Announcement

PebblePad January Update – Part 1: Changes to ATLAS Interface

Announcement, PebblePad /
PebblePad Logo 2025

With the January PebblePad update now scheduled for 29th January, our friends at PebblePad have very helpfully released additional resources to help colleagues familiarise themselves with changes to the ATLAS interface.

There are two guides that you can access, depending on your needs:

· New end user help guides: Focused on step-by-step guidance that can be easily shared with Managers, Assessors, and Administrators. These guides cover the practical use of the ATLAS interface for day-to-day tasks. View the new guides here ATLAS Navigation Enhancements – Help Guides

· Existing guidance & support portfolio: Includes the ATLAS release overview and “Get Started” guides for early adopters, system administrators, as well as help resources for training and reference purposes. View the original portfolio here ATLAS Navigational Enhancements Guidance and Support

From the 2026.1 release, Managers, Assessors, and Administrators will move to the new ATLAS interface, which will become their default experience. The legacy layout will no longer be available for these roles.

External Assessors and Learners, however, will continue using the Classic ATLAS interface, which remains unchanged.

For anyone wishing to try or move to the new interface before 29th January, the toggle option is still available to use. If you would like to have this toggle option added to your ATLAS account to familiarise yourself with the new layout, please email TEL@worc.ac.uk.

In Part 2 we will talk about improvements to the external assessor workflow, which will be another important part of the January update.

PebblePad January Update – Part 1: Changes to ATLAS Interface Read More »

Introducing the TEL Chatbot: a quicker way for students to get answers

Announcement, TEL Support /

We know that many student queries sent to academic staff relate to learning technologies rather than module content – things like accessing tools, submitting work, or understanding how a platform works. To help streamline this, the TEL team has launched a new TEL Chatbot, designed to give students fast, reliable answers to common questions. 

The chatbot is not AI-driven and doesn’t generate responses. Instead, it draws on a curated set of frequently asked questions and approved guidance from the TEL team, ensuring that students receive clear, accurate and consistent information. It’s available 24/7 and acts as a helpful first point of contact for common TEL-related queries. 

You’ll find the TEL Chatbot on the institution page in Blackboard, making it easy for students to access whenever they’re working online. 

How this helps you 
  • Reduces repeat queries landing in your inbox 
  • Gives students immediate answers to common TEL questions 
  • Ensures advice is accurate and up to date 
  • Frees up time for more complex or academic-focused support 
What we’re asking of you 

When students contact you with questions about learning technologies, we’d really appreciate it if you could direct them to the TEL Chatbot in the first instance. It’s designed to handle the most common issues and will point students to the TEL team where further support is needed. 

You might also want to: 

  • Mention the chatbot in Blackboard announcements 
  • Highlight it during early teaching sessions 
  • Add a brief note to module information or FAQs 

The TEL Chatbot won’t replace human support – but we hope it will become a reliable first stop.  

Introducing the TEL Chatbot: a quicker way for students to get answers Read More »

December 2025 Assignments Information and TEL Opening Times.

Announcement, Assignments /
Snowflake close up - Adobe stock By Almahyra
AdobeStock By Almahyra

With Midwinter approaching we wish to inform staff of our Christmas opening times.

Our offices will be closed, from 4 pm on Tuesday 23rd December 2025, and will open again on Monday 5th January 2026.

If any of your students have assignments which are being submitted over the Christmas period, or at the close of day on the 23rd December, please be aware that we will not be able to provide support during this time.

We kindly ask staff to ensure they plan accordingly so that alternative support is available for students if they have any technical problems. We recommend that staff members:

  • Establish a clear plan for assisting students with any submission issues.
  • Communicate this plan to your students in advance, emphasising that the TEL inbox will be unmanned while the University is closed over the Christmas break.

Student Support Resources

We have useful Resources online for Student Support, which includes assignment submissions processes and FAQs to troubleshoot common problems:

Staff Support

Staff members can also find help and guidance on the following main pages for the systems we manage. While we are unavailable, please feel free to continue to message us, and we will reply on our return to the office:

In the coming days, please still contact us with any queries you may have. You can message us directly at tel@worc.ac.uk.

