Pre-Launch Checklist

Printable Version

When the Instructional Designers review a SUNY Online course, there are a few quick items that are checked to make sure the course is all ready to run:

Course includes Welcome and Getting Started content

Course syllabus is fully populated, includes all the required template elements, and is presented in a printable format

My Instructor page is set up

Gradebook is set up with accurate weights

Old announcements are deleted or hidden

Due dates are accurate/present

Course menu is clean and visible

Course includes Welcome and Getting Started content

In the course menu under Start Here, there should be a welcome video item and a getting started item. The Welcome video can be added as a hyperlink to Ensemble. If there is no welcome video, this item should be deleted.

A screenshot of the welcome video item in the Start Here section of Blackboard.

The Start Here item has placeholder text for a welcome message and some already filled-in steps to get started. The welcome message should be filled in. If there is not a welcome video, the first bullet under the Getting Started section can be deleted.

Course syllabus is fully populated, includes all the required template elements, and is presented in a printable format

There is a course syllabus template that can be found in the course design notes area. This should be downloaded as a word document and information should be filled in.

Once the course syllabus template is filled in, it should be uploaded to the course syllabus area as a printable version.

A screenshot of a file in Blackboard called Course Syllabus Template.

A screenshot of a file name Course Syllabus (Printable).

A screenshot of what the course syllabus template looks like. It includes course number, course title, campus, credits, instructor contact information, course prerequisites, and course descriptions.

My Instructor page is set up

The My Instructor tab has placeholder text and an image. The instructor can replace the placeholder image with a picture of themselves. Information should be filled in here with whatever you would like to share with your students.

A screenshot of the My Instructor page. There is a placeholder for an image, instructor information, professional background, instructor's role, communication expectations, and personal and family information.

Gradebook is set up with accurate weights

The Gradebook can be accessed by going to the Full Grade Center in the navigation panel.

A screenshot of the course menu navigation under the course management section. The Full Grade Center tab is highlighted yellow.

Select the drop-down area next to the weighted total and select Edit Column Information.

A screenshot of the categories in the grade center. The weighted total drop down is highlighted yellow and under the drop down the edit column information selection is highlighted yellow.

The weights of each category should align with what is presented in the course syllabus.

A screenshot of the weighted categories. It shows a percentage for the assignment category and a percentage for the discussion category.

Old announcements are deleted or hidden

All announcements should be checked to make sure they are set to show during the current term. If there are old announcements they need to be deleted or edited to show at a future date.

A screenshot of an announcement that is titled, "Welcome to the class!" There is a posted date of Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

Due dates are accurate/present

When a course is copied over from a previous term, the old due dates will still be present. All due dates throughout the course should be set for the current term.

The due dates can also be edited within the assignment.

A screenshot of an assignment called "M3-3 Assignment: Case Study." There is a due date listed for May 14th, 2020.

A screenshot of showing how to edit the assignment to set the due date for a specific day and time.

Course menu is clean and visible

A screenshot of the course menu when the course is poured and all of the content is listed under the Your Campus Resources section. The extra items are general, course introduction, module 1, module 2, module 3, module 4, module 5, term paper.

After the course is imported, the content is placed in the navigation panel under your campus resources. This needs to be moved and organized within the course.

This is what the course menu should look like based on the SUNY Online template. The SUNY IDs can help with this, they just need permission to hide, delete or move anything.