Drexel Learn is running Ultra Base Navigation, which allows both Ultra Courses and Original Courses to be run within the same system. This interface focuses on responsive design, allowing for a more seamless experience across devices, including computers, tablets, and phones.

Ultra Courses

Ultra Courses represent a new, modern take on the course experience within Drexel Learn. Many tools have been reimagined, improved, and streamlined to provide a better experience for both instructors and for students. Since the structure of these courses represents a new course design paradigm, it is strongly recommended that instructors build their courses fresh, rather than migrating from Original Courses, in order to provide the highest experiences to students. Ultra Courses are an option instructors can use within Drexel Learn; there are no plans to eliminate the use of Original Courses from Drexel Learn.

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Faculty Sandboxes

Soon, instructors will be able to have access to an Ultra Course sandbox in order to start designing and building their content. Once available, instructors must first attend a Learn Ultra Basics workshop (see below) in order to be granted their own Ultra Course sandbox. This section will be updated when Ultra Sandboxes are available. Participants in the Learn Ultra Basics workshop will be granted access to a "Preview Sandbox" to participate in the workshop; however these courses will not persist permanently on the system.

Banner Courses

Beginning in Spring Quarter/Summer Semester 2023-24 (subject to change), official courses can be run as either an Ultra Course or an Original Course. Note: Some colleges/departments may have their own procedures and timelines for when their courses can be run as Ultra Courses.

In order to have a Banner course created as an Ultra Course in Drexel Learn, department schedulers will first need designate the course as such in CLSS. This field needs to be set BEFORE courses are created in BBLearn (10 weeks prior to the start of a quarter; 12 weeks prior to the start of a semester). The field may be updated in CLSS after this time-frame, but the scheduler or instructor must notify ITG in order to have the existing Original course deleted from Drexel Learn so that an Ultra course may be created in its stead. 

To update the field for a course section, simply open the section in CLSS Section Editor and indicate the desired Integration Partner in the Integ. Partner drop-down (Classic Learn, Ultra Learn, No Online Shell Needed) before clicking "Save Section." Department schedulers who have questions about this process can contact the Registrar's Office by emailing opermail@drexel.edu.

Please note, any course flagged as No Online Shell Needed will still have an Original Course created within Drexel Learn through integration. This is so faculty can use tools that are only available within the LMS, such as the new Initial Course Participation Tool. Courses can be flagged as No Online Shell Needed so that more accurate metrics around LMS utilization can be captured and reported.

Workshops

Learn Ultra Basics provides instructors detailed information covering everything they will need to know to start building their Ultra Courses. This workshop will be available in mid-January 2024 and will run on a recurring basis. Faculty can see upcoming dates for this workshop and can register for a session in Career Pathway.

Learn Ultra Advanced provides instructors a deep-dive on topics such as tests, assignments, discussions, progress tracking, and more within their Ultra Courses. This workshop will be available later in the Winter Quarter.

Learn Ultra Gradebook teaches instructors how to best manage their gradebook within Ultra Courses, including features such as column management, grading schemas, grade calculations, and final grade submission. This workshop will be available later in the Winter Quarter.