Semester Start Checklist for CAPS Faculty

General Content Review

Review your course to ensure that web links, media, learning objects (i.e., PowerPoint), and quizzes all function properly. Notify your program director and the Office of Curriculum & Instruction of issues (e.g., broken links).

Determine Viewable/Hidden Content:

Ensure that any assignments students in your course should be able to see are actually visible and that those they should not see are hidden (i.e., if you are teaching a face to face class, you will likely “hide” the weekly discussion forums since those topics will be covered in class).

Identify Access Window

For assignments and assessments (quizzes) that students should have only a window of time to access/complete, go into the assignment/assessment settings in edit mode and update start and end date deadlines as appropriate.

Your Information

Update Meet Your Instructor Page.

Submission Timeline

Customize the Semester Submission Schedule in agreement with course start and end date and upload as page to topics section of course. Open the Excel document within the course, update the course name and enter the beginning date of the course in the Week 1 and 1st day of the week cell (B6 on the spreadsheet) in the MM/DD/YY format and the program will calculate the course due dates accordingly. Faculty should then save and replace the Excel file in this location or add a new page and copy and paste the table to this location for the students to view.

Gradebook Review

• 1. Check gradebook settings to verify display, category, mode, and grading scale preferences. Go into the Grade Letters section to ensure the scale is consistent with your grading expectations for the course and adjust as needed. Then under Course Grade Settings, select Grade Display Type option and set to Letter/Real so that the gradebook displays both the total points and letter grade.

  2. Verify that the gradebook has all the assignments properly linked to the correct content items.

  3. Check all individual assignments including category, calculation type, and point settings.

Course Grading Scale

Please carefully review the grading scale currently published in the top of your course. Best practices and information are published on the tab: Course Grading Scale.

Make Course Visible

If everything is as expected, enable your course to make it visible to your students using the Making Course Visible to Students Instructions.

Welcome Message

Faculty is encouraged to send a welcoming message to the class at the time the section is turned on in Moodle:

• 1. Your message should contain a brief introduction, contact information, and a course schedule or reminder to view the syllabus.

  2. You may also provide a brief list of things to do before the first class, an overview of the first week or module, or other helpful guidance.

  3. Sending a message through the course shell generates an email to each student registered for the course and lets them know they can now see the course in their list of courses on the LMS.

Be Prepared

Additionally, faculty members are encouraged to review and familiarize themselves with the material in the Faculty Hub, in particular the Faculty FAQs located in the "Navigating Moodle" section, under “Help with Moodle”.