Scheduling in Courses
Customizing Your Course Schedule
The Learning Plan tab provides a simple interface for making bulk changes very quickly that could take extensive time if done in the regular editor. In it, you'll see every item in the course syllabus, and have control over release dates and due dates for each item. Moreover, any of your changes can be specified for existing groups or for individual students enrolled in the course, as well as general changes for everyone in the course. In a Range course, all the due dates are manually set for each item by the teacher, and that can now be done in the Learning Plan tab as well as in the Scheduling tab of the editor. In a Continuous course, pace dates are automatically applied for each student, depending on their start and end dates, so due dates for course items cannot be set universally. However, due dates may be set for Groups or individual students using the Learning Plan tab in Range courses.
Creating and Adjusting Release Dates
Release Dates control when an item in the course becomes available to students. To add a new Release Date, click the Add Release Date button at the top of the page, which will open a dialog box with a date field, where you can type a new date or click the calendar icon to select a date from the calendar.
Release Dates can be also be added or adjusted by going to the individual item in the syllabus and clicking on the settings button (gear icon) at the end of an item line to add your new release date. All learning objects below (syllabus order) the item with an added release date will automatically inherit the same release date. Set or change the release date by typing it in the field or by selecting from the calendar icon. Next, click the update button to see your release dates appear. Be sure to click the Save Changes button to apply your changes.
Once applied, you'll see the green release date labels appear on all your affected items. You may set up multiple release dates in your course, and save all the changes at once to apply your new settings. Remember that your last release date will apply to all items below it in the syllabus, down to the end of the course.
Removing Individual Items from the Learning Plan
Any item in the course syllabus can be removed from the Learning Plan using the settings (gear icon) on the line for that item. Click the settings button to open the dialog box, then check the box for remove from plan to take this item out of the Learning Plan for the course, group, or student that you have selected, then click Update. You will need to save changes to apply this to any item or items that you have removed. An item that has been removed from the Learning Plan has not been deleted from your course, but it has been hidden from students and removed from their progress bar. You will see the label on the item changed from a line representing no due date to Removed from Plan. Therefore, the item remains a part of your course, but the students who have had it removed from the Learning Plan will not see it nor be required to complete it. Teachers will still see those items in the Learning Plan or marked as hidden in the course syllabus.
Assigning and Changing Due Dates
If you are in a continuous course, then all pace dates are automatically assigned, and you will see a line in the due date column on each course item instead of a date. Due dates cannot be assigned universally in a continuous course. If you are in a range course, then all due dates need to be assigned manually, and that can be done here in the Learning Plan tab. Click the settings button (gear icon) on an item to open the dialog box, uncheck the due date box if necessary, type or select a date using the calendar icon, and click update.
You will see the new due date populate for that item, and you may add several dates before using the save changes button to apply your new due dates. Clicking the reset button will remove any changes from the release date or due date fields and revert the remove from plan and auto pacing boxes to their original state, allowing you to reset that item. HINT: Be sure to select the group or student first if you are adding an individualized due date.