How to Set up a Course

How to Set up a Course

When you begin to set up a course, the first step is to plan and specify two types of basic information about your course.
  1. The Course Information does not change whether a course is offered once or multiple times. It includes information such as the course title and number, the subject, and the description.

  2. The Course Run information, which alters each time the course is held. It contains information such as the start date and end date of the course, as well as the staff members.

All About the Course Information Section

Regardless of the number of times, the course is repeated, the Course Information does not change and remains the same. This section lists all the optional and required information for a course or program. This section also includes guidelines that help you create a practical course and an informative About page.


Introduction to Course Title and Number

Two significant identifiers for your course are the Course Title, sometimes the Course Name, and the Course Number. You should use understandable names and numbers that are easily recalled and recognized.

Please refer to the following topics for guidelines regarding course titles and numbers.
  1. Choosing a Course Title Guideline
  1. Choosing a Course Number Guideline

Choosing a Course Title Guideline
The following guidelines can help you determine the title of your course.
  1. Correct punctuation, spacing, and capitalization should be used in the title.
  1. There should be no more than 70 characters in the course name. Course titles with 50 or fewer characters are often the most effective.
  1. The course may be part of a sequence, so you must create a title that includes both the series and course information, such as “Sequence: Course.”
  1. Ensure that the course title identifies the subject matter discussed.
  1. It is essential that the title of the course adheres to the SEO guidelines.
  1. Ensure that you target a global audience when choosing the course title.

When creating a course, specify a title that becomes a part of the URL. It is impossible to change the course URL once it has been made. However, for those who wish to change how the course title appears in Studio and the LMS, see How to Change the Course Title for instructions on how to do so.


Course Title Samples
Listed below are the course titles for stand-alone courses that can be taken independently.
  1. Essay Writing and Grammar
  1. Developing front-end web applications
  1. A Scientific Approach to Happiness

In the following course titles, you can find sample titles for programs in a sequence, such as an XSeries.
  1. Electronics and Circuits 1: Analyzing Basic Circuits
  1. Electronics and Circuits 2: Amplification, Speed & Delay
  1. Electronics and Circuits 3: Applications of Circuits


Choosing a Course Number Guidelines
Please refer to the following guidelines when assigning course numbers.
  1. The number of characters in the course number cannot exceed ten.
  1. A character can be a letter, a number, or a period.
  1. The course number can have an ending, such as .1x or .2x, if it comprises several modules.

When creating a course, the number you enter as the Course number becomes part of the URL, which cannot be altered later. You can, however, change the way that the course number appears in Studio and the LMS by following the steps on How to Change the Course Number if you would like to do so.

Course Number Samples

  1. CS50x
  1. ITGS1.1x and ITGS1.2x
  1. 7.001.1x and 7.001.2x


Incorporating Videos & Images into a Course or Program
You will find both a representative image and a short introductory video regarding the course or program on the About page for the course or program. Also, the course or program image is displayed in various places, such as learner dashboards and search engine results.
  1. A Guide to Representative Images
  1. Image Dimensions Guidelines
  1. About Page Introductory Video Guidelines


A Guide to Representative Images
Representative images are eye-catching, colorful images that convey the essence of a program or course in a way that is easy to understand. It is possible to view these images in the following locations:
  1. The About page.
  1. The learner dashboard.
  1. Search engine results.

Moreover, please remember the following guidelines when creating an image for a course or program.

  1. There must be no text or headlines in the image.
  1. The image must be used with permission. Several possible image sources exist, including Freerange, Pexels, Flickr, StockSnap, and Shutterstock Photos.
  1. It is necessary to have a unique image for each course in a program or sequence.


Image Size Guidelines
There are specific guidelines for the size of images that must be followed.


Dimensions of the Course Image
Studio allows you to add an image for the course, which appears on the About page and the learner dashboard when you click on it. The image must be a minimum of 378 pixels in width by 225 pixels in height and be saved in either the .jpg or .png file format. If you want the image to appear correctly on the dashboard, ensure it maintains the aspect ratio of those dimensions.


About Page Introductory Video Guidelines
In the course’s About video, the course team should showcase some of their personalities and excite potential learners to enroll.

Your video should be able to answer the following questions.

  1. Who is the course instructor(s)?
  1. Which university or institution is affiliated with the course?
  1. What topics and concepts will your course cover?
  1. What are the benefits of enrolling in your course?

It would be best to aim to deliver your message as concisely as possible, and your video should not exceed two minutes.

Before uploading, you must ensure your course About video follows the same guidelines as the videos you upload as part of your course content.

Attention

  1. As soon as you upload the course image and video, you can see the course image on the learner's dashboard and the play icon next to it. In the case of a single course video, the play icon appears in the first frame of the video.
  1. You will need to follow a different set of steps for adding a video to your course's About page then you would for adding a video to your course's content. See the orphan page for more information about including video content on your website.

Please refer to the How to Add a Course About Video for information on creating an introductory video for your course's About page.


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