Overview
A quick guide for new instructors preparing their first UR Courses course. Learn how to customize the course template, add learning materials and activities, connect the correct enrolment section, test the student experience, and make the course available.
The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is your first point of contact for help with teaching, course design, assessment, and making effective use of UR Courses.
Contact The Centre for Teaching and Learning
If you are experiencing a technical problem with UR Courses or something is not working as expected, contact Information Services.
Contact Information Services
Quick Start Guide for New Instructors
Follow these steps to prepare a new UR Courses course. Your course starts with a standard template and is hidden from students by default, giving you time to update and test it before making it available.
The quick path
Create the course → Customize the template → Add course content → Add people → Add enrolment → Test the course → Make it available
1 Create your course
Create the course you will use for the upcoming term. The new course will appear under My Courses and include the standard course template.
2 Customize the Start Here section
The Start Here section gives students the essential information they need before beginning the course. Update each of the template items with information for your course.
Welcome message
Replace the sample welcome message with a brief introduction. Welcome students, introduce yourself, explain where they should begin, and identify the best way to contact you.
Course syllabus
Replace the sample syllabus with the current syllabus for your course. Confirm that the course requirements, grading information, policies, and important dates are correct.
Course Email
Review the Course Email activity and tell students how it will be used. Remove or hide it if you plan to use another communication method.
Office hours or Zoom classroom
Configure the Zoom activity if you will use Zoom for classes or office hours. Include the meeting schedule and clear joining instructions. Remove or hide the activity if Zoom will not be used.
3 Add your course resources
Use the Course Resources section for the materials students will need. These may include:
- Readings and articles
- Lecture notes and presentations
- Videos and other media
- External websites and links
- Reference materials
- Supplementary resources
Give each item a clear, descriptive name. Organize the materials in the order students will use them, and remove any sample or placeholder content that students do not need.
4 Prepare assignments and activities
The Assignments & Activities section includes sample assignments and quizzes. Review the examples, then replace or remove them as appropriate.
For each assignment, quiz, discussion, or other activity:
- Use a clear and descriptive name.
- Provide complete instructions.
- Confirm the opening, due, and closing dates.
- Explain how the activity will be graded.
- Remove sample content that students should not complete.
5 Add instructors or teaching assistants
If another instructor or teaching assistant needs access to the course:
- Select Participants from the course navigation.
- Select Enrol users.
- Search for the person you want to add.
- Choose the appropriate role.
- Select Enrol users.
6 Add your enrolment section
Connect the appropriate term and section to your course:
- Open the course.
- Select More from the course navigation.
- Select Add enrolment.
- Select the appropriate term.
- Select the section associated with your course.
7 Test the course
Create a test-student account and use it to review the course from a student’s perspective. The account information will be sent to your University of Regina email address.
Confirm that a student can:
- Identify where to begin.
- Find the syllabus and course orientation.
- Open required files, links, and videos.
- Understand assignment and quiz instructions.
- Submit the first required activity.
- Determine how to contact the instructor.
8 Review and open the course
Before opening the course, confirm that:
- The correct enrolment section is connected.
- The welcome message, syllabus, and course orientation are current.
- Course materials are clearly organized.
- Assignment and quiz dates are correct.
- Placeholder text and unused examples have been removed.
- The course has been tested from a student’s perspective.
Make the course available
- Select Settings from the course navigation.
- Change Course visibility from Hide to Show.
- Select Save and display.