Gradebook statistics coming to Ultra courses in March

In continuous effort to improve the digital learning environment for both faculty and students, the March update to Ultra features several improvements designed to streamline course management, enrich assessment capabilities, and foster a more personalized learning experience. 

Reviewing course performance on graded content is now easier than ever with the introduction of Gradebook Item Statistics. Instructors can select a column in the gradebook to access summary statistics for any graded item. The statistics page displays key metrics such as minimum and maximum value; range, average, median, standard deviation, and variance. The number of submissions requiring grading and the distribution of grades also displays.

Introduced last year, the AI Course Design Assistant provides instructors with helpful tools to create organizational structures, rubrics, and test questions. In the March update, the AI Design Assistant incorporates a context picker for test question generation. Instructors can now select specific course content items to help the AI create questions. This option improves the alignment of generated questions to course content.

Flexibility in Ultra course management is further enhanced with the No Due Date assessment setting. In some scenarios, such as self-paced learning, an instructor may not want to apply a due date. Recognizing the diverse needs and schedules of students, this feature allows instructors to create assessments without strict deadlines.