Blackboard course for a single RISIS module

I want my existing course to be copied forward for use in 2022/23

• Was the Blackboard course used in 2021/22?
• Is the Module running in 2022/23?

Yes to both questions:

Your 2021/22 course should be copied automatically on 9th July.

Action:

Just to be absolutely sure, please check the Course Copy Status page

• Search for the module code and check that it is SCHEDULED.
• If so, no further action required.
• If not, check with Programme Admin that the module is scheduled to run in RISIS.

Deadline for action: to be included in the main Rollover process, all requests should be submitted by close of play on Friday 1st July.

Early rollover required

If it is essential to have your 2022/23 Blackboard course created before the main Rollover day on 9th July

• Go to the Status page.
• Search for the module code.
• If it shows as SCHEDULED, click Opt Out.
• Then submit a Course Copy Request.
• In the Additional Comments section of the Course Copy form please add a comment
  e.g. ‘Early rollover please’ or ‘Needed by <date>’

Please note:

• Responding to early rollover requests is time-consuming for the DTS staff involved, so please only submit such requests where it is absolutely necessary to have the new course available before 9th July.
• You will need to enrol students manually onto the course. No student enrolments will be pulled through from RISIS until the new academic year begins in August.
  As long as you have details of the students who need to see the course, you can Request batch enrolment for a course/organisation.

 

Opting out – cancelling a scheduled course copy

You may wish to opt out of course copying for a number of reasons.

• You want to redesign your Blackboard course, so prefer to build your 2022/23 course from an empty course shell.
• You have been using a Merged course, but now want to have separate Blackboard courses for the individual modules.
• You have been using a Supplementary course, but no longer need this.

To opt out

• Go to the Course Copy Status page and search for your Blackboard course.
  If a course copy is already scheduled to take place, then SCHEDULED will appear in the ‘Status’ column.
• Press the Opt Out button in the final column.
  
• A confirmation message appears. If you are sure you want to proceed, press OK.
  
• You will see a confirmation page. If you return to the Status page you’ll see that OPTEDOUT now appears in the ‘Status’ column.
  

We have not restricted the Course Copy or Opt Out forms to Module Convenors. But clearly these decisions are the Module Convenor’s prerogative / responsibility. We would expect action to be taken only by the Module Convenor or someone acting on their behalf – for instance by a Programme Administrator, after discussion with the Module Convenor.

Modules which did not run in 2021/22

If your module did not run this year, but you wish to have the 2021/22 Blackboard course copied forward, please submit a Course Copy Request selecting ‘Single’ as both the Source and Destination course type.

Modules with a new RISIS code

If your module has been assigned a new RISIS code, but the content is substantially the same, you may want to copy content from an existing Blackboard course.
Please submit a Course Copy Request

Select

• ‘Single’ as both the Source and Destination course type
• ‘Select a Source Course’ – enter the module code for the course you want to be copied
• choose the required academic year
• ‘Destination Course Code’ – enter the new module code

Merged and Supplementary courses

Both Merged and Supplementary Courses will be copied forward by default.

If you want your 2022/23 Merged or Supplementary course to be set up exactly the same as your 2021/21 course, no action is required.
But please visit the Course Copy Status page to check that your course is scheduled to be copied.

If one or more of the ‘child’ modules in your Merged course will not be running, you may have to manually request a course copy – please see the Merged Course Examples below.

If you want to change which ‘child’ modules are included in your Merged or Supplementary course, you will need to cancel the scheduled copy, and manually request a new course copy – please see What if I need to make any changes? below.

Merged courses

• Used when you have a set of closely related RISIS modules, and you want to administer them as a single course in Blackboard.
• A Merged Course always replaces the Blackboard courses for individual RISIS modules.
• Merged Courses are supported by the EMA Integration and can be used for summative assessment.
• A Merged Course is not appropriate if the same students are enrolled on more than one of the modules being merged.
• Merged courses for 2021/22 modules look this this in Blackboard:
  AB1XYZ-21-2MOD Advanced Basketweaving (Merged 2021/22)
• The ‘Parent’ course uses the module code from one of the ‘Child’ modules – normally the first in alphanumeric sequence.
  Please note that the module code used does not affect what students see in Blackboard – see How do students see merged courses?

The default position is that any Merged course

• which was used in Blackboard in the current academic year (i.e. in 2021/21)
• and where the module designated as the ‘Parent’ course is scheduled to run again in the new academic year (i.e. in 2022/23)
• and has at least one Instructor or Teaching Assistant enrolled

will be automatically copied forward as part of Course Rollover.

