The master course model is often used by departments who wish to share consistent structure and content of courses across multiple sections of courses taught by multiple instructors. Instructors teaching the individual sections are able to copy the master into their own shell prior to the beginning of the semester and have full access to customize/personalize their own section. For Departments who wish to use the master course model for one or all of its course offerings, we have outlined the process below.
Step 1: Department Requests Master Course Shell and Identifies Lead Instructor
- Master course shells will be requested using the Brightspace Development Shell Request Form.
- When completing the form for a course shell that will be used as a master, please use the word “Master” in the course title and indicate that this will be a master course in the “Additional Comments or Things We Should Know” field.
- The Master Course will be created with the following naming convention to make it easier for the course copier to locate during the copy process:
- Brightspace Course Code will begin with “NOTERM-BRM-MASTER” and indicate the modality and the lead instructor last name
(Example: NOTERM-BRM-MASTER-COL105-DLA-SMITH) - Brightspace Course Name will begin with “Master:” and include the course and modality.
(Example: Master: COL 105 – Academic Planning Seminar (Online))
- Brightspace Course Code will begin with “NOTERM-BRM-MASTER” and indicate the modality and the lead instructor last name
- The Master Course will be created in the “BRM-Master Courses” semester so that they are easily identifiable.
Step 2: Lead Instructor Requests Course Copiers be Added
- Requests to add course copiers are made using our Instructional Designer Support Request Form.
- This will allow them to see the master without the ability to make changes. They can also copy the master into their own semester based course shell.
Step 3: Lead Instructor Communicates to Course Copiers when Master is Ready
- Can include a link to the TRC instruction for copying courses in their communication: Copying Your Brightspace Course
Step 4: Course Copiers Copy Master Into Semester-Based Brightspace shells.
- Course copiers can copy the master as they would any other course using the Copying Your Brightspace Course instructions.
