The Blackboard Ally Fix-a-thon is taking place next Tuesday, November 10 between 9am – 4pm in EEG169.
Academic staff are invited to drop in at any point during the day with their laptop, and spend a little time making accessibility improvements to their Blackboard content. Even a few small fixes can make a real difference to the experience of students.
The TEL team will be in EEG169 throughout the day, making fixes alongside colleagues and offering help and guidance where needed. Refreshments will also be available.
Staff who cannot attend in person can take part remotely through MS Teams. The link to join will be shared in the Staff Daily Update next week or you can contact TEL TEL@worc.ac.uk.
Every fix made during the event will not only improve content for students but will also contribute towards the University’s position on the global Fix Your Content Day leaderboard. It would be great to see Worcester make its mark!
Drop in, make a few fixes and help improve Blackboard content for students.
We are less than two weeks away from our next digital accessibility week, taking place during the week commencing9thNovember 2026.
We are pleased to share the schedule for this year’s programme. Throughout the week, we will highlight tools and resources that help everyone create and access content more inclusively, with a particular focus on Blackboard Ally. Our student drop-in sessions will show students how to download alternative formats of their learning materials, so please encourage them to come along.
Monday 9November 2026
Blackboard Ally: Quick Wins for Fix Your Content Day (LDTE) – Microsoft Teams – 12:30-13:30
Small changes can make a big difference to how students access and engage with learning materials. Join us to discover what Blackboard Ally offers students and learn some quick, practical ways to improve the accessibility of your own content ahead of Fix Your Content Day.
Student Drop in – St Johns Campus, Main Reception – 11:00 – 13:30
Tuesday 10 November 2026
Fix your Content Day
Staff can take part from wherever they are or join us for the University’s fix-a-thon in EEG169 between 9:00and 16:00. Drop in at any point during the day and help us make as many accessibility improvements to Blackboard content as possible.
Wednesday 11 November 2026
Student Drop in – The Hive – 11:00 – 13:30
Thursday 12 November 2026
Student Drop in – St Johns Campus, Main Reception – 11:00 – 13:00
Fancy a Cuppa – St Johns Campus, Firstpoint – 13:00-14:00
Friday 13 November 2026
Student Drop in – Severn Campus, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Building – 11:00 – 13:30
Please encourage your students to attend one of the drop-in sessions, and we hope many University staff will join us for Fix Your Content Day. If you need support with Blackboard Ally before the event, please see our staff guide or contact the TEL team.
One of the questions students occasionally raise is:
“Who should I contact about this module?”
In many Blackboard Modules, students may see several members of staff listed under Module Staff. While this reflects the collaborative nature of module delivery, it can sometimes make it difficult for students to identify the most appropriate person to contact when they have a question.
To help provide a clearer and more consistent student experience, Blackboard Ultra includes a Primary Instructor setting that allows key teaching staff to be highlighted within the Course Staff area. When used alongside up-to-date staff information and profile details, this small adjustment can make Modules feel more welcoming, easier to navigate, and less confusing for students.
What Do Students See?
The Module Staff area appears within a Blackboard Module and provides students with a quick view of the teaching staff associated with that Module.
By default, Blackboard displays instructors alphabetically. However, when one or more staff members are designated as Primary Instructors, those individuals are prioritised within the display which means students are more likely to immediately see the staff member who is best placed to support them with module-related queries.
Why Does This Matter?
Students often access their Modules when they need information quickly, whether that’s guidance on an assessment, clarification about learning materials, or support with understanding module expectations.
When the most relevant contact is clearly visible, students can contact the appropriate member of staff sooner and experience greater consistency across their learning journey
Setting a Primary Instructor
If your Module has multiple instructors, you may wish to identify the Module Leader or principal teaching contact as a Primary Instructor.
To do this:
Open your Blackboard Module.
Select Class Register from the Details & Actions area.
Locate the instructor you wish to update.
Select the menu next to their name and choose Edit Member Information.
Tick Primary Instructor.
Save your changes.
The designated Primary Instructor will then be prioritised within the Course Staff display.
Other ways to improve student experience with the module:
Consider Whether Students Can Recognise You
For many students, particularly those studying across several Modules, names alone may not always be enough to identify the right person.
Adding a professional Blackboard profile photograph can help students:
Put a face to a name
Recognise staff from lectures and seminars
Feel more confident making contact
Build a stronger sense of connection within the online learning environment
A clear profile picture helps make Blackboard feel more personal and approachable, particularly for students who may be less confident about reaching out for support.
