Base Navigation

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On May 15, 2022, WPU Blackboard will activate Blackboard Learn Ultra Base Navigation. This is the first step of a phased transition from the Original format to the new Ultra format. While this upgrade will lead to many improvements to user experience and navigation within Blackboard, the changes happen outside of course sites and will not affect course content, structure, functionality, and tools.

What is Base Navigation

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In Blackboard Learn, base navigation is a user interface and the experience a user has outside of a course. Base Navigation, which will be enabled on May 22, 2022, is a new and modern user interface and experience in Blackboard Learn Ultra and a new way of navigating Blackboard.

Compared to Blackboard Learn Original, which is what we currently have, Base Navigation provides many improved user experiences:

  • Offers modern, intuitive user experience. The new interface is less complex, more intuitive, and more engaging.
  • Works well on mobile devices due to its Mobile First design. Base Navigation is designed to work well regardless of which device you are using.
  • Streamlines user interface. The system-level navigation menu on the left hand side providing a global view across all your courses.
  • Aggregates important information. All your course and organization information – like activities, calendar, messages, and grades – are now consolidated into one global view, minimizing the time spent navigating into each individual course.
  • Just one click away. When you see something that needs your attention, just click it and you will be taken directly there, minimizing clicks and saving time

What Changes to Expect?

Base Navigation is part of the Blackboard Learn Ultra, which is comprised of:

  • Base Navigation – the main navigational structure
  • Original Course View – the current course format
  • Ultra Course View – the new course format

Enabling Base Navigation brings some changes in user experience and certain capabilities. Here are some of the differences between the base navigations in Original and Ultra. Please note that Base Navigation is the experience you have outside of a course. Navigation inside your current courses will remain unchanged.


The current WPU Blackboard landing page
Once logged in, the current WPU Blackboard landing page or "base navigation" looks the one on the left (click on the down arrow next to your name in the top right corner, you also see the pull-down menu "My Blackboard" or "Global Navigation").

The current base navigation is an user interface consisting of tabs across the top (such as My Institution, Courses), modules (such as My Courses, My Announcements, My Tasks), and Tools that display information from all of your courses. My Blackboard, the pull-down menu shown above, is a global navigation menu, available everywhere in the current Blackboard format. These tabs and modules spread out across on the landing page and other places.