On a personal note, the TEL Team would like to wish all staff and students a wonderful Christmas break, and we hope you enjoy the festive period. We look forward to collaborating with you in the new semester, next year.

Warmest regards,

The TEL Unit

December 2025 Assignments Information and TEL Opening Times. Read More »

Student Enrolment for Semesters 2 and 3 Blackboard Courses

Announcement, Blackboard, Ultra /

Students will be added to their Semester 2 and 3 Blackboard courses on Monday the 15th December 2025.

Once enrolments have been applied, staff will be able to send announcements and notifications from these modules as required: Announcements

If you would like any departmental, team or individual support in the upcoming semester, please do not hesitate to contact us at TEL, tel@worc.ac.uk.

Student Enrolment for Semesters 2 and 3 Blackboard Courses Read More »

Module Designer Tool

Announcement, Blackboard, Module Design /
Laptop computer on a cluttered desk, with chalkboard diagrams on screen and drawn on wall around this.

Whether you’re building a new module from scratch, revalidating an existing one, or developing a clear blueprint to enhance student outcomes, the Module Designer Tool supports you through every stage of the design process. From initial preparation all the way through to evaluation, it helps you maintain constructive alignment between learning outcomes, activities, and assessments, while embedding accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles throughout.

Everything you enter saves automatically as you work, with all data stored securely in your browser so nothing ever leaves your device. You can revisit any section at any time to refine and enhance your ideas, and when you’re ready to share your work with colleagues or stakeholders, you can export the complete documentation to PDF or Word format.

The tool integrates proven pedagogic frameworks, including Bloom’s Taxonomy, Laurillard’s Learning Types, and the Cognitive Apprenticeship model to help you structure learning that is purposeful, inclusive, and aligned. 

You can also use this tool for general guidance on how to set up online content and activities, supporting well designed and easy to use Blackboard course areas for other staff and students to interact with.

Try the Module Designer Tool now!

Module Designer Tool Read More »

Microsoft Teams now available in Blackboard Ultra

Announcement, Blackboard, MS Teams /

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new integration that brings Microsoft Teams directly into Blackboard Ultra. This means staff and students can now access Teams meetings and collaboration spaces without leaving the Ultra environment.

The integration offers a familiar interface for many users, with the added benefit of streamlined scheduling and access to Teams meetings from within Ultra modules.

Beyond usability, this offers the potential opportunity to replace Collaborate with a more robust, widely supported platform for online learning, which is already included in the university’s Microsoft 365 licence.

There was an introductory session with Justine Walker and Darren Cooper on the 4th December. This outlined the basic use of Teams through Blackboard, and included discussions around teaching and learning applications. Please see a link to the recording of the session below:

LDTE Connect & Deliver Teams Integration Essentials with Blackboard.mp4

Other support resources and guidance for using Teams in Ultra are available in our Blackboard manual:

https://lttu.uk/support/Blackboard/UltraManual/teams-meetings

If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us at tel@worc.ac.uk

Digital Services also offers a variety of resources on the IT Service website to assist users in using Microsoft Teams. The Microsoft Teams – Guide Page, Microsoft Teams – Training Page, and Microsoft Teams – FAQ Pages provide comprehensive guides, training materials, and general information regarding Microsoft Teams.

Additionally, Digital Services is planning to launch a ‘Making the most of Microsoft Teams’ workshop, which will cover all features and options available in team meetings. These workshops will appear in the iTrent training page.

Microsoft Teams now available in Blackboard Ultra Read More »

Gerry Beattie’s Retirement

Announcement, Video /

After three decades of dedicated service to the University of Worcester, Gerry Beattie will be retiring from his role as Academic Learning Technologist at the end of this Semester. Gerry has been a cornerstone of the Technology Enhanced Learning Unit, known throughout the University for his expertise in video production for multimedia projects and assessments.

His retirement marks the end of an era, and we will miss him enormously.

