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Course Builders

ONLINE COURSE SITE BUILDING SERVICE

Introduction 

Course Builders with Academic Technology Serivces—graduate students trained in the principles of course design and Dalhousie’s suite of instructional technologies—are an integral part of Dalhousie University’s response to moving courses online. Course Builders work collaboratively with ATS and CLT to support you in the setup of your online courses.

The Course Build Process 

The course building process involves a Faculty Member (FM), Educational Developer (ED), and Course Builder (CB). The basic steps are:

  1. FM consults with ED around online course design and pedagogy
  2. ED submits a CB request to work with FM
  3. Once matched, FM/ED communicate required tasks to CB
  4. CB sets up course sites and completes assigned tasks
  5. FM reviews the course site to verify accuracy. At this point, CB will send final email and be reassigned to work with other faculty.

 

Scope of Course Builder Work 

Course builders are able assist you with course setups that use Dalhousie-supported instructional technologies and, once the course setup is complete, orient you to your course space. Typical course building work includes:

  • Creating Brightspace course sites
  • Linking to Panopto audio or video files so students can listen or watch
  • Configuring synchronous meeting spaces in Collaborate Ultra or Microsoft Teams
  • Adding links to Campus Pack tools (e.g., wikis, blog, etc.
  • Setting up Urkund so you and/or your students can check the originality of their written work

Setting up Brightspace course sites could include a number of tasks, such as:

  • Copying Brightspace site contents from previous terms
  • Setting up a course homepage (e.g., customizing course banner, posting announcements, adding widgets, etc.)
  • Uploading content, creating modules, setting release dates, adding links, embedding videos, adding readings, etc.
  • Inputting quiz questions 
  • Recreating your pre-existing rubrics in digital form 
  • Creating assignment dropboxes
  • Setting up the gradebook and linking to other Brightspace functions (e.g., Quizzes, Discussions, Assignments, etc.)
  • Configuring discussions, including setting up forums and topics, restricting their access by student groups, attaching grade items, etc.
  • Setting up student groups

Please note Course Builders are not able to:

  • Assist with non-Dalhousie-supported instructional technologies
  • Develop or curate content
  • Create assessments, write quiz questions, or develop rubrics
  • Be on-call throughout the term

If you have any questions about whether a certain task is within a Course Builder’s scope, please talk to them or reach out to the CLT eLearning team at elearning@dal.ca.

Role of the CLT Educational Developer

The Educational Developer you are working with will:

  • Complete the Course Builder request form
  • Support the Course Builder with any questions they have as they set up your course
  • Ensure ongoing communication between you and the Course Builder

Role of Faculty Member

Our goal is to support your teaching by setting up your course sites per your specifications, leaving you more time and energy to focus on other work. During the process, we ask you to:

  • Verify that the Educational Developer accurately interpreted and communicated your needs to the Course Builder
  • Communicate with your Course Builder, as necessary, using their @dal.ca email address
  • Review your course site once the build is complete to make sure it meets your expectations

Other Forms of Support

There are other forms of ongoing support that you may wish to take advantage of including:

Online Teaching website

Centre for Learning and Teaching

Libraries

 

For additional course building support throughout the term: Contact your Educational Developer to have a Course Builder re-assigned for tasks, as needed, throughout the term. If you have any questions, email elearning@dal.ca.