If you would like help getting started with Ultra Course View, would like to meet with CETL-EdTech staff to discuss your options and plans, or for any other HuskyCT-related questions, please contact us by phone, email, or make an appointment with our staff.
Phone: (860) 486-5052 E-mail: edtech@uconn.edu
HuskyCT Ultra Remote Consultations: Book an appointment with our team.
What is HuskyCT?
HuskyCT is UConn’s name for the Blackboard learning management system used here. Instructor use of the system is optional but we host over 5000 HuskyCT sites per semester, most of which are used for face-to-face classes. Fully online classes use HuskyCT as well. The use of HuskyCT is so widespread in fact, that students expect to see a HuskyCT site for each class they are taking and are worried when they don’t. A recent survey revealed that the most common uses of HuskyCT for traditional classes are sending announcements, posting content, and posting grades. Many instructors also use HuskyCT for the online submission of assignments, discussions, and quizzes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, HuskyCT was adopted even more widely by faculty, and in most cases was the central platform for remote/online learning.
How do I get a HuskyCT site for my class?
HuskyCT sites are generated in conjunction with the Student Admin system. Instructors who are listed in Student Admin as the instructor-of-record for a course will automatically be added to the corresponding HuskyCT site with the Instructor role. Many HuskyCT sites are now created automatically based on listings in Student Admin. These include courses listed as Lecture and Discussion sections. Other types of course listings, such as Lab and Seminar sections, are not created automatically but can be easily requested through the Student Admin system via an instructor's Self-Service > Faculty Center area. Please see the instructions linked below for further information on that.
Why does my course say “Private” on the Courses page?
Because HuskyCT sites are closed to students until the first day of classes, the “Private” message applies only to students. This means the course is not open to students yet, but instructor access is not date restricted. Instructors can change the opening date of their courses to whatever the choose. Opening the course early will allow students access prior to the previously set default date.
Can I request a HuskyCT site for my department or organization?
Faculty, staff, or students can request a non-class site for their department, program, or organization. In HuskyCT, these will show up under "Organizations", rather than "Courses".
What is student preview mode?
Student preview mode is a view that allows instructors to see what students are able to see on HuskyCT course. It allows instructors to make sure their course is navigable by students, to see how exams and assessments look from the student perspective, and to test if groups/item visibility is setup properly.
Note: If an instructor has release conditions with groups, the student preview user must be added to a group in order to have the same visibility of course items that students would have.
Why isn’t Lockdown Browser working on my course/Why am I receiving a Lockdown Browser error?
Lockdown Browser on Ultra must be setup for the first time using lms.uconn.edu for Lockdown Browser authorization. Once an instructor has setup Lockdown Browser on their course for the first time on their HuskyCT Ultra Course, they will be able to setup Lockdown Browser without any issues on their course using huskyct.uconn.edu or learn.uconn.edu.
If an instructor continues to receive an error or is unable to reach Lockdown Browser, contact huskyct@uconn.edu.
How do I request a HuskyCT course?
Instructors can request HuskyCT courses in the Student Administration System(PeopleSoft).
What is the best video creation tool for HuskyCT?
ITS supports Kaltura. Kaltura is a cloud-based media capture and storage application that facilitates the integration of multi-media content into the UConn learning management system, HuskyCT. Faculty, staff and students can create videos and video quizzes in Kaltura and embed them into their courses, among many other tasks.
Instruction pages
How do I set up a weighted grade?
Weighted grades can be setup through the Overall Grade in Ultra Course View. When setting up Overall Grades, make sure to select Weighted.
How can I view different sections in my Ultra Gradebook?
Instructors are able to filter their Ultra Gradebook by child sections so they can see the grades of students sorted by each section.
How do I transfer and approve my grades in Ultra?
Instructors are able to download grades and upload them to Student Admin through .csv files OR directly export grades from Ultra to Student Admin. To export grades directly from Ultra, instructors must first setup an Overall Grade column, approve the final grades, and then send to student admin.
Instruction pages
How do I change my course availability in Ultra?
Instructors are able to change a course's availability by changing the status of the course OR by changing the availability dates.
How do I copy items from my Original Course to Ultra Course View?
Instructors are able to copy items, discussions, and course content from an Original Course to an Ultra Course.
How do I give my students early access?
If an instructor wants to open a HuskyCT site earlier than the default start date this is easily done by changing the “Properties” of the site.
How do I add my syllabus and other files?
This is done using the “Build Content” button at the top of a Content Area such as the “Course Overview and Syllabus” page that is part of the default HuskyCT course template. From the “Build Content” drop-down menu, click on “File”. After this you will just need to browse for the file on your computer. It’s as easy as doing an email attachment.
Why can’t students see the files I posted?
Just about every piece of content you add to your HuskyCT course can be controlled by date restrictions, and sometimes instructors don't realize they have availability or date restrictions in place. You can set content to become available to students, or unavailable to them, based on whichever dates you choose. If you do not specifically set any availability or date restrictions, most content will become available as soon as you post it.
Occasionally, instructors go directly to the “Content Collection” in the Control Panel and upload their files there. These files cannot be accessed by the students, however, because only instructors can see the options under the Control Panel > Content Collection. The Content Collection is basically just a HuskyCT course's file repository; it is not where students actually access files. Students will not be able to see these files until they are linked to a page on the HuskyCT site. Instructors need to create or go to a Content Area or Content Folder and add the files there.
How do I add links to my course’s main menu?
All new HuskyCT sites have at least a set of default links on the left-hand main navigation menu: Announcements, Course Content, Discussion Board, My Grades, Student Help, Ask a Librarian, and possibly others. Instructors can add other tool links or content areas to this menu using the “+” icon at the upper left of the menu. This process would be used to add links to other content areas of the course, or tools such as Collaborate, Webex, and many other features.
How do I add my TA or another user to my course?
Instructors have the ability to enroll additional users on their HuskyCT sites. Most frequently this function is used to add a TA or another instructor, but anyone with a UConn NetID can be manually added to a HuskyCT site.
Is there a Student View or a way to see what my students see?
Instructors can use “Student Preview” to view their sites exactly as their students see them. When exiting Student Preview, instructors have the choice of retaining the preview user data or not. If the Preview User data is retained, a new student will appear in the Grade Center. The last name for this preview student account will be the instructor’s last name followed by “_PreviewUser”. Student Preview mode can be used to take tests, submit assignments, access materials, and check grades.