grade link in the Grading Status column to view all grades and attempts to be graded on the Submissions page of this assessment.
If this is an assignment that has been submitted in-person or just not in eCampus, where you’d want to simply type in a grade for each student, click in the Grade column and enter a grade.
If this assessment was submitted via eCampus with essay questions, text responses, uploaded submissions, or uses a grading rubric, click the attempt to grade link to view the student’s submitted attempt.
On the grading page you can evaluate the student’s submission, select values from a rubric’s scales, and leave feedback.
Make sure you have either selected a score via rubric, or entered a Grade.
Save the grade and feedback you’ve entered, then close (X) the submitted item.
After a grade has been entered, you can still click the Grade to manually override and type in a new value.
Post the grade(s) when you’re ready, if the assessment is not set to automatically post.
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You can also see submitted gradable items by viewing the assessment from where it lives on the Content page, too. Click the Submissions tab inside the opened assignment. |
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Grading with Rubrics
Creating assignments with rubrics lets the students see what you will be looking for, and grading on, for the assignment. It also helps the instructor apply the same standard across so many student papers. Rubrics can be used with assessments that don’t have questions (meaning the Blackboard question types) – only a text box describing the assignment.
Blackboard Anthology Ultra Help: Create Rubrics
Blackboard Anthology Ultra Help: Grade with Rubrics
Meeting and Recording Lectures
· Class Collaborate
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Class Collaborate is is integrated with eCampus Ultra and is hosted in the cloud.
o Found in the Details & Actions menu (for students too)
§ Click the ellipsis (…) to view menus and scheduled meetings.
o Can use for:
§ synchronous (live) class meetings, or
§ asynchronous delivery of recorded meetings or lectures (link to the recording URL to make it easier to find). Use Collaborate for office hours
§ Office Hours – meetings with students.
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o Collaborate Ultra Demo – ***refer to Collab Demo steps (need new steps
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Set Up a Meeting in Collaborate
o Found in the Details & Actions menu (for students too)
§ Click the ellipsis (…) to view menus and scheduled meetings.
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· MediaSite Desktop Recorder and storage available to all faculty.
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o TLC has info and recorded webinars on their site: https://tlcommons.wvu.edu/course-curriculum-design/contingency-planning-and-preparedness/mediasite
Zoom Meetings
You can also use Zoom as a meeting space for your class, from inside of eCampus Ultra.
Zoom – host Zoom sessions from your eCampus course, and place a link in your content area to your course’s Zoom meetings.
Books and Course Tools
· You can access more tools from the Books & Tools link under Details & Actions
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· Some tools can be added to the Course Content page – click the PLUS next to a tool to add it to the page.
o Zoom – host Zoom sessions from your eCampus course, and place a link in your content area to your course’s Zoom meetings.
o Ally Accessibility Report – view an interactive report for the accessibility of all items in your course, and get guided help on how to make items more accessible.
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