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Extended Blackboard access for students: review your past courses

07 Aug 2017

Staff access to past Blackboard module sites ahead of the release of extended student access to previous years sites

Computer user

Background

In semester one of 2017-18, the access to Blackboard module sites by students will change. As previously noted, students will be able to see their own previous years’ Blackboard module sites.

What is happening?

Ahead of the release of past years modules to continuing students, course leaders are now able to access previous years’ Blackboard module sites. This change in staff access to past years courses is to allow course leaders to modify, where appropriate, the visibility of items in past years’ sites.

On Friday 1 September a new 'Previous Courses' tab will be released that will filter the temporary long list of courses into current and previous years courses.

Why is this happening?

In June 2017 the Online Learning Strategy Group decided to bring this change in student access to course materials to improve and enhance students’ learning experience.

Who will be affected?

Course leaders of modules that ran during the last five academic years: 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17.

What do you need to do?

Course leaders of modules that ran during the last 5 academic years may want to access their own sites and, where appropriate, alter the visibility or settings of items such as online tests, discussion boards, model answers, or feedback on assessments, especially where the new extended access to Blackboard sites may facilitate unintended sharing of course or assessment materials between student cohorts.

Note that continuing students will be given access to previous years’ Blackboard sites by 1 September 2017.

Guidance and Further information

Blackboard Guidance on how to hide content is available on Blackboard Help (search for release content).

Note that courses where guest access had been enabled at any point in the past will continue to allow such access. Extended access however will allow guest beyond the annual academic year.

For more information or support, or if you are unable to see your past years courses, please contact your eLearning team: