How do I manage a merged course in Blackboard?

1 How are courses created?
2 What will I experience as an instructor using a merged course shell?
3 How do I manage course content in a merged course shell?
4 How do I view students by “child” section enrollment in a “parent” course shell in the Gradebook?
5 What happens to course data when courses are merged?
6

When are course shells created in Blackboard?

How are courses created?

Beginning in Summer 2025, instructors who teach multiple sections of the same course will see a separate Blackboard course shell for each section or course component. Courses will no longer be merged by default. Instructors who opt to merge courses will receive a “parent” course shell and then may designate which “child” sections should be associated with the “parent.”

I teach a course with multiple sections

Blackboard course view with 3 Blackboard course shells reflecting the different course components of a single lab course.

I teach a combined or cross-listed course

Blackboard course view with 2 Blackboard course shells reflecting a separate shell for each section in the combined or cross-listed course.

What will I experience as an instructor using a merged course shell?

A merged Blackboard shell will function just like any other Blackboard course shell.

Instructors and students will have access only to the “parent” course shell. The individual “child” course shells will not be accessible once the course sections are merged.

Blackboard course view with only the merged or “parent” shell available.

Note: While the merged course shell name will reflect the merge for instructors, students will see a course name matching their PeopleSoft enrollment.

How do I manage course content in a merged course shell?

Instructors using a merged course shell will only have access to the merged (parent) shell. Course content added to the parent shell will be available to students in any sections that are associated with the merged shell.

Features such as course copy, release conditions, and groups remain available in a merged course. If an instructor decides to separate course shells from a merged course, the content will remain in the parent shell. It will not migrate with the child courses.

Merged Course Content

Course content is available to all students

✅ Use release conditions or groups

If a course needs to be separated, content will not automatically migrate with child courses

✅ Use course copy

How do I view students by “child” section enrollment in a “parent” course shell in the Gradebook?

The Blackboard Gradebook filter includes a filter option for merged courses. When the Gradebook filter is selected, instructors may select the name of any merged courses to apply a filter based on the desired child section(s).

The Gradebook filter will list any course titles merged in the parent shell.

When the gradebook is downloaded, the “child” section information is listed in a dedicated spreadsheet column. The “Child Course ID” spreadsheet column displays the Blackboard Course ID matching each student’s official enrollment.

Instructors will see a “Child Course ID” column in the downloaded Gradebook spreadsheet if courses are merged.

What happens to course data when courses are merged?

All course activity and data is retained in the parent course shell only. As a result, courses should be merged or separated before there is student activity in the course. Assessment data cannot be migrated to child courses if courses are separated from a merge after assessment data is already present.

Merged Course Data
Gradebook data resides in parent shell only	✅ Use gradebook filter
If a course needs to be separated, gradebook data will not automatically migrate with child courses	✅ Use grade export/import
If a course needs to be separated, assessment data will not automatically migrate with child courses	🚫Splits must be requested before assessments are collected since data cannot be separated from the parent shell.

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