Learning Units

A learning unit is created the same way as a folder, and may be filled with content such as text, images, or documents. However, it differs from a folder because it displays the information sequentially, much like a slide show. A learning unit can even be set to open in a new browser window.

As well as displaying images and text, you can also place quizzes and surveys in Learning Units. This means that your students can work through a set of information and then take a quiz or fill out a survey at the end of it, without having to jump around to a different folder or section of Blackboard.

Create a Learning Unit

To create a Learning Unit, go to the Control Panel and click on the content area that you want to put the learning unit in; Course Documents, for example. In addition to the "Add item" and "Add Folder" buttons at the top of the screen, there's a button labeled "Add Learning Unit".

Set Options & Access Dates

When you click on the "Add Learning Unit" button, you'll be asked for a name and description - exactly the same as if you were creating a folder.

You'll also notice that you can set a 'start' and/or 'end' date - if you choose this option, your students can only see the learning unit between the dates you select (or any time before/after a certain date). Outside that time, the Learning Unit will be invisible to your students, but you'll still be able to see and edit the content in it through the Control Panel.

You'll also be asked if you want to "enforce sequential learning". If you click yes, then the student must work through the learning unit in the order that you specify. If you click no, then they have the option of viewing a Contents page and 'jumping around' inside the Learning Unit in any order they like.

When you've finished setting options, click Submit at the bottom of the page. You'll see a message confirming that you've created a learning unit. When you go back to Course Documents' (or wherever you've put it) you'll see the Learning Unit that you've created. Its title will be underlined, like a folder. Click on the title to 'enter' the Learning Unit, and you're ready to add some content.

Add an "Item" to your Learning Unit

You can add an "Item" to your Learning Unit, which is exactly the same as how you usually add material to Blackboard. An Item can include text (in the text box) and/or an attached file (which can be HTML, rtf, a Word Document, an Acrobat document, a spreadsheet ...). You can also attach a file and choose to "display media within the page", which is useful if you want to display an image with some accompanying text.

Click on Add Item, specify a name, and add your text and attachments. When you're done, click Submit at the bottom of the page. You'll get a message confirming that you've added an item to your Learning Unit.

Add a "File" to your Learning Unit

This is a new function that was introduced to streamline the process of adding files which don't need any accompanying text. It's particularly useful for when you want to display images by themselves.

Click the Add File button, specify a name (Note: this is different from the actual file name that you will be attaching), then click on the Browse button to locate the file. Click Submit when you're done, and you'll get a message to confirm that it was added correctly.

Add a Quiz or Survey

Once you've made a Learning Unit, you can add a Quiz or Survey. This means that your students can work through some information in the Learning Unit (like some text, images, and graphs), download some file attachment (like a spreadsheet of data), and then take a quiz, all without leaving the Learning Unit. No more jumping around and getting lost! However, remember the golden rule: if you want to put a quiz or survey in a Learning Unit, don't put the Learning Unit in a folder. Have it in the 'top level' of a content area.

The first thing to remember is to create the Learning Unit before making the quiz available. You can create the quiz or survey - just don't make it available until you've created the Learning Unit. When you do make it available, beside 'Place a link in:' you'll see a drop-down list of possible locations. Select the appropriate location from the list, and a link to the quiz/survey will be created inside the Learning Unit. For example, if you've made a Learning Unit named 'Module 1' and placed it in 'Course Documents', then choose "Course Documents/Module 1" from the drop-down list.

The last thing to remember is that if you've put access date restrictions on the Learning Unit, then those restrictions will also apply to the link to the quiz inside the Learning Unit.

Check the Order

When you've finished adding everything to your Learning Unit, you should make sure that the contents are in the correct order. You should still be 'inside' the Learning Unit and be able to see a list of the contents. If you can't, go back to the Control Panel, click on the name of the area that you put the Learning Unit in (like Course Documents), then click on the name of the Learning Unit to view a list of the contents.

You'll notice that each 'Item' or 'file' in the Learning Unit has a drop-down list beside the name with a number in it. This number specifies the order in which the contents are displayed to the student. You can change the order by selecting a new number from the list.

Check that you're happy by going into the 'Student View' of the course, browsing to find the Learning Unit, then working your way through it to make sure that you're happy with the contents and their order.

This document was created by BBsupport at the University of Otago