This guide pertains to Ultra Course View.
If your course is in Original Course View, see the Original Course View tutorial collection.
Course Link Overview
A Course Link is a shortcut to another course area, tool, or item. Course links are useful for sending students to different sections of the course without the need to explain how to navigate there. For example, an instructor may want students to revisit an earlier activity to reinforce their learning. Course links provide access to content without excessive scrolling and reduce clicking. This feature allows instructors to:
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Insert a link at the desired location on the Course Content page
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Browse the elements of a course to select an item
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Rename the link that will appear on the Course Content page
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Move a link on the Course Content page independent of the target item
Course links inherit the description of their targets, but Instructors may edit the description if desired. Instructors can change the visibility and release conditions by editing the Course Link or the target content. A change made to one applies to the other. Instructors can use Batch Edit to modify linked items, but not associated Course Links.
Linking Exceptions
Instructors can create course links for most course materials and activities. There are exceptions:
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An instructor cannot create course links using the Content Editor.
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An instructor cannot create Course Links for Discussions or Web Links.
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Blackboard does not support Course Links with Learning Modules where force sequence is enabled. This is because links could allow users access to something they should not yet access. If a Course Link exists in a Learning Module, it will not be possible to enable forced sequence.
Creating a Course Link
Click the purple + to add a Course link > Create > Link. At the next screen, select Create Course Link. Check the box on the respective content category > click on Search > locate the desired item to be linked . Change the displayed Title name and/or add a description > Save:
Course Links to Folders or Learning Modules
Users can expand a course link to a folder or learning module as they would a folder or learning module, allowing the user to view the nested contents of the target folder or learning module. The contents displayed are read-only. An instructor cannot modify the nested contents displayed for the course link. An instructor cannot move additional content into the folder or learning module course link.
Image: Course Link to a folder is shown as expanded, revealing the contents of the course link in a read-only view
When an instructor makes changes to the nested contents of a folder or learning module, the changes will appear for any related, expanded course link. These changes include:
- Adding/deleting nested contents
- Re-order nested contents
- Moving additional contents into the target folder or learning module
- Editing the names of nested contents
- Modifying the visibility or release conditions of nested contents
Copying Content
When a course is copied into a new course, Course Links are updated to link within the new course. There are exceptions:
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Instructors cannot copy Course Links for Documents and third-party content (LTI).
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When copying or converting from an Original course, the copy process will exclude Course Links for Folders, Learning Modules, and Web Links.