Due to the integration of the Banner Student Information System (SIS) to Blackboard Learn, we can no longer create course shells manually. All course shells must be created through the automated process so that an automated enrollment process can take place as well. Enrollments to Blackboard Learn courses will now be handled directly from the SIS.
For merged section courses, however, we will be using a Merged Enrollment feature that creates a "parent course" of the "child courses" which will essentially do the same thing as you are used to doing with a manually created combined-section course.
General Information on Merged Courses
How do they work for students?
In the ‘My Courses’ module, students will see the name of the child course that they are enrolled in. When they click this link, they will be taken to the parent course to review materials, take tests, and interact with classmates. The Merge Enrollment feature makes this seamless to the end-user, so there is not an indication that the courses are merged from the student view, except that they will interact with students from other courses. Even the course ID above the menu will show the child course.
How do they work for instructors?
In the ‘My Courses’ module, the instructor will see the parent section, along with the child sections grouped below it if they happen to be enrolled in them. They should see the child sections marked as unavailable courses, and they must remain that way, but can be managed in the parent course. They will only need to access the Parent course, and that is where they will do all their work. All grading, interactions, and additions of content should only be done in the parent course. Anything done in the child courses, except modifying enrollments, will go unseen to students. The only thing that should be done in a child section is to control enrollments which is now done automatically through the SIS integration.
If you wish to have your individual section course shells merged to a parent course, please contact the Campus Support Center at campussupport@atu.edu with the course_ids of the sections you want merged.