Online Learning
cobwebs in your course?
ten steps for spring cleaning shells
ten steps for spring cleaning shells
Spring is here (and summer is just around the corner!) If the American Cleaning Institute, is correct, 80% of us plan to spring clean this year. I have a love/hate relationship with spring cleaning. I love when it’s done, but I hate doing it (and I especially hate discovering things that now require repair). But there’s one spring cleanup task I do really enjoy.
Cleaning up the garden.
Why am I telling you this? Because cleaning up the garden is a lot like cleaning up your courses. In the garden, we’ve got to remove the dead debris from the winter–perhaps even garbage blown in from the street. In your course, you’ve got to clear out old files (how many versions of “syllabus” do you have floating in your course shell right now?) In your garden, you’re cutting back the overgrowth; in your course, you’re examining the amount of content in a given week.
Cleaning up your course, like working in the garden, isn’t something with immediate benefits. You won’t see the effects until you teach again. Thus, it can be a little challenging, especially after a long school year to muster the energy to tackle the task.
All tasks are a bit easier when broken down into steps, so I’m offering you a checklist for cleaning up your courses. They do not need to be completed all at once, and you don’t need to try to tackle all courses at once either.
1. import your course into a sandbox
This will preserve the integrity of your historical course, should you ever want to go back and revive a file/assignment/quiz. If you need a sandbox, please email us at OnlineLearning@prairiestate.edu to request one.
2. remove unused content
Go through each module and identify content that is no longer used, remaining “hidden.”
Remove unused HTML files from the course. Note, if you select “Permanently delete both the topic from Content and the associated file or activity from the course”, it will also remove it from the “Course Files” which is preferred. Remember, this is not removing the file from past instances so you would still be able to recover it if you ever needed to.
Remove unused files (images, PDFs, documents, Powerpoints). Click on “Course Admin” and select “Manage Files.” You’ll be able to see all folders, files, and content. If you delete any files from Manage files, you’ll need to make the changes to the content area also–it will not remove hyperlinks in HTML pages nor will it remove links directly in the module (though all the links will be broken).
3. remove unused assignments
Navigate to the Assignments tool and locate an assignment you wish to delete. Click the carrot menu and select “Delete.” A pop-up warning will appear that reads: “This operation will delete the selected assignment folder and all associated files. Are you sure you want to continue?” Click “Delete”. **Note: You will still have to remove this item from the gradebook in step 7 below. I recommend waiting and deleting ALL grade items across tools at the same time.
4. remove unused quizzes
Navigate to the Quiz tool and locate a quiz you wish to delete. Click the carrot menu and select “Delete.” A pop-up warning will appear that reads: “This operation will delete the selected quizzes and all associated data. Are you sure that you want to continue?” Click “Delete”. **Note: You will still have to remove this item from the gradebook in step 7 below. I recommend waiting and deleting ALL grade items across tools at the same time.
5. remove unused discussions
Navigate to the Discussion tool and click the carrot menu and select “Delete.” **Note: You will still have to remove this item from the gradebook in step 7 below. I recommend waiting and deleting ALL grade items across tools at the same time.
6. remove unused integrations (Turnitin assignments, Textbook integrations, etc.)
Delete the item from within the content area. **Note: You will still have to remove this item from the gradebook in step 7 below. I recommend waiting and deleting ALL grade items across tools at the same time.
7. Remove unused grade items
In order to remove gradebook items, you must first make sure all the items are unassociated with tools (assignments, quizzes, discussions, or External tool). Navigate to Grades. Click “Manage Grades.” Click “More actions” and select “Delete.” Your screen will refresh. Place a check in front of every grade item you’d wish to delete. Remember, you’ll only be able to delete those items without ? icon next to them, indicating an association. Scroll to the bottom and click “Delete.”
8. remove unused content in course files
You may have images, videos, or files that exist in your “Manage Files” area of the course that you no longer have linked. Often these were included as parts of announcements, or were part of modules or HTML files that no longer exist. Items that are directly linked (appear as items in content) have a link icon next to the file name: Be careful: Items that do not have a link icon may still be linked within the HTML pages files. Be sure to return later to delete/change those links.
9. organize content in course files
**Note: Moving or Renaming files within Course Files will require you to re-create the links. Do not begin this step unless you will have time to re-create links.
Rename files for clarity. Click on “Course Admin” from the Navigational bar and select “Manage Files.” Click the carrot menu next to any item and select “Rename” to rename the file. This will not rename any descriptive linking text you may have within any HTML file pages, and you will need to recreate those links.
Create folders to organize material.There’s not a right or wrong way to do this, but having a system of organizing your files helps you find them easily if you need to insert content into an announcement or you want to re-design some part of your course. Some instructors create folders by file type, others by module, and others by topic.
10. re-create/test links
Run link test. This test only checks for broken links to D2L items that are placed directly in content, not those that are linked within an HTML content page. Click on “Course Admin” from the Navigational bar and select “Edit Course.” Click “Broken Links.” Select a timeframe from the dropdown that includes the creation of the course shell, and click “Apply.” Any broken links will appear on the screen.
Open each HTML page/module description and test links.
Cleaning out the clutter in your course shell can better help you see what things you might want to improve on for next term, and it’s the sort of low-level cognitive activity that allows us to be productive without overtaxing us at the end of the term and start of summer. Because it’s easily broken into a series of distinct tasks, you do not have to feel pressured to complete an entire course’s clean up in one sitting, and you also do not need to complete all of the steps for any given course. But, if you find yourself re-uploading files because it’s faster than trying to find it in course files, or if you have every version of your syllabus in your shell since 2017, you probably would see an improvement your and your students’ experiences in your course shell, if you tackled a few of these tasks. Happy spring cleaning!
D2L Updates
There are a few updates to keep in mind as you head into summer courses. Two center around discussions.
First, Discussions will now display a word count. This variable will be turned on with the start of the summer term, not the release of the summer shells.
Second, there is a feedback attachment option for discussions: Instructors can add feedback files while evaluating discussions; students can view the feedback from gradebook and via the feedback area within discussions.
Online Learning would like to remind everyone again that New Content is going to become OPTIONAL for all courses, starting Summer 2024. Do NOT enable this option for Summer 2024 courses in order to give Online Learning time to create tutorials/navigation directions for students.
At this time, you can all access New Content through your Sandboxes. All Sandboxes have New Content turned to “on”; if you would like us to override and turn it off, please let us know. Last month’s newsletter focused on New Content, so if you missed that content, please revisit it here. Some key navigational things to keep in mind, should you be considering New Content as an option:
The description of the module/unit appears on the first click as students attempt to expand the module or unit. If you do not typically use the description area, you will want to do so–blank pages can make students think things are broken.
Students have more direct interaction with tools (assignments, discussions, etc.) in the preview pane in Content, so this may impact where and how you decide to provide instructions/details.
Take the time to view your course as a student so you can identify areas of possible confusion, missed navigation, etc.
The last bit of news is not a true update, but it is important information about D2L. Starting June of 2024, D2L is going to be launching in-product feedback. Students and Faculty may get prompted to complete a short survey about their feedback on Brightspace. Less than 5% of faculty and 1% of students across all D2L users will be surveyed each month. D2L says that the prompts will:
Ask for ratings on 1 to 3 questions.
Ask about users’ experience with Brightspace as a whole, their experience meeting particular goals in Brightspace, or their experience in a particular workflow.
Not prompt any one user more than once per year whether they answer or dismiss the prompt.
Primarily be placed on landing pages in courses for Content, Announcement, Grades, Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions.
NOT happen during quiz taking or instructor activity creation workflows.
Be anonymized and no PII is ever collected.