This article is part of a series of OnCampus articles  called “About … Blackboard Learn Ultra.”  The series is designed to provide information on Blackboard Learn Ultra in small soundbites.

Blocks are the content elements that you add to organize and segment content. You can add blocks for paragraphs, images, headings, lists, videos, and more.  With blocks, you can easily edit the order of the content by reordering the blocks within a Blackboard document.

Example of Block Editing

Block editing in a syllabus would allow you to separate each of the typical sections. Using the example layout below, you could build it into 5 blocks or 13 depending on the depth of flexibility required:

1. About the course: 1) course title, 2) course description, and 3) learning objectives
2. Course environment: 4) instructor contact information, 5) meeting schedule, 6) open education resources and textbook requirements, and 7) technology requirements to be successful
3. Standard syllabus statements: 8) policies, 9) academic success resources, 10) academic honesty, etc.
4. Assessments: 11) assessment descriptions and 12) grading schemas
5. 13) Course schedule

To reorder the syllabus, click the two-direction arrow under the (…) menu of any given block and drag the block of content to drop it in the preferred order.

Block Editing Benefits

Using block editing also makes it easy to:

• Add different types of content (typed/copied-pasted content, uploaded files, HTML, and cloud documents) inline in a specified order.
• Keep your content evenly spaced and yet separated slightly to add white space without managing the formatting between sections.
• Remove blocks without editing other content on the page.
• Only editing the section of the content you want to change without disturbing the other content on the page.

How-to Build Blocks

In the Blackboard content area select the add tool (+) and Create a Document. Choose a type of content to add to the document and keep it brief (a course description or learning objectives, for example). Save that block and hover below it to add (+) another block of the same or different type. Remember to practice editing with blocks in mind by practicing simple acts like reordering the content as you see fit or removing unnecessary blocks. Learn more about creating content in Blackboard documents.

— Karly Good, ITS