Definitions of staff attachment types in ISIS and their implications for access to Blackboard. Please note that whilst this guide refers to Modules and Module Leaders and Tutors, the same criteria and implications apply to staff attachments to ISIS Student Groups and Programmes, for the purposes of inclusion in Blackboard. When applying this guidance to ISIS Student groups or Programmes, simply swap the word ‘Module’ for ‘ISIS Student Group’ or ‘Programme’ as appropriate.
Important note about changes to attachment types
Associate
Please note that if you change a staff member’s attachment type from Associate, ie a student in Blackboard, to any of Tutor, Admin/Technical or Leader, ie an instructor in Blackboard, (or vice versa) their corresponding Blackboard attachment will become disabled. If you need to change a staff attachment between these types, you must contact Learning & Research Systems on the same day that you make the change so that their existing attachment can be removed in Blackboard to allow their new attachment to be created.
External Examiner
Please note that if you change a staff member’s attachment type from External Examiner, ie an External Examiner in Blackboard, to any of Tutor, Admin/Technical or Leader, ie an instructor in Blackboard, (or vice versa) their corresponding Blackboard attachment will become disabled. If you need to change a staff attachment between these types, you must contact Learning & Research Systems on the same day that you make the change so that their existing attachment can be removed in Blackboard to allow their new attachment to be created.
Leader
This is the Module Leader and in some faculties on larger modules there may be more than one Module Leader.
Implication
In Blackboard the Module Leader is designated as a member of staff (in the ISIS Staff Application) and has full access rights to the ‘Control Panel’ within their Blackboard account for each Module/Module Run with which they are associated that will allow them to upload and edit teaching and learning materials.
Tutor
This is a member of a academic staff teaching on a module and is assisting the Module Leader.
Implication
In Blackboard the Tutor is designated as a member of staff (in the ISIS Staff Application) and has full access rights to the ‘Control Panel’ within their Blackboard account for each Module/Module Run with which they are associated that will allow them to upload and edit teaching and learning materials.
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)
This is a student who is also employed as a member of staff to provide Peer Assisted Learning (PAL). This association can only be approved by the Module Leader. In ISIS they must be both a fully enrolled student and a member of staff who appears in the ISIS Staff Application.
Implication
In Blackboard staff attached to a module run with the attachment type of PAL will have their ISIS student record attached to the Blackboard course (with student status) and will, therefore, need to login using their student user ID. PAL-related modules will appear alongside the modules on which they have a normal student enrolment. This means that PALs DO NOT have access rights to the ‘Control Panel’ for modules where they are designated a PAL user. A PAL is therefore able to participate in the module in the same way as any other student enrolled on it.
Associate
This is a member of staff in the ISIS Staff Application who has student access to the module on which they have a status of ‘Associate’. This association can only be approved by the Module Leader. These members of staff may be staff teaching on the module who the Module Leader has decided should have restricted rights to access. They may also be staff who are not teaching on this module and require student access to the module for various reasons - for example, peer review, observation or for appraisal reasons. Or they just may well be members of staff who have the permission of the Module Leader to view all materials on the module they are leading.
Implication
In Blackboard, Associates have access as a student. This means that Associates DO NOT have access rights to the ‘Control Panel’ for modules where they are designated an Associate user. An Associate is therefore able to participate in the module in the same way as any other student enrolled on it.
External Examiner
This is a member of staff who has responsibility for moderating the assessments for the module run.
Implication
In Blackboard the External Examiner role is designated as a member of staff (in the ISIS Staff Application) and have limited access to the Blackboard course(s) to which they are attached. They do not have access to the Control Panel or Course Tools, but they are able to access all content in the course, for the purpose of moderation of assessments and associated teaching and learning materials.
Admin/Technical
This is a member of staff who has responsibility for administering the module run in Blackboard, including posting announcements and course content.
Implication
In Blackboard the Admin/Technical role is designated as a member of staff (in the ISIS Staff Application) and has full access rights to the ‘Control Panel’ within their Blackboard account for each module with which they are associated. This will allow them to administer the module run in Blackboard, including posting announcements, course information and course content. Effectively this is an administrative role in support of the leader and tutor.