June 2025

Camera Loans

Video /
A Black camera with microphone attached, on a tripod with a white background.
Adobe stock photo by THANANIT

Be a Martin Scorsese or a Jean-Luc Godard – make an epic, a cast of thousands!

Borrow a camera from TEL to:

  • Record your student presentations.
  • Make promo films for your UW website and more.

The TEL Team have video cameras for loan. These are used for the recording of student assessments, promotional films, and presentations. We only have a limited number of cameras and tripods, therefore we rely on tutors to return the equipment once the recordings are completed. The equipment is not for a long-term loan.

Even recording at the lowest visual quality, video files are large. Once the cameras have been returned, the footage is downloaded, compressed and then uploaded to One Drive. The files are returned to the tutor who can then forward presentations, e.g. to an external examiner.

If you wish to know more contact Gerry Beattie at g.beattie@worc.ac.uk

Camera Loans Read More »

Your 2025–26 Blackboard Modules Are Now Available

Announcement, Blackboard, Ultra /
People viewing text in books and on laptops.

Adobe stock by alexdndz

Blackboard is now live for the 2025–26 academic year. If you’re someone who likes to get a head start, now is the perfect time to begin building and preparing your module content.

To access your new modules, all staff must enrol – even if you’re the module leader. Full guidance is available here: Enrolling on Modules.

Planning to reuse materials from last year? Please make sure you follow our content copying guidance, which you can find here: Copying Content.

User Manual, Guide Book or Technical Instruction Concept. Tiny Female Character Carry Huge Handbook with Guidance and Tutorial for Users. Customer Support, Aid. Cartoon People Vector Illustration
Adobe stock by Sergii Pavlovskyi

Did you know we’ve created a dedicated support site to help you get the most out of Blackboard Learn Ultra? The Blackboard Learn Ultra Manual covers everything from creating content and setting up assessments to using interactive tools and enhancing student engagement.

If you’d like any further support, please don’t hesitate to contact the TEL team at tel@worc.ac.uk We’re here to help!

Your 2025–26 Blackboard Modules Are Now Available Read More »

Reflections and Review – Blackboard Ultra Insights Week

Blackboard, Training, Ultra /

Adobe stock by adrian_ilie825

The Technology Enhanced Learning Unit’s Blackboard Ultra Insights Week proved to be a resounding success, drawing in enthusiastic participation across all sessions. By shifting from a full-day in-person event to several shorter, focused online sessions spread throughout the week, the format offered a more accessible and flexible experience for attendees. We had some people who attended every session and others who dipped into those sessions that were especially relevant to their interests.

The sessions covered a range of topics around engagement and retention in Blackboard Ultra:

  • Integrating Reading Resources covered methods to help students engage with course readings, including a demonstration by Michelle Sterry of her use of reflective journals for students to record and receive feedback on their readings
  • Engagement and Analytics covered Helen Watts’ research into VLE engagement as an indicator of student outcomes and Helen Hope’s use of Blackboard analytics to facilitate student engagement.
  • Guided In-class Activities showcased Louise Martin’s innovative use of Blackboard functionality to build tasks for students to work through in a classroom setting. One attendee said it was “The most useful thing I have seen in ages!”
  • Building Fully Online Courses looked at Sarah Davis’s development of a fully online master’s-level course using a combination of Blackboard Ultra and MS Teams. Sarah’s approach would be an excellent blueprint for anyone considering adopting a distance-learning approach, so we highly recommend viewing the recording if this applies to you.

Recordings are now available on the LDTE CPD SharePoint site at the link below:

LDTE CPD – Home

Thanks again to Ros Sykes, Michelle Sterry, Helen Watts, Helen Hope, Louise Martin and Sarah Davis for presenting some fantastic sessions, and to everyone who attended.

Reflections and Review – Blackboard Ultra Insights Week Read More »