Check Your Display Name
It’s also worth checking how your name appears within Blackboard.
Students should be able to easily match the name they see in Blackboard with the names they encounter in timetables, module handbooks, teaching sessions, and email communications.
Consistent naming helps students quickly identify the correct contact and reduces unnecessary confusion. Adding a pronunciation guide for less well-known names is also useful.
Think Carefully About Multiple Primary Instructors
Blackboard allows more than one Primary Instructor to be assigned. In some cases this may accurately reflect how a Module is delivered. However, where possible, consider whether students would benefit from having one clearly identifiable first point of contact.
The aim is not to restrict who students can contact, but to make it easier for them to know where to start when they need help.
Make Contact Information Easy to Find
The Course Staff area is only one place students may look for support information.
Consider including a dedicated section within your Module containing:
Staff names and roles
Contact details
Expected response times
Availability information
Guidance on who to contact for different types of enquiries
Providing this clarity can help students receive support more quickly and reduce the need to redirect enquiries between colleagues.
Making a Positive First Impression
Students often form their first impressions of a Module through what they see in Blackboard. Ensuring that staff information is clear, up to date and easy to interpret can help make that experience feel more welcoming and straightforward. Whether it’s identifying a Primary Instructor, adding a profile photo, or providing clear contact information, these small adjustments can help students understand how a Module is organised and where to go when they need guidance.
Making learning materials accessible helps every student engage with their module. Ally is built into Blackboard, to help staff find and fix accessibility issues in their content. It also lets students download materials in formats that suit them. We’ve written short guides for both.
For staff
Ally runs automatically across your modules, so there’s nothing to switch on. It checks the files you upload and the pages you build in Blackboard. Each item gets a score, shown as a colour-coded dial. Ally flags common barriers such as scanned PDFs, missing image descriptions, poor heading structure, untagged PDFs and low colour contrast.
There are two ways to see the feedback:
For a single item:
Select the dial next to it. Ally explains the issue, why it matters for students and how to fix it; often without leaving Blackboard.
For the whole module:
Go to Details & Actions > Books & Tools > Accessibility Report. This gives you an overall score and guided lists of the easiest fixes.
The score is guidance, not a grade. It isn’t a judgement of your teaching, and you don’t need to chase 100%. Start with low-scoring red and orange items, which usually cause the biggest barriers, and prioritise the content students use most.
Ally checks structure, not meaning. It can’t tell whether your alt text actually describes the image accurately or whether your writing is clear. A green dial means the building blocks are in place, not that the content is finished. The most effective approach is to build accessibility in from the start: Use heading styles, add alt text to meaningful images; check colour contrast and captions; and avoid scanned PDFs.
The staff guide sets out five steps to improve accessibility and includes a cheat sheet of common issues and quick fixes. There’s also a one-page quick guide to keep to hand.
What you can tell your students
Students can download Blackboard files and pages in alternative formats, including:
audio
ePub
HTML
tagged PDF
electronic braille
BeeLine Reader
Immersive Reader
a translated version
These formats are free and private, and tutors aren’t notified of downloads. They’re available to every student, not only those with a disability. Many students simply prefer to listen on the move or read on their phone.
You can help by mentioning this in your module welcome or an announcement, and linking to the student guide. Students should look for the alternative formats icon (an A with a downward arrow) next to a file.
Because the formats are generated from your originals, a more accessible original produces better alternative formats.
With the new academic year underway, we wished to provide new browser guidance to help both staff and students experience the full functionality of the Blackboard VLE.
Chrome is our recommended browser for the Blackboard VLE
The main browser we recommend for the Blackboard VLE is Google Chrome. We recommend MS Edge as an alternative browser.
Staff and students need to be aware that Safari or Brave are NOT recommended. (In Safari some integrations, like Turnitin or Panopto, do not function as expected.)
Enable Third-Party Cookies for the VLE
Add the Blackboard VLE address in your browser settings as a website ‘exception’ to enable third-party cookies: https://worcesterbb.blackboard.com
Within Blackboard there are several integrated tools which require third-party cookies to be allowed. These include, Panopto, Turnitin and PebblePad.
We now recommend Microsoft Edge (MS Edge) as the preferred alternative browser.
Previously, Mozilla Firefox was recommended but due to recent updates, some integrations within the VLE may not function as expected when accessed through Firefox.
A ‘New Incognito window’ in Chrome can also be used as an alternative option.
