2. Staff
3. Working with Blackboard

Modules containing the same resources can be linked by making one course the ‘child’ of the ‘parent’.

Students enrolled on the child module will only see the content of the parent module.

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Advantages

One module to be populated 

You only need to set up one module on Blackboard as the students enrolled on the child module will see the content of the parent.

One module to update

If you need to add or update module content, only the visible parent module needs to be updated.

Student collaboratation 

The students who are studying the same subject using the same methods and resources can be brought together – they can collaborate in group work, partake in the same forum discussions and join the same Collaborate webinars.

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Disadvantages

Module specification

Students enrolled on the child module will not be able to see their module specification document as this remains in the child module. Speak to your learning technologist for help.

Keeping resources separate from students from different modules

It maybe important that certain resources are not visible to students from the opposing module, for example if assessment methods or credits are different. The two documents can be hidden from opposing students using the adaptive release and groups functions, speak to your leaning technologist for help.

Submission links

It is useful to hide the two module’s individual submission links from each other to prevent students from one module accidentally submitting their assignment to the submission link intended for the other module.

This can be done using the adaptive release and groups functions, speak to your learning technologist.

Forums 

You will need to consider if you want all students from both modules to participate in the same discussion, or, should discussions be kept separate for each group.

This can be done using the adaptive release and groups functions.

The complexity of adaptive release and groups

Groups and adaptive release are easy functions to use but do require to be set up and maintained.

For example, if you restrict access to an item using a group and a student is enrolled on your module after the group has been set up, they will not be able to see that item. If the item is their assignment details or the submission link this can have serious consequences.

If you would like to set up a parent and child module for your modules contact the TEL team.