About Learning Modules and Folders:

In Blackboard Ultra, Learning Modules and Folders can be used to organise learning materials, activities, and other content. Although there are some similarities between Learning Modules and Folders, there are key differences for the student experience. 

Content organised in Learning Modules allow for an immersive learning experience. You can allow students to explore the content in a Learning Module in any order and at their own pace, or you can force students to access learning materials and activities in a specified order, walking learners through a guided path. You cannot force students to access content in a specified order in a Folder. 

Learning Modules can help students keep track with content and activities. Turn on ‘tracking’ to display a summary of a student’s progress within each Learning Module. The progress bar informs students how many items and activities they have completed or started. There are also visual indicators against each item and activity in a Learning Module, showing which they have completed or have yet to access. Completed assessments and content items accessed in a forced sequence will automatically mark as complete. Items that can be explored in any order can be manually marked as complete by students themselves. Items and activities with a future access date are also shown, so students know when they will become available to them. 

Appealing and meaningful thumbnail images can be added to learning modules to add visual identity to your Module Content page. You cannot add thumbnail images to a Folder. 

Learning Modules cannot be nested inside each other. Learning Modules can only be added on the top-level Module Content page.  

Both Learning Modules and Folders can contain sub-folders to help structure content. However, the mobile-first approach to the design of Blackboard Ultra means that you only create a two-level folder structure. This makes it easier and more accessible for students to look for materials, especially when using small-screen mobile devices. 

Both Learning Modules and Folders can contain a range of different items including Documents, Files, Assessments, Discussions, Links to websites and other parts of your site, and embedded media. 

We recommend the use of Learning Modules rather than Folders on the top-level Module Content page.