MyBeckett Ultra Upgrade

A modernised version of Blackboard, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

As we work to enhance our digital environments to support high quality learning and pedagogy, we intend to move all LBU courses / modules to MyBeckett Ultra by the end of August 2026.

The benefits of MyBeckett Ultra include:

• Student experience - a cleaner look and feel, better navigation, improved performance on mobile devices, greater accessibility, and new features such as progress tracking to allow students to see how far they are through the course and better understand module structure
• Colleague experience - new tools such as the integration of generative AI to support course, module and assessment design, more efficient processes including an improved Grade Centre, alongside pedagogical benefits such as using the progress tracking to monitor or mark student engagement, support interventions, or target knowledge gaps in cohorts
• A modern digital environment keeps LBU in a competitive position in respect of digital transformation across the sector
• Up-to-date which prevents us using older technologies which our suppliers will decommission (end of life), which means no more enhancements and fixes 
• Accessible for all - the design is WCGAG 2.2 AA Level compliant 

As every course and module across the institution needs to be migrated to MyBeckett Ultra we’re going to facilitate this through three windows. These will be Summer 2025, Winter 2025 and Summer 2026. We’ve already run an ‘early adoption’ scheme where we’ve piloted several courses on Ultra to gather experiences on supporting the transition and learn how best to facilitate the process.

In Spring 2025, we invited you to decide on your School’s approach. There were three options:

1. Adopt Ultra across the entire School in one window
2. OR Adopt Ultra in different Subject Areas in different windows
3. OR Adopt Ultra in different Courses in different windows

Decision-makers were asked to register your preference with Digital Learning by 30 June 2025 via our Ultra Upgrade form (now closed).  Our team is now working to try to facilitate your preference, but due to the scale of this task and need to moderate the numbers across the windows, we may need to negotiate an alternative with you.

After you have decided on your School's approach to Ultra, the decision-maker (Dean of School, Heads of Subject or Course Directors) was invited to register a preference for a window by 30 June 2025 via our Ultra Upgrade form (now closed).

For further information about this project, please contact the Digital Learning Service (part of Library and Learning Services) at DigitalLearning@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or visit our MyBeckett Ultra page.

We’ll offer further information and content around the transition to Ultra to colleagues, as well as sending out student communications to make them aware of this project and the work that is taking place.

Staff training:

• Staff training is available to book via Eventbrite.
• Teams can also request bespoke staff training sessions by contacting the Library's Digital Learning Service. These can be focused on any aspect of MyBeckett Ultra, dependent on trainer availability.

Guides:

• Staff guides are available in the MyBeckett Ultra section of TeachLearn.
• Student FAQs and video guides are available on the Library website.

Support:

• Staff support for MyBeckett Ultra is provided by the Library's Digital Learning Service. Contact details and service hours are listed on the TeachLearn website.
• Student support for MyBeckett Ultra is provided by the Library and Student IT Advice team. Contact details and service hours are listed on the Library website.

Feedback about MyBeckett Ultra is very helpful. The more specific the better!

You can share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions about MyBeckett Ultra by emailing digitallearning@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or book a place on one of our MyBeckett Ultra Feedback Forums if you would prefer to discuss your thoughts with others.

We review all feedback with a view to establishing if it is an enhancement request that we can submit to the supplier for consideration or if it highlights an issue that we need to raise via a different channel. We keep a log of feedback comments, so that we can let you know if the feedback has resulted in a change (such as the release of new features).

Key dates for the release of 2026/27 modules and communities:

• Modules available to instructors: Mid-April 2026
• Communities available to instructors: Start of August 2026
• Training Sandpits: Available on request at any time (these are practice spaces for instructors to explore Ultra and prepare content/templates for live use).