Case Study: Northumbria University achieves greater student connection and engagement with Anthology’s Blackboard Learn Ultra–Microsoft Teams integration

How Seamless Integration Is Driving Greater Student Connection and Engagement at Northumbria University

Northumbria University, a public university in Newcastle with about 40,000 students from 137 countries, needed a more seamless way to connect students and staff across its virtual learning environment. Using Anthology’s Blackboard LEARN (Learn Ultra), the university found early Teams functionality cumbersome because instructors had to manually add students and manage permissions—an especially acute problem during the pandemic when remote teaching and large-class coordination relied heavily on the VLE.

Anthology implemented a full Microsoft Teams LTI integration within Blackboard LEARN that lets instructors create Teams channels in one click, automatically populate them with students and permissions, open sub-channels for group work, and use Office 365 apps directly within the VLE. The integration saved staff significant administrative time, boosted student collaboration and engagement, improved remote attendance and monitoring of projects, and extended collaborative workflows across Northumbria’s nearly 40,000 students.

Northumbria University

Lee Hall

Head of Technology Enhanced Learning