With this automation process, a Moodle template or "container" shell is automatically created based on the data that exists in Banner.
The assigned instructor ("Teacher," in Moodle terms) can choose to either
- use the template to start a course from scratch, or
- copy the content of an existing shell into this shell. This is currently the most common scenario at VCC.
Anyone with editing access* to the shell can complete the copy process, which we often refer to as "restore into," because a backup copy of an existing course is being restored into the container shell.
*Those with editing access would include
- enrolled instructors ("Teachers")
- departmental assistants (e.g., DAs and PAs) ("Managers")
- and department leaders ("Managers")
Can you show me what you mean in a picture and maybe an example?
Yes, here's a simple picture. At the end of this article you'll also find a bucket analogy which some have found useful.
When are my template shells created for the upcoming term?
The template shells are created approximately two months before the start of a new term.
How does the instructor get enrolled?
Any and all instructors assigned as the primary or secondary instructor for the CRN in Banner will be auto-enrolled into the shell. For this reason, it is important that the instructor is registered in Banner as soon as possible.
How will the instructor know when the shell has been created?
At this time, we do not have any type of auto-notification set up. However, an instructor will see the course listed on his/her My courses list once it has been created and they have been enrolled. Also, an instructor can search for the CRN in Moodle. Although CRNs are not 100% unique (the pool of numbers are re-cycled every year), if the new course shell has been created, the instructor should be able to recognize it on the list of possibilities.
What if the instructor has changed recently?
Any newly added instructor in Banner will be enrolled in the shell within 24 hours of being added by Academic Scheduling. The previous instructor should then show up as "Suspended" on the Participants list. See KB1250 - Banner Auto Enrolment and the Participants Page for more information.
How do the students get enrolled?
Registered students (that is, registered in Banner) will also automatically be enrolled into the corresponding Moodle shell. Any students who were previously enrolled (in the Moodle shell) and have subsequently unregistered or been dropped from the CRN will show up on the participant's list as "suspended" and can be manually removed. See KB1250 - Banner Auto Enrolment and the Participants Page for more information.
How do I copy the content of my existing shell into this shell?
The instructions for doing the "restore into" process are included within each of the container shells. Moodle login is required to view these instructions.
Who do I contact if I have problems finding my course shell, completing the "restore into" process, or other questions about this?
As always, support is available by contacting us using the online support request form or emailing elsupport@vcc.ca.
Can I stop reading now?
Yup. You can stop here. But if you like analogies, you may like what's next.
Bucket Analogy (for those who like analogies)
It may be helpful to explain the process with the following bucket analogy, where buckets represent Moodle shells. In the image, below, full buckets represent existing course shells with content and empty buckets represent the auto-created "container" shells.
The full image, below, shows a time line of four terms from September 2022 to September 2023.
In this analogy,
- we'll refer to a fake course called "Introduction to Purple" with a code of PURP 1100.
- PURP 1100 has been taught in the past by two different instructors: Teacher 1 and Teacher 2.
- Teacher 1 has been teaching it for well over a year. Teacher 2's first time teaching it is in the CURRENT 202360 term.
- Teacher 1... (Teacher 2 details are below the image)
- knows that she is teaching PURP 1100 again in September (the 202370 term) and found out from her Program Assistant that the CRN will be 71235.
- has done a search for the CRN in Moodle and discovered that the container shell has already been auto-created and she and her students have already been enrolled (although it's hidden from students).
- wants a copy of her shell from last September, rather than the current term, because she has it set up specifically for a fall class.
- follows the "restore into" instructions which she found as a PDF file inside the container shell to create a backup of her September 2022 shell and then she restores that backup into the container shell for September 2023.
- follows the tips at the end of the instructions to ensure that the shell is hidden from students and that all of the dates within the course are accurate for what she has planned this year.
- "unhides" her course only when she is ready for the new students to access it.
- Teacher 2...
- knows that he is teaching PURP 1100 again in September (the 202370 term) and found out from his Department Head that the CRN will be 71243.
- discovered that the container shell has already been auto-created when he looked at his My Courses list
- noticed that his students have already been enrolled in the shell (although it's hidden from students).
- wants a copy of his current shell from the 202360 term.
- follows the "restore into" instructions which he found as a PDF file inside the container shell to create a backup of his current shell and then he restores that backup into the container shell for September 2023.
- follows the tips at the end of the instructions to ensure that the shell is hidden from students and that all of the dates within the course are accurate for what he has planned for the September class.
- "un-hides" his course only when he is ready for the new students to access it.