What if I need to make any changes?

• If you want your course to be copied, but there is a change to the modules which need to be included in the Merged Course, you will need to do the following:

1. 1. Go to the Course Copy Status page and cancel the scheduled copy by Opting out.
   2. Go to the Course Copy Request form and request a new course copy, with the correct module details.
      When filling out the form, select ‘Merged’ in both the Source and Destination drop-down boxes.

• If you do not want your Merged Course to be copied, you can submit a request to have the course copy cancelled – see Opting out above.

Supplementary Courses

Used when you want a shared Blackboard space in addition to individual RISIS modules or programmes.

Supplementary courses look this this in Blackboard:

ACADSPPT-21-2SUP Academic Support (2021/22)

The default position is that any Supplementary course

• which was used in Blackboard in the current academic year (i.e. in 2021/22)
• and has at least one Instructor or Teaching Assistant enrolled

will be automatically copied forward as part of Course Rollover.

Brand new modules

Any module which is scheduled in RISIS to run in 2022/23 will automatically generate a new Blackboard course, and the Module Convenor listed in RISIS will be automatically enrolled on the Blackboard course. No action is required.

Blackboard course codes explained

Any Blackboard course which represents one or more RISIS module occurrences has a course code in the format AB1XYZ-21-2MOD.

This applies to Blackboard courses bringing together multiple occurrences of the same module, as well as ‘merged courses’ which combine two or more distinct module codes.

The technical details – for those who want to know more.

See a list of Blackboard course codes in use.

Which parts of my course will be copied?

What will be copied:

• All course content will be copied.
• Video content:
  • Embedded links to Stream videos will be copied.
    However Microsoft Stream is not being used for Teaching & Learning in 2022/23 – all videos for Teaching & Learning will need to be uploaded to the new media platform YuJa.
    The TEL team will be providing advice on how to deal with these links in your 2022/23 Blackboard course.
    See our support article Transitioning from Stream to YuJa.
  • Videos uploaded directly into Blackboard will be copied but these also should be transferred to YuJa.
  • There will be no Microsoft Stream area on your 2022/23 course menu. This will be replaced by a YuJa area.
• Blackboard Tests and Surveys will be copied, but NOT deployed to users  (made available to users) – you will need to deploy them with appropriate settings on the new course.
• Talis reading list links will be copied, but you will need to configure them for use by students in the new academic year.
• Teams Meeting links for live online sessions will be copied – these need to be deleted and new links created.

 What will not be copied:          

• Blackboard and Turnitin Assignments will not be copied.
  The creation of summative submission points is controlled by the EMA Integration between RISIS and Blackboard, and managed by Programme Administration teams.
  Module Convenors:
  • please liaise with your programme administrator to confirm assessment requirements for your module
  • you will need to create any formative submission points with appropriate settings on the new course.

Please note: a new version of Turnitin is being used on all 2022/23 courses – see Turnitin LTI assignments.

• Announcements, discussion boards, blogs, journals and wikis will not be copied.
• As noted above, Microsoft Stream is not being used for Teaching & Learning in 2022/23. Therefore the Microsoft Stream area on your course will not be copied. This will be replaced by a YuJa area.

Users:

• All Instructors, Teaching Assistants, Course Builders and External Examiners will be copied during the summer course rollover.
• In addition all staff who are listed as a 2022/23 Module Convenor in RISIS will be enrolled onto the corresponding Blackboard course.
  This applies equally to courses which were copied, and to courses which are set up as a blank shell.
  If you are a Module Convenor for a module which runs both in Reading and Malaysia, you will see all 2022/23 occurrences of the module in Blackboard.
• No other users will be copied.
• Groups will not be copied.

Preparing your courses for the new academic year

See our guide Getting Ready for the New Year.

Blackboard plays an essential part in the delivery of teaching, learning and assessment. A series of Online teaching toolkits has been prepared, covering all of the essential aspects of effective digital teaching. In particular, please look at the toolkit on How to structure your Blackboard course.

Please DO NOT SET OLD COURSES AS UNAVAILABLE – it has been agreed by DELT that students should continue to have access to all of the Blackboard courses relevant to their programme of study i.e. a final undergraduate student should still be able to access their Blackboard courses from Parts 1 and 2. This is so that they can access course materials and all feedback received from staff.

When will students be enrolled on courses?

From the start of August, students who are already enrolled on 2022/23 courses in RISIS will be enrolled on the corresponding Blackboard course.