Troubleshooting tips:
If you have any issues, such as pages or integrations not loading, even after a page refresh – there are troubleshooting steps you can take:
Log out of Blackboard and try clearing the cache on your browser (Ctrl+Shift+Del keys – you may wish to unselect clearing any saved passwords). Then log back into MyDay (MyWorcester), then Blackboard.
Or try opening a ‘New Incognito window’ in Chrome and log into MyDay, then Blackboard using this window instead.
Or try logging in using an alternative browser instead – MS Edge.
If you continue to experience any problems, please feel free to contact TEL for support with the Blackboard VLE TEL@worc.ac.uk.
Summary:
Chrome is the recommended browser for the Blackboard VLE or MS Edge as an alternative choice.
Safari or Brave are NOT recommended.
Add the Blackboard VLE address in your browser settings as a website ‘exception’ to allow third-party cookies for the site: https://worcesterbb.blackboard.com (Integrated tools require third-party cookies to be enabled for the VLE. These include Panopto, Turnitin and PebblePad.)
As we prepare to welcome students for the new academic year, now is the perfect time to make sure your digital learning spaces are ready. Taking a few minutes to review your Blackboard modules, PebblePad resources, and online learning tools can help ensure a smooth start to teaching.
Check what students can see when they access your Blackboard module
When students access your Blackboard module for the first time, they should be able to find key information quickly and easily.
Before teaching begins, it is beneficial to use ‘Student Preview’ to check what content is visible to your students. If you have been developing content over the summer, check that everything students need for the first few weeks has been made visible.
If you need to update the visibility of multiple documents and/or learning modules, you can use the ‘batch edit’ option to select all of the content you want to make visible.
Check any links are working
Over the summer, resources can move, files may be updated, and links can change.
Before teaching begins:
Open key documents and presentations
Test external website links
Ensure embedded media still works
Ensure PebblePad Resources and Workspaces are requested
If you use PebblePad as part of your module, please ensure you have requested a new resource for the upcoming academic year and for the workspace to be set up by the TEL unit, if you have not done so already.
It is particularly important to let us know if there are changes needed to your PebblePad resource, before it is made available to students.
At this time of year, enquiries can be high, so giving as much notice as possible is appreciated. Getting this done early means your students will have access to their PebblePad resource when they need it.
Make sure you are familiar with Microsoft Teams for online sessions
From this academic year, online teaching sessions will take place through Microsoft Teams. If you are unfamiliar with Teams or would like a refresher, take a look at our previous blog post containing useful guidance videos. For additional support or training, please contact Digital Services.
Reminders for student inductions
As part of your student’s induction week, ensure you check that students have access to their Blackboard modules. If they do not, it may be because they have not yet completed their registration. Information for students is available through our ‘Student Blackboard Ultra FAQs’ webpage.
You may also choose to share suitable links from our student support pages with your students.
Please also point out the ‘Alternative formats’ available to students on Blackboard, to support them with using your Blackboard pages. Information for students is available via our new Blackboard Ally guide for students.
Plan your first Blackboard announcement
Announcements are a great way to establish communication with students and can be scheduled in advance.
Consider scheduling a message which:
Welcomes students to the module
Highlights where key information can be found
Explains expectations for the first week
Encourages students to get in touch if they have questions
Taking a little time now can make the start of the academic year smoother, clearer, and more welcoming for both staff and students.
Need support? The Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) unit is here to help with Blackboard, PebblePad and digital learning tools more broadly. Get in touch if you need any advice before teaching begins. TEL@worc.ac.uk
The new Blackboard Ultra Organisation pages have now been created and are ready for use. You may want to copy some content from the original organisation. Due to the differences between Blackboard Original and Blackboard Ultra, we would advise that you copy individual items or folders and be aware that you will likely need to move content around.
Please see the section Copying Individual Items in the link below.
To make sure the right staff and students have access, please let the TEL team know:
The names of any colleagues who need to be enrolled on the Organisation as Leaders.
Module codes for student enrolments – this is needed so that enrolments can be synchronised with the Organisation, and the relevant students are automatically enrolled. These will either be:
the core module codes for specific course organisations
module stem(s) (the first four letters), usually used for larger or school-wide organisations, where all modules with the same stem need to be added
If you have already provided this information, there is nothing further you need to do.
Need an Organisation?
If your course doesn’t currently have a Blackboard Organisation but you think one would be useful, get in touch with the TEL team TEL@worc.ac.uk and we’ll be happy to help.
