An overview of obtaining Instructor access to a course

Watch a video overview

What type of instructor are you?

If you require instructor access to a Blackboard course there are a number of options.

Choose the option most appropriate to you:

Instructor access which is maintained year-to-year

Do you need access to a module you are teaching? The standard method of obtaining instructor access to a Blackboard course is via Akari. 

How it works

Akari is the Curriculum Management System at NUI Galway and it updates Blackboard daily.  It can be accessed directly on https://nuig.akarisoftware.com/curriculum/

An instructor can be easily assigned by updating the Module Teacher field on Akari (see Adding an Instructor via Akari). This gives you access (within 24 hours) to the current Blackboard course, and to the same course in subsequent years. If Akari is closed, you can log a ticket through the servicedesk for ISS to facilitate your requested instructor access.

Please note

  • If you wish to remove yourself from a Blackboard course, your name has to be removed from the Module Teacher field on Akari. Once you are removed on Akari, Blackboard will update within 24 hours, and you will no longer have access to this on the system.
  • You will need a staff account ending in "s" to be able to access Akari.
  • Only instructors added in this way, will be rolled over from year to year.

If Akari is closed, you can log a ticket with the Servicedesk and ISS will add/remove you from your requested module.

Instructor access to the current year, (includes providing access to temporary and external users)

Why choose this enrolment option?

This option gives you instructor access to the course for the current year only on Blackboard. Your access will not be rolled over to subsequent years. You should choose this enrolment option for instructors who are not members of staff at NUI Galway (e.g. postgraduate tutors; external examiners with a t-account; or contributors with an e-account).

How it works

If there is already at least one existing instructor on the Blackboard course, that person can add you as an instructor.  Please see instructions for manually adding instructors on the Blackboard system. CELT does not enrol instructors on a Blackboard course where there are already existing instructors to protect any intellectual property that may be contained within the course. 

Instructor access to Course Instance or Subject Code

Why choose this enrolment option?

On Blackboard, there are Blackboard courses for each course instance or subject codes. These are useful for course directors or adminstrators to communicate with students on a programme. 

How it works: 

Instructor access for a Blackboard course that corresponds to a course instance or a subject code cannot be facilitated via Akari. You will need to ask an instructor already assigned to the course, who should follow the manually adding instructors via Blackboard instructions.

If there is no existing instructor for the Blackboard course, please email [email protected].

Ad-Hoc Courses

If your proposed Blackboard site does not correspond with an official course or module code, please contact [email protected] and we will discuss the options.

Note: Students are manually enrolled on this type of course, and the course must be relevant to the teaching and learning activities of learners at NUI Galway.