The New Model Course System

Beginning in Spring 2024, we are launching a new system for managing model courses in eConestoga. In this new system, model shells are created centrally by each department’s Chair and associated staff. Each new model’s title uses a consistent naming scheme that clearly labels the type of delivery it is designed for, and there will be only one model shell per unique delivery method. E.g.,

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

An initial set of new models has been created for most courses, and faculty involved with editing models may already have access to many of them. Departments will be creating additional models and associating editors to them over the next few months.

Can I still create models?

This new system will be the only way to create models going forward. As a result, the option to create model shells has been removed from the Request Custom Shells tool in the Employee Portal (though the tool remains available to create other types of shells). Model shell creation requests can now be sent to your Chair, or whomever the Chair delegates this activity to.

What will happen to the old models?

We want to gradually retire the old models, but we recognize this will be a complex task. We are currently in the planning phase for this initiative but hope to begin with some of the easier removals (e.g., completely empty models, and models whose content has already been moved to a new model) this semester. Details for any subsequent phases of model removal will be communicated well ahead of time once a plan is in place. In the meantime, it is important that only model shells with the new standard naming convention are updated going forward.

What if I don’t see any new model shells?

Faculty who don’t edit models, and only need to copy from them, likely won’t see these new models initially. Once you use the Guided Copy Process to copy from a model that matches your course, the system will enroll you in that model automatically with viewing and copying access.

Why are we making this change?

The old system, where any instructor could create a model shell for any of their courses, led to many extraneous and duplicate models being created (often by accident). This made it very difficult to identify which models are intended for which type of delivery, which ones are still being updated, and which have content at all. This confusion frequently leads to instructors copying incorrect, incomplete, outdated, and/or broken content into live courses. The new system should help avoid those problems, resulting in a better student experience.

An additional benefit of the new models is that they completely remove the need for faculty to be manually added to courses before they can copy from them. The new Guided Copy Process allows each instructor to copy content from a model course that matches their course, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in that model.

If you have any questions about the new model system, please reach out to eConestoga Support.