Managing Model Courses

A model course should exist for each way that a course is delivered, defined by a unique combination of Course Code, Version, Delivery Mode, and Length. Official models have titles that follow this format:

• [Course Code]-[Version]-Model-[Delivery Mode]-[# of Weeks]-Microeconomics
• ECON1020-101-Model-IP-15-Microeconomics
• COMM2210-100-Model-ON-S-7-Research & Writing

If an official model does not yet exist for a course or a delivery method that you are overseeing, you will need to contact your Chair or Program Manager to have them create a new model course and attach you to it.

If you need to edit a model and you either don’t have access to it, or only have Viewer access to it, you will need to contact your Chair or your Program Manager and ask them to attach you to it.

Once they attach you in their management tool, you will get access to it the next time that tool synchronizes with eConestoga. This happens twice every day, at 9am and 1pm.

Notes:

• Model Editors can give other users Model Viewer access, but cannot add other Model Editors to a model. If additional users need Editing access, your Chair (or another admin in your department) must add them.
• Faculty who will only be copying from the model do not need to be enrolled in it. The new Guided Copy Process will let instructors copy from a matching model whether or not they have access to it.

Users with Model Editor access to a model can set that model as Under Construction using the controls on the course homepage. While a course is Under Construction, instructors will not be able to use the Guided Copy Process to copy from it into their own live courses. Any user who attempts to do so will be told that the model is under construction, and shown the expected completion date you entered.

To set a model course as Under Construction:

1. Near the top of the model's homepage, click Place Under Construction.
2. A popup will appear. Select how long you expect to be working on the model:

1. Click the Calendar option near the bottom of the popup. A calendar will appear.
2. Click on the date by which you estimate your edits will be completed.
3. Click Set at the top of the calendar.
4. Back inside the popup, click Submit.

The Under Construction status won't expire automatically. Once you’ve finished your edits, you can return to the model course’s homepage and remove the Under Construction status. Once you do, instructors will once again be able to copy from it.

New models start out empty. You can use the old copy process to load initial content into the model from an older model, or from any appropriate live course, and then begin editing the content to bring it up to date.

The Editor(s) enrolled in each model course are responsible for keeping that model's content and assessments up to date. Good practices for maintaining a model's content include:

• Creating a Dynamic Instructional Plan in the Course Information folder.
• Updating the Essential Elements within the model to reach a score of 100%.
• Adding a link to the course eText or to any publisher online platform that will be used in the course.
• Setting example dates for all Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions. Instructors teaching live sections will likely have their assessments on different days, but setting example dates at least lays out for your instructors which week each assessment is intended to fall within. They can then adjust the exact dates for their courses after they copy.
• If the model's content was originally copied from a live course, it is a good practice to delete all Announcements that were copied over that won't always be applicable to all sections (e.g., an announcement about cancelling a specific week's class, or any announcement that includes student names).

If a model you are managing has incorrect or outdated content, and there is a different set of content that you would like to replace it with, eConestoga Support can reset the model for you and remove all of its content.

To request a reset,

• E-mail eConestoga@conestogac.on.ca.
• Provide your name and employee number.
• Identify the model(s) you wish to have reset (provide a link, or tell us the Code, Version, Delivery Mode, and Length displayed in the title).
• Ask for the model to be reset.

Once the reset is completed, you can copy content from whichever source is more up to date.

The Online Learning Centre (OLC) is the department that administers eConestoga and creates nearly all Online Asynchronous course models at the College. Models managed by the OLC are only editable by OLC staff.

If you are the faculty providing curriculum guidance for an OLC-managed model, you will not be able to edit it yourself. Instead, if changes need to be made, you will need to document those changes and e-mail them to eConestoga@conestogac.on.ca. An OLC developer will be assigned to implement your changes.