Getting your Blackboard modules ready for the new academic year? Whether you’re building a new module, refreshing existing content or just want a second opinion on something you’ve set up, our new Blackboard Design Studio is here to help.
The Blackboard Design Studio is a practical, hands-on support session where you can work on your own Blackboard modules with guidance from the TEL team. There’s no presentation or set agenda – instead, bring along your module, questions or ideas and use the time to work on whatever you need.
What can we help with?
The support is tailored to you and what you’re working on. This could include:
Module design, structure, and navigation
Activity design and student engagement
Assessment setup
Blackboard tools and functionality
Accessibility
Blackboard best practice
Reviewing your module and offering a second opinion
Whether you have a quick question, need help setting something up or want to spend some dedicated time developing your module, the TEL team will be on hand to work through it with you.
What will you get from the session?
You’ll have the opportunity to make practical progress on your Blackboard module while developing your confidence in using Blackboard tools and functionality. We’ll help you apply Blackboard best practice to your own context and provide personalised advice, recommendations and practical next steps for continuing to develop and enhance your module.
September Blackboard Design Studios
7th September | 11:00–13:00 | St John’s Campus – Room TBC
10th September | 13:00–15:00 | Jenny Lind – Room TBC
Room details will be confirmed with attendees before the session.
Book your place via iTrent, then drop in at any point during the session and stay for as long as you need. You don’t need to attend for the full two hours.
Bring your laptop and your Blackboard module and we’ll help you take it from there.
If you have any questions about the Blackboard Design Studio, please email TEL@worc.ac.uk.
As you will be aware from previous communications, Blackboard Collaborate will no longer be accessible after 31 August 2026. If you are delivering live online teaching sessions through Blackboard, these should now be scheduled and delivered using Microsoft Teams via your Blackboard module.
To support colleagues with this transition, the TEL Unit and Digital Services ran a joint LDTE session on 7 July, demonstrating the key tasks involved in using Teams for teaching within Blackboard. The session covered everything from creating meetings and adjusting settings through to managing recordings and making them available to students.
The videos below are taken from the LDTE session and provide a quick reference guide to each stage of the process.
1. Creating a Teams Meeting in Blackboard
Creating a Teams meeting directly from your Blackboard course allows students to access live sessions from a familiar location within their module. This approach helps keep teaching materials, communications and live sessions connected in one place.
In this video, you’ll see how to create and schedule a Teams meeting from within a Blackboard course:
2. Amending Meeting Settings
Teams provides a range of meeting options that allow you to tailor sessions to your teaching needs. These settings can help you manage who can present, control the participant experience and ensure meetings are configured appropriately before students arrive.
This video demonstrates where to find the meeting settings and how to make changes:
3. Using In-Meeting Features to Support Teaching
Teams includes a variety of tools that can help increase engagement and support learning during live sessions. Features such as chat, reactions, screen sharing, breakout rooms, polls and attendance reports can all contribute to an effective online teaching experience.
This video provides an overview of the key in-meeting features available to teaching staff and demonstrates how they can be used during a live session:
4. Accessing, Downloading and Sharing Recordings
Unlike Collaborate, Teams recordings are stored within Microsoft 365 and need to be downloaded before being added to a Blackboard course. Sharing recordings through Blackboard ensures students can access previous teaching sessions alongside other course materials.
This final video explains how to locate a Teams recording, download it and make it available to students within your Blackboard module by using Panopto:
Need Further Support?
If you’re preparing for the transition from Collaborate to Teams and would like additional guidance, please contact the TEL Unit, TEL@worc.ac.uk, or Digital Services.
Rather than uploading your files directly to Blackboard, you may want to consider using the ‘Convert a file’ option:
Select Create, Document, then ‘Convert a file’
Browse for your files on your PC.
Once selected, the system converts the file into the Document format.
Supported file types include PDF (.pdf), PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx, .pps), or Word (.doc, .docx, .odt).
Converted content should be reviewed for accuracy
Why use a Blackboard Document?
Blackboard documents are more accessible than uploading files because they are designed as native, responsive web pages (rather than attachments). The documents will also use a more standardised font style, so provide consistency across your Blackboard module.
In a document that already has content, select the auto-generate icon (shown in red above). This optimises the layout, reorganises text or image content, and optionally creates a knowledge check.
Select the Auto-generate layout icon.
Review the layout and adjust as needed.
You can select Settings and update options, such as, which images are included, or if a knowledge check is needed.
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