There is an important update to the Blackboard Course Rollover process and how it is being implemented for 2025-26 courses. This post explains what’s happening and what it means for you.
The Roadshows have finished but learn about the process by watching: Revised Rollover – what’s different and why (6 mins) and Revised Rollover – How to approach copying & re-creating content (11 mins).
Find all details in Blackboard Course Rollover step-by-step instructions.
Background
The annual Course Rollover process involves scheduling and creating courses for the upcoming academic year in Blackboard. Previously, this included automatically copying all content from the current course to the new one. Academic and support colleagues then updated and reset the course content. Following the transition to Blackboard Ultra and the introduction of the new institutional template, we’re adjusting this process.
What’s changing?
Instead of automatically copying the entire course content forward, a new blank course shell will be created using the institutional template. You can then actively select and copy, or re-create the content you need into this new shell. This change might influence when and how you prepare your course.
Why the change?
The revised process aims to retain the advantages achieved in the consistency and quality of your students’ digital learning experience following the hard work of colleagues in re-designing and tidying up their courses last year in line with the course template.
Issues identified with the previous rollover process prior to the move to Ultra included:
- Content Build-up: Unneeded and outdated content accumulates over time.
- Time-Consuming Tasks: Managing and updating all copied content is often unnecessary and laborious.
- Inaccurate Materials: Automatically copied content retains previous availability settings, risking students seeing outdated information.
- Inconsistent Layouts: Errors in layout can be perpetuated without being corrected.
- Template Application: Copying courses prevents the effective use of the institutional template.
Benefits of the new process
- Earlier Access: You’ll have access to your courses from mid-May, giving you more time to prepare.
- Flexibility & Control: You can choose what and when to add materials, tailoring your course to your needs.
- Clean Courses: Start with a clean slate, making it easier to organise and update content.
- Improved Data Accuracy: Removing unwanted content improves the accuracy of learning analytics and accessibility reports, so you can have better insight into your courses
- Template Updates: Improvements to the template can be applied based on your feedback.
Will it take longer to prepare my course?
Whilst the change modifies the steps to get your course ready, it shouldn’t add to the time you spend reviewing and preparing your course each year.
We recognise that a new approach will be unfamiliar. It may take time to adjust to the new process and work out what you need to do for the first time, but the features in Ultra should help make managing the process more efficient.
We know that colleagues dedicated significant extra effort and time last summer, with the move of their courses to Ultra. That was an atypical year and preparing your course materials will be more straightforward this year.
Support and training
Support is available aligned with the revised rollover schedule, here’s what to expect:
- Roadshows (45 mins): Introduction, demo and Q&A (May – June). Now finished.
- Practical workshops (June to July, September).
- Webinar: Book your place.
- In-person: Book your place.
- Online guides and step-by-step instructions:
Your Director of Teaching and Learning may organise a School/Department event.
If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch with us (CQSD TEL) via the DTS Self-Service Portal or email DTS.