How to create a personal learning space and group spaces using
Campus pack
Any Blackboard user at DMU, staff or student, can have a Campus Pack Personal
Learning Space (PLS). The Campus Pack PLS in Blackboard enables students and staff to
create and configure a personal space through which, if they so wish, they can share their
work and other interests with other students and tutors within the DMU community who are
themselves using the personal learning space resource.
Structure of Personal Learning Space (PLS)
The structure of the PLS is defined by panels called ‘Portlets’ which can have specific
items/content/tools places within them. Portlets can be dragged and dropped and
positioned in the PLS. The home page interface is highly customizable, and each user
can have their own avatar (image/photo) if they wish.
The owner of a personal learning space has control over their content, the look-and-feel,
and the sharing privileges for their space and its content. As it’s your own personal space
you decide which 'items' you wish to share with other users within the DMU community.
How to create your Personal Learning Space
1. Click the Add Resource tab in the top left of your Blackboard home page.
Figure 1 Add Resource
2. From the list, activate the Campus Pack Personal Learning Space by clicking the Add
button
Figure 2 Personal Learning Space Resource
3. A Campus Pack Personal Learning Space link will now be available on your Blackboard home page.
Figure 3 Personal Learning Space Link
Clicking this link 'Personal Learning Space' will allow you to access your personal learning space.
Figure 4 PLS home page
Your Personal Learning Space Home Page
When you enter you’re PLS you will find some default panels on your Home page.
The Latest Activity Panel
Figure 5 Latest activity panel
This panel will display your latest activity on campus pack sites (e.g. blogs, wikis) that you are enrolled on
and have access to.
Course Membership Panel
This panel lists all Blackboard courses that include campus pack content (be it a blog, wiki
or journal etc) which you can directly access when you select the course.
Figure 6 Course Membership
Organisation membership panel
Lists all Blackboard community spaces that your are enrolled on. Blackboard community spaces are
different to your Blackboard module sites. You will be advised if you are enrolled on a Blackboard
community site.
Figure 6 Blackboard community panel
Content panel
Lists all content that you have added to your PLS. This area will be empty until you add
content. In the example below a blog has been added.
Figure 7 Content panel
How to add content you your PLS
1. Click the Add Content button
2. From the list, select the type of content that you want to add to your PLS (e.g.
podcast)
Figure 8 Add Content Panel
3. Fill out the details for any new content area and click the Add button
Figure 9 Example podcast content
4. You new content will appear in the Content panel
Figure 10 Podcast added
Content shared with me
You can share content (e.g. a Blog) with other PLS users, and they can share content with
you. In the image below Test 2 student2 has shared her blog with you.
Figure 11 Content shared with me
To share your content:
1. Navigate to the content you wish to share (e.g. Blog), and select Permissions
form the Settings menu on the right of the page.
Figure 12 Settings
2. Ensure that the Viewers tab is selected, and using the Add Viewers section choose who you want to share the content with (you can add multiple people).
Figure 12 Add Viewers
When completed click the Save & Exit button.
PLEASE NOTE: We advise that you DO NOT add ‘Everyone in the world’ as
viewers of your PLS.
Campus Pack offers an Invite a person via Email feature to send a secure invitation
to a user outside of DMU, that is someone who does not have a DMU account. If you
do make your PLS viewable to someone outside the institution it is essential that you
are familiar with the: DMU User Guidelines for the Use of Technologies in Learning and Teaching.
Adding Portlets to your PLS
You can add any number of portlets which enhance your PLS and which allow you to
manage your content. To add a new portlet:
1. Click the Add Portlet button at the bottom of your PLS home page
Figure 13 Add Portlet
2. Select the type of portlet you want to add from the list provided