Staff Guide: Review, Update and Create Content on your Blackboard Course to ensure you are ready for teaching.
Update the Template Learning Modules
Each Blackboard Course is provisioned with a template containing learning modules to support a consistent course design. Template documents have been added to form a check list of items to be completed, you can either create new documents or replace and update items from a previous course.
Our recommendations for what to include in each template learning module can be found below and are based on feedback from students as well as the Blackboard Universal Standards.
For more information, see Blackboard Universal Standards.
Module Information
This is the first learning module that students will engage with and so we recommend including:
- A short welcome for your students, this could be written or a video.
- A module overview.
- Introduce the teaching team and how to contact.
- Link to the Module Profile page.
Assessment
Students are keen to understand how to be successful in their studies and this learning module should contain information about all credit-bearing activities students are required to complete on their module. We have provisioned the Assessment Learning module with folders to organise assessments which can be deleted or added depending on the number of assessments on the course.
Other formative assessments, e.g. quizzes or marked discussions, can sit in weekly folders as students work through the course or create a folder here to organise formative items.
Please make relevant items such as Past Exam Papers and a link to eAssignment available if relevant for your students.
- Overview of Assessment
- Folder for Assessment 1
- Folder for Assessment 2
- Links to Past Exam Papers and eAssignment (optional)
- Linked to various Assessment Guidance and resources
For more information about assessments and choosing the right tool, see our Assessment eLearn guides or for more individual help, raise a Serviceline ticket FAO Education Services.
Resources and Support Materials
This learning module has been updated and already contains useful links for students including their online reading list and a document containing multiple help links. You might have other resources that you want to include here.
Design your Layout
Students main request is for consistency in their modules, which is why the template was created. However you design your course with weekly or topic learning modules, try and remain consistent so students know what to expect each week to support their studies.
Here are some top tips:
- Organise teaching content into Weekly/Topic Learning Modules.
- Ensure learning modules, folders and content is clearly named (this allows students to use the search function).
- Use Learning Modules to contain teaching content not as dividers.
For more information, see the following eLearn guides:
Creating Content in a Course to see how to add additional Learning Modules.
Review Teaching Content
Re-using teaching content from previous academic years allows you to efficiently prepare your course. It is important to review content before copying it to a new course to ensure it is still relevant and useful for students. Courses with lots of unnecessary content can quickly become cluttered and confusing for students.
Here are some quick wins for updating:
- Rollover Panopto Videos to ensure student access.
- Delete and recreate Turnitin Assignments.
- Delete obsolete content – keep your course clutter free.
- Review your online reading list.
- Reading lists roll over but double check that reading lists sections are showing what’s expected in your weekly content.
If you need to reuse learning, see our Copy Content from another Blackboard Course eLearn guide.
Update Teaching Content
If you have copied teaching content over, update items to ensure it’s ready for the new academic year. Here are some ideas:
- Rename Learning Modules/Folders (weeks/titles).
- Update Descriptions (select the three dots then edit).
- Update dates to the next academic year.
- Add reading list sections to weekly content.
- Review and update any submission/release dates on assessments
Add New Content
Content can be added by selecting the plus (+) icon then Create or use Content Market for things like Panopto, Turnitin and other learning tools.
TOP TIP: Whether it is a Learning Module, Blackboard Document, or uploaded file, it is key to provide a meaningful and descriptive name, enabling students to locate content using the module search tool.
When adding content such as PowerPoints or Word documents there are two options:
Drag and Drop (single item)
The easiest way to add a PowerPoint or word document is to drag and drop into a Learning Module. See our video below:
Create a Document (mixed media or text & item)
Ultra documents allow you to present mixed media on one page for an engaging teaching experience. You can add context to a PowerPoint. To find out more, visit our eLearn guide about creating Ultra document.
Don’t use a Blackboard document for one file, either Drag and Drop the file OR copy and paste text into a Document to keep the formatting for a better viewing experience for course content.
Embedding a Panopto video into an Ultra document allows you to add context to the video such as tasks before/after watching, relevance of video etc. Visit the eLearn guide for adding Panopto videos to an Ultra Course.
Online reading lists allow students to quickly find the required reading for their module. You can add a link to a segment of the reading list to ensure students understand what is required each week. Visit the eLearn guide on adding a reading list section to a Learning module.
Visit this Blackboard video guide on adding content to your module.
You may also want to:
Reading List: Do you need to add an online reading list or reading list section to your course?
Class Team: Do you need to create a Class Team that syncs with Blackboard student enrolments?
Linkedin Learning: Do you want to add links to Linkedin Learning Content?
Assessments: Do you need to an overview of available Blackboard Ultra assessments?
Please contact Serviceline if you would like more information or support in setting up Blackboard Ultra Assessments.
Next steps:
Go to Blackboard Course Quick Set Up – Part 3: Engage with your Students.