An Updated Look for Blackboard’s Landing Page and Course Colors/Theme
On January 4, 2022, the Blackboard landing page and colors/theme within courses were updated with a new look and feel for easier navigation. The new look has a sleek, modern, mobile-friendly design with simpler workflows and easier access to important information. This change is part of the transition to Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation (UBN) for all campuses within the North Dakota University System. This transition was coordinated by NDUS and affected all campuses at the same time.
This update did not affect the features or workflows within course sites that faculty and students are already familiar with today. The color scheme and icons within courses were updated to the Blackboard Ultra colors/theme for a modern look and feel and greater responsiveness on mobile devices, while preserving all existing content and features.
Please see our Blackboard UBN page for more information, including: the update timeline, instructor and student training, introductory videos, F.A.Q., and other resources.
Blackboard Terms
Blackboard's user interface consists of two parts; what you see outside of your course, and what you see inside of your course:
Base Navigation - Blackboard's main menu, seen immediately after login. This menu now appears on the left edge of the Institution page – it was previously at the top of the page. This menu is used to access your course list, content page, account settings, etc. It is mostly used to navigate between courses, and does not include the menus/tools seen inside of your Blackboard courses. This part of Blackboard was upgraded during the update. Changes include both cosmetic and functional adjustments/additions.
Course View - After you log in to Blackboard and use the Base Navigation menu to select your course, you will see the Course View. It includes the menus and tools/windows you see inside of your course sites. Only colors/theme were changed – all features and functionality are the same within all course sites.
Blackboard's Base Navigation menu comes in two styles; Original and Ultra:
Original Base Navigation - The previous version of the main Blackboard menu, which had navigation links in a green bar along the top of the page.
Ultra Base Navigation - The new/current version of the main Blackboard menu. The main navigation links appear in a grey bar on the left side of the page, which remains visible when courses are opened. It includes many of the Original features, and has been optimized for accessibility and use on a variety of devices (computer, tablet, phone, etc.). It offers improved access to frequently used items like Courses, Grades, and Calendar – plus new features, like Messages.
Blackboard's Course Navigation view also comes in two styles; Original and Ultra:
Original Course View - We are currently using the Original version of the course interface – the update refreshed the color/theme while preserving the functionality.
Ultra Course View - Blackboard's other course interface option, with a streamlined interface that has been optimized for accessibility and use across platforms.
Compare Original Base Navigation vs. Ultra Base Navigation
For a comparison of the current Original and new Ultra Base Navigation look, please see the screenshots below.
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