Teaching Block Hosting Explained
How Student Web Host Manager (SWHM) aligns hosting accounts with teaching blocks, marking windows, password resets and student extensions — ensuring hosting follows the academic lifecycle automatically.
The Problem with Always-On Student Hosting
In traditional hosting environments, student accounts stay active long after teaching ends. This creates:
- Old or abandoned sites staying online for years.
- Data exposure and security compliance issues.
- Confusion about which sites relate to current modules.
- Students continuing to edit work after deadlines.
Hosting should follow the academic cycle — not run indefinitely.
What Are Teaching Blocks in SWHM?
Teaching Blocks define the full lifecycle of a module from a hosting perspective. Each block includes:
- Start Date: When students should gain access.
- End Date: When teaching ends and editing must stop.
- Marking Duration: A lecturer-only access period where sites remain visible but locked.
- Extensions: Additional access windows for specific students who require more time.
These rules allow hosting to follow academic delivery, assessment policies and fairness requirements.
How Teaching Block Hosting Works
When a teaching block is active in SWHM, all associated accounts follow this automated lifecycle:
- Teaching Block Starts
Students log in for the first time through Azure AD, and SWHM automatically provisions their hosting account and domain.
- Teaching Period Runs
Students freely build and update their websites during the active teaching period.
- Teaching Ends → Accounts Locked
At the block’s end date:
- Student hosting accounts are automatically suspended.
- Their cPanel passwords are regenerated to prevent re-entry.
- Students can no longer modify files, databases or content.
- Their websites remain publicly viewable for assessment.
- Marking Duration Begins
During the marking window:
- Lecturers and moderators retain full viewing access via SWHM.
- Students remain locked out for academic integrity.
- The marking period can be set globally or customised per block.
- Extensions for Individual Students
Students with approved extensions continue to have active accounts while others are locked.
Once their extended deadline passes, they are also suspended and their cPanel password is regenerated.
- Final Suspension & Clean-Up
When the block and all extensions end, the system:
- suspends remaining accounts,
- rotates/revokes passwords again for safety,
- optionally archives accounts for compliance needs.
This ensures complete fairness between students, secure control of hosting, and structured academic workflows.
Why Teaching Block Hosting Matters
Stops Post-Deadline Editing
Automatic suspension and password resets mean students cannot modify work after the deadline, ensuring academic integrity.
Cleaner and More Secure Hosting
Old or abandoned sites are automatically suspended and secured to reduce risk.
Fairness Across the Cohort
Everyone stops working at the same time unless officially granted extensions.
Reduced Workload for IT and Lecturers
No more manually disabling accounts or chasing students who work past deadlines.
A Repeatable Cycle for Every Block and Course
The teaching block lifecycle repeats automatically for each block defined in SWHM across all modules and courses.
This ensures consistency, predictability and minimal administration every term.