Learning Modules, Folders, and Course Design

The heart of any online course is the content and the interaction between students and their instructor. We’ve frequently found cases where the layout and design of the course make it more difficult for the student to learn and the instructor to manage, so here are a few suggestions.

1. The Learning Module tool is the most efficient way to deliver most content. If you create folders on the Course Content Home page (rather than using the Learning Module tool) you may encounter more potential problems (bugs) while managing the course and your students don’t have the benefit of the built-in navigation available when you use a Learning Module.
2. Never have more than 6-8 icons on your Course Content Home Page, it adds confusion for the student (they will be overwhelmed by choices) plus it will require the student to scroll to see all the icons. Using folders rather than Learning Modules probably will force you to exceed this limit, so try use the Learning Module tool instead.
3. Whether you choose to use folders on the Course Content Home page or Learning Modules, you REALLY should set up a folder structure (under Class Files) where all files associated each learning Module (or home page folder) are in a separate file folder. Organizing content by module, chapter or week into separate folders means you’ll be able to find and update files easier. You should never leave all files for the entire course in a single folder.

Bug Work Around: Missing Icons or Links on Course Content Home

If you have icons or links that display in your Blackboard course shell on the Teach tab but not on the Student View tab (which means students will not see the icons or links), the only solution we’ve found to date is to follow these steps. You may find that your custom icons still show or they may be the default icons. Either way, they will be visible to your students.

• Select the Build Tab, Manage Course.
• Click on Course Content Icons.
• Click on the Select New Content Icon Set button.
• Select Learning System as the icon set in the Select Icon Set popup window.
• Click the Select button at the bottom of the page.
• After the Select Icon Set window closes, click the Apply button.