Looking Ahead: A New Approach to Video Support

As we move forward, we want to be transparent about how video support will evolve. Gerry’s role will not be replaced like-for-like. Instead, we are shifting towards a more self-service model using tools such as Panopto, which is available to all staff and students for recording and sharing video content.

For assessment recordings, we encourage colleagues to explore Panopto’s capabilities, which is the University’s primary tool for video assessment and video management. This is now used by the majority of the University for video presentations

For projects, we will continue to offer limited video support, including basic filming and editing.

We understand this is a significant change, and we’re here to support you through it. Guidance and training on using Panopto effectively will be available, and we welcome feedback as we adapt to this new model.

Gerry Beattie’s Retirement Read More »

From Feedback to Best Practice: Designing Blackboard Ultra Modules that Work for Students

Announcement, Blackboard, Module Design /

From Feedback to Best Practice: Designing Blackboard Ultra Modules that Work for Students

Book and pencils with colourful background

A new online resource is now available to support staff in designing engaging and effective Blackboard Ultra modules. It draws on research exploring students’ expectations and experiences of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), bringing together key insights and practical strategies for effective VLE design.

As part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, I explored students’ perceptions of Blackboard Ultra and its role in supporting learning.

The findings from this research have been developed into an online resource that highlights key principles of good course design and offers practical strategies that colleagues can apply to enhance their Blackboard Ultra modules. The resource is structured around six student-informed themes, covering areas such as clear structure and navigation, flexible and accessible content, effective communication, and active engagement. Each theme provides actionable guidance that can be implemented within individual modules or across wider course teams.

The aim of this resource is to support colleagues in reflecting on their current modules and identifying opportunities to build on existing good practice to further enhance the student experience.

👉 You can explore the full resource here.

If you would like support in reviewing your Blackboard modules, implementing these approaches, or simply discussing how these principles might apply to your teaching, please get in touch. You can contact me directly: Nisha Atkins – n.atkins@worc.ac.uk, or reach out via the TEL Team at TEL@worc.ac.uk. We are happy to support you individually or as part of a course team.

From Feedback to Best Practice: Designing Blackboard Ultra Modules that Work for Students Read More »

New PebblePad Atlas Interface

Announcement, PebblePad /
PebblePad Logo 2025

If you are a tutor who assesses student work via PebblePad, you will be pleased to hear that there is a new ATLAS interface that is scheduled to be released in early January 2026. The new ATLAS design is a significant improvement in terms of visual appearance and workflow. The intention is to provide a clearer layout that requires less clicks to complete your tasks.

PebblePad new Atlas Dashboard

To assist you in preparing for this change, we can provide you with the option to toggle into the new ATLAS view. If you find that you want to revert to the original view, you can toggle back again until the end of December.

PebblePad Toggle button - Preview the new Atlas - Try the new ATLAS

If you would like to have this toggle option added to your ATLAS account to familiarise yourself with the new layout, please email TEL@worc.ac.uk

New PebblePad Atlas Interface Read More »

Update on Turnitin Icons in Blackboard

Announcement, Turnitin /

You may have noticed that a second Turnitin logo has recently appeared in the Content Market within Blackboard. This new icon is blue, in contrast to the original red and blue logo. We’ve been in contact with Turnitin to clarify its purpose, as both logos appear to be linked to our current LTI 1.3 integration.

While Turnitin has not provided a definitive explanation for the appearance of the second logo, they have advised us to continue using the original red and blue icon. This version is connected to historical submissions and ensures continuity across existing assessments. To avoid confusion, we have labelled the blue logo with a “Do Not Use” tag.

If you have already created submission points using the blue icon, please don’t worry—these will remain active and unaffected, and students will not notice any difference. However, moving forward, please ensure that all new Turnitin submission points are created using the red and blue logo.

Additionally, you may see a new tool called the Turnitin Paper Lookup Tool. This feature is designed to help you access historical submissions more easily. We will share further guidance on how to use this tool in due course.

Update on Turnitin Icons in Blackboard Read More »