Peter

I hate to say it but the easiest answer is to ensure that staff cannot
create courses themselves !!  Trying to get them to use the 'official'
module code is virtually impossible (the old herding cats syndrome !) and it
is far easier for this to be done by a central person who can ensure the
official code is used (we have a template for new course creation - we won't
accept anything which has a non-standard module code).  We switched the
ability for users to create new courses (and new users) off about a year ago
and life has been a LOT simpler since.

Bitter experience over the last 2.5 years has shown us that letting academic
staff have too much freedom actually makes life more difficult than it needs
to be and you end up tying yourself in knots trying to implement one-off
fixes as you have described in your message.

For info, the approach we have taken when someone has created a course with
an incorrect code is :

1) Copy the course (with all the boxes for content, users etc ticked) giving
the new course the official ID (NB this course cannot already exist in the
system)
2) Check that everything has copied over OK
3) Delete the course with the incorrect code

then

Switch off ability for instructors to create new courses

We have had no problems doing this.  Give me a call if you want to chat
through our experience in this area.

In relation to your comments about 'definitive' end-of-year procedures from
Blackboard - I don't think that such a panacea exists - each institution
will implement year-end procedures which fit the context and structure of
that institution.  I don't think there is a 'one size fits all' approach to
this, and even if there was, as an American company Blackboard are not
really in a position to produce effective guidelines for the UK FE and HE
contexts.

Neil

Dr Neil Ringan
Director, Learning Innovation Centre
University of Huddersfield
Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH
P +44 (0)1484 47 31 46
F +44 (0)1484 47 21 46
E [log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Edge [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 18 October 2001 12:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Course Archive Impoprt


I've just completed the process of creating courses in Blackboard 5.51 using
course codes as listed in our MIS. However, we also have come courses being
built by tutors whose course ID's are nothing like the MIS codes and those
tutors want to use their content with students under the new MIS codes.

I considered creating an Archive of the course and then re-importing it back
over the new MIS code. Blackboard complained that the code already existed
and wanted to create a course with an 'a' after the course ID. I canceled
the operation as I didn't want this - I'd got all the enrolments in as well.

Am I over looking something, or do other people think you should be able to
load content like this from one course to another?

I then thought, if I delete the course with the right code and then copy the
old course to the new course ID I can always do the enrolments again.
However, Blackboard copied the course but came back with an error saying
that I should contact Blackboard Technical due to some data processing
errors.

I've compared the two courses and they seem to match but I'll get the tutor
concerned to review it.

I know everyone's still waiting for the definitive solution to year-end
rollover from Blackboard themselves but has anyone got any better
suggestions for what I'm attempting here? Also, if the system appears to be
working OK is it worth me getting in contact with Blackboard Technical?

Peter Edge
Web Developer
City College Manchester