Now that the 2021-22 modules are available to staff, we can link them together at the module co-ordinator’s request. This process is known as parent-childing. Linking modules together is an effective way of dealing with separate modules with the same content so you don’t have to upload materials to two or more different modules.

This process makes one module the parent, whilst the other module(s) become a child. There’s no limit on how many modules you make a child but there can only be one parent.

If you’d like to parent-child your modules, and you’re the module co-coordinator, contact elearning@aber.ac.uk with the module codes for the parent and child modules.

Examples from Aberystwyth

Many members of staff are currently using parent-child modules across the institution. Some examples are:

1. Modules are taught the same content but there’s a module available for different years
2. Modules with the same content delivered in English and Welsh
3. Modules that bring together different degree schemes and have different module IDs, for example dissertation modules

Essentially, any module that shares the same content is ideal for parent-childing.

What do students see?

Students will see the name of the module that they are enrolled on (even if it’s the child module) when they log into Blackboard but they will see all the content placed in the parent module. Instructors will not be able to place content in the child module.

Read More

Academic Enhancement Committee has approved the updated Blackboard Required Minimum Presence for the forthcoming academic year.

The RMP was changed last year in response to increased online teaching. As the University prepares for September, the RMP has been updated to reflect any changes.

You can view the RMP on our webpages.  

The RMP also includes a checklist so you can quickly check that your module adheres to the RMP.

If you have any questions about creating content in Blackboard, take a look at our Blackboard FAQs, Blackboard Guides, or contact the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (elearning@aber.ac.uk).

In the week beginning from the 12^th of July the LTEU run the What is a well-designed Blackboard module? project. We recruited 9 students to work with us as Student Learning Ambassadors. The group included: one 3^rd year undergraduate History student, one 3^rd year undergraduate Childhood Studies student, two 2^nd year undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing students, one 3^rd year undergraduate Economics student, one International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Postgraduate student, one 3^rd year and two 2^nd year undergraduate Psychology students.

Throughout the project students completed the following tasks, working independently as well as part of the group:

• mindmapped what it means for a module to be well-designed
• generated a list of items that should be included in a Blackboard module
• categorised the list of items they came up with
• took part in usability testing on two existing Blackboard module
• gave us a tour of a Blackboard module from their department that they found easy to use
• wrote a short blog post on one aspect of a module design that is important to them with practical tips for teaching staff
• identified common issues in Blackboard modules, reflected on the impact they have, and created a set of recommendations on how they could be fixed
• proposed changes to existing Blackboard Required Minimum Presence

In the next few weeks, we will be publishing findings of the project including blog posts written by the Ambassadors themselves. We are incredibly grateful to Angela, Erin, Katie, Ammaarah, Elisa, Lucie, Charlotte, Gabriele and Nathalia for all the hard work they contributed to the project. We believe that all staff will find the findings as useful as we did. As my time as the Online Learning Specialist in the LTEU comes to an end I am extremely pleased and grateful to be able to conclude it by running this project. I genuinely believe that active involvement of students in the design of their learning should be a priority and I hope for more opportunities for student-staff partnerships. I would like to thank all staff I had an opportunity to work with these past months, thank you for your inspiring work and continuous commitment to providing the best possible experience to our students.