Laser diode driven by a voltage source seems OK
Looks to me like that module may have more to it than meets the eye. 

The resistor appears to be related to a control input and it's too high value (10K) to be a simple series resistor. Maybe there is a chip or a two-transistor current source on that PCB mounted at right angles to the main PCB - the laser diode itself would be mounted on the edge of the thin PCB an there is a second PCB beside it. 

You can rip it apart and find out. A microscope might help.