Teaching First-Year Nursing Students with Blackboard Ultra

By Aileen Pamonag Lane

When Blackboard Ultra was first introduced, I expected a technical transition. A new interface. A period of adjustment. What I did not expect was how it would reshape the way I think about teaching and learning for a first‑year nursing subject.

As subject coordinator, my primary concern has always been how to support students transitioning into university study while simultaneously introducing them to the academic, professional, and emotional demands of nursing. Ultra prompted me to rethink not only how content is delivered, but how students experience learning from the moment they enter the subject site. What followed was less about adopting a new platform and more about rethinking how to effectively and meaningfully engage first year nursing students within a large cohort.

Designing for First-Year Nursing Students

First year nursing students arrive with diverse educational backgrounds and varying levels of academic confidence. Many are juggling work, caring responsibilities, and the transition into a caring profession for the first time, while managing full lives beyond university. In this context, clarity is not a convenience—it is essential.

Ultra’s simplified and consistent layout encouraged me to design the subject as a guided learning journey rather than a collection of materials. Weekly learning modules are clearly structured, with learning outcomes, activities, resources, and in-class practice activities that explicitly align with assessment tasks. Students can see what is expected of them each week and how that learning connects to assessments and professional nursing practice.

This shift has significantly reduced confusion. Students spend less time asking where to find information and more time engaging with content, asking deeper questions, and making connections between theory and practice.

What I have learnt from my students

Student feedback consistently highlights how the Ultra site feels “neater”, "less overwhelming” and “easier to follow.”

For many first‑year students, particularly those with diverse learning styles and educational backgrounds, this sense of clarity reduces barriers to engagement and support equitable learning experiences. Others have mentioned that the structure helps them feel more confident and in control of their learning. In a first-year nursing subject, how learning is designed plays a vital role in engagement and student success.

As a subject coordinator, Ultra site offered me an alternative way to share announcements with my students. With a cohort exceeding 1,200 students, effectively capturing student attention and engagement—particularly for important announcements—was challenging. However, the Student Feedback on Subject (SFS) indicated that students appreciated the different ways they received Ultra announcements. One student shared that “the video announcements helped me to stay on top of dates and created a supportive learning experience”.

Communicating with Clarity and Care

One of the most significant changes in my teaching has been the way I communicate with students across the cohort. Ultra’s streamlined design has supported clearer, more visible communication, reducing uncertainty and minimizing cognitive load so students can focus on learning.

This has been particularly evident in my use of student announcements. Rather than relying solely on text‑based messages, I now communicate key information across multiple digital formats, including short written announcements, brief video messages, and occasional audio updates at key points during the semester.

Many of our students engage confidently with digital technologies, making it essential that we use digital platforms intentionally to enhance the learning experience.

Ultra’s announcements feature enables this by supporting clear, timely and multimodal communication with students.

Students report that multimodal announcements in Ultra help them feel supported, particularly during busy times of the semester. Using text, audio, and video allows information to be communicated in ways that suit different learners and is equitable by recognising that students access and process information in different ways, helping first‑year nursing students feel connected, supported, and confident.

How it Changed My Teaching

Teaching NURS1001 with Ultra has made me more intentional. I now think carefully about what students encounter first, how learning is scaffolded across the session, and whether the learning environment supported students confidence, inclusion, and overall wellbeing.

The transition has required time, experimentation, and a willingness to let go of familiar practices. However, the impact on student engagement and learning has made that investment worthwhile. Ultra does not simply replicate what we already do—it invites us to teach differently.

Ultimately, Blackboard Ultra has shifted my focus from managing content to designing learning for first‑year nursing students. That shift has made my teaching clearer, more inclusive, and more responsive—and that is where Ultra’s real value lies.

Ultra does not simply replicate what we already do—it invites us to teach differently.