Create Blackboard learning modules (resource learning units)

Learning modules allow quizzes, videos, and other content items to be presented in a sequential fashion and to group together content in a single unit.

This guide will explain how to:

• create a Blackboard learning module
• populate a learning module with content
• structure a learning module
• edit or delete content
• set advanced settings for content visibility

Create a Blackboard learning module

Navigate to the relevant content area on a Blackboard course or organisation

1. Click on build content.
2. Click on learning module in the drop-down menu
3. Provide a name and description to display to students
4. Choose if you wish sequential viewing to be enforced (content appears sequentially to students as a default setting, this setting will further limit student view. Students will not be able to navigate back and forth between items). We recommend against this as it can be frustrating for students.
5. Choose to open in a new window
6. If you wish students to be able to see content straight away, enter any date restrictions you wish to apply to availability and make sure that permit users to view this content is set to yes 
7. We recommend choosing to have a table of contents to help students navigate content
8. Click submit

A pink success  banner will be generated and the learning module will now appear in the content area.

 

 

 

Populating a learning module with content

1. Click on the title of the learning module
2. Add content items from the tool bar pictured below

 

 

 

 

 

It is possible to add content items such as:

• Text (item)
• File
• Audio
• Image
• Video
• Web link
• Tests (quizzes)

A typical format may be several sections divided by folders and sub-folders into introduction texts, images and videos sourced from learning resources, then followed by quizzes.  Please view our other help pages such as Staff guide to creating and managing Blackboard content, Blackboard editor – working with text and adding files, multimedia and weblinks and Blackboard: Creating and deploying tests.

Introduction item

1. An initial item you may wish to create is an introduction text item. Click on build content  from the tool bar to access the drop-down list of options
2. Click on item
3. Enter a title and your text content (please also see Blackboard editor – working with text and adding files, multimedia and weblinks)
4. If you wish students to be able to see content straight away, enter any date restrictions you wish to apply to availability, and make sure that permit users to view this content is set to yes 
5. Click submit

 

 

 

 

 

 

Structure a learning module

Student view of content

Any segments you add within a learning module are displayed to students sequentially with a table of contents on the left-hand side (if included in set up). Students can navigate through content by clicking on titles in the table of contents or by clicking on the page numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reorder learning module segments

Click on the title of the learning module with edit mode on.

There are two ways to reorder segments:

Drag and drop function

1. Hover over a segment until the drag and drop arrows appear in the left-hand corner of the segment
   
2. Drag the segment to the desired location on the page
3. Refresh the page to see the changes reflected in the table of contents

Keyboard accessible reordering tool

1. Select the keyboard accessible reordering icon
2. In the reorder: content box, select a segment in the list
3. Use the move up and move down icons to adjust the order
4. Click submit. A pop-up box states: items have been reordered.
5. Select OK
6. Refresh the page to see the changes reflected in the table of contents

 

Edit or delete content

1. Hover over a learning module or an item of content
2. Select delete or edit from the drop-down menu. Save and submit any edits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set advanced settings for content visibility

Advanced settings : adaptive release

1. Hover over a content item or content container (such as a folder) and click on the grey arrow that appears next to the title
2. Select the adaptive release  options from the drop-down menu list

Adaptive release is a set of rules to control how content is released to students.  The rules may be related to criteria such as; availability, date and time, individual usernames, membership in course groups, if students have first viewed another item in the course, if students have first completed or achieved a score in an identified online test in Blackboard etc.

For further guidance in using adaptive release, please contact the Learning Enhancement and Support team.