Description
In Blackboard, there is a course shell for every section of each course. At times, it may be more manageable for an instructor to combine the enrollments of all the sections into one course, which contains the content. Merging prevents duplication of effort for the instructor when updating multiple course sections.
Please note that the user performing the merge must be enrolled in each of the sections to be combined with the role of Instructor.
Environment
PC and Mac
Solution
The instructions below go along with this quick video: Combine Course Sections in Blackboard - Ohio University (video hosted on Panopto).
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Open the course section you wish to contain your content, student enrollments, and grades; this will be your Parent Course. (The course sections whose enrollments you would like to include in your Parent Course are Child Courses.)
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NOTE: The view varies between instructors and students. Instructors will work in only the Parent Course. All student enrollments, assignments, grades, etc. will appear for you within the Parent Course. Students will access their individual course sections (Child Courses); the content presented in those Child Courses will be that of the Parent Course.
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Click to expand the Course Tools menu in the Control Panel, and select Course Merge.
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Read the information provided on the first page of the Course Merge tool and confirm that the course you are in is the course you want to work in for the term (Parent Course).
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Click the Step 2 - Select Child Courses button in the lower right of the page.
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Choose the course sections you wish to merge into the Parent Course by clicking the checkbox to the left of each section, then click the Step 3 - Confirm Merge Choices button.
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Review and confirm the Child Courses listed on the page. If you are sure these are the courses you wish to merge with the Parent Course, click the Step 4 - Perform Merge button. If you wish to make a change to the Child Courses, click the Back button. Click the Cancel Merge button to stop the merge or to change the Parent Course.
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NOTE: In the event that you need to separate your merged course sections, you will need to place a work order with the IT Service Desk to request that the Blackboard Support Team perform a course separation.
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NOTE: When you merge your course the "Child" sections (those that are in the merge but not the Parent) will then disappear from your Courses list in Blackboard. You can still view them by searching the Course Catalog (top right corner of the Courses page), but they will disappear from the list of courses you see immediately under the Courses menu item.
Outcome: You should now be able to combine multiple course sections in Blackboard Original.
Get help from OIT
Additional resources