Case Study: Teesside University achieves widespread digital confidence and a smooth Learn Ultra rollout with Anthology Education Services

Building digital confidence at Teesside University in collaboration with Anthology

Teesside University, a four‑year public institution in Middlesbrough with more than 20,000 students, needed to roll out Blackboard Learn Ultra and rapidly upskill roughly 700 academic staff to drive a culture shift toward digital teaching — all remotely and within a three‑month window. To accelerate this digital transformation and design an institutional CPD programme, Teesside partnered with Anthology, drawing on Anthology’s Blackboard Academy (Anthology Education Services).

Anthology supported Teesside by training a core group of facilitators via Blackboard Academy’s Digital Teaching and Learning Series, who then delivered 26 cohorts of four one‑hour synchronous sessions plus sandbox activities and senior‑led communications. The initiative reached 700 staff across 204 hours of live facilitation, achieved 96% satisfaction and 91% increased confidence with Learn Ultra, produced 25 additional Blackboard Certified Practitioners, and yielded an audit with three schools at 100% compliance and the other two above 80% — clear, measurable impact from Anthology’s support.

Teesside University

Paul Durston

Digital Learning Manager