In support of remote instruction for the upcoming Spring 2021 semester, Digital Learning Services has developed two new bCourses templates that are available to all instructors starting Nov. 30, 2020.
The DLS Core Template and the DLS DesignPlus Template both provide instructors a consistent structure for organizing their course site founded in best practices in online pedagogy and promote effective learning for all students by incorporating accessibility standards.
The DLS Core Template uses bCourses' built-in course construction and management tools. There are no additional tools to learn or use to effectively develop a course in this template. All instructors can access this template via Canvas Commons in bCourses. For more information on how to import this template and instructional materials on how to use it for your own course site, visit the Course Design Tools service page on the DLS website, and register for a virtual training session via the AIS Upcoming Events(link is external) page.
Additionally, Digital Learning Services is running a limited-time and limited-offering pilot with our new DLS DesignPlus Template, which uses DesignPlus, a third-party design tool that is integrated with bCourses and was used to design the Fall Semester in the Cloud course sites. Instructors will need to learn how to use DesignPlus to effectively use this template, and it is most efficiently used by instructors who are already comfortable completing bCourses’ core functions such as editing Pages, organizing Modules, and creating, administering, and grading Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes. The template is only available to UC Berkeley instructors and GSI who are teaching a credit course in Spring 2021.
In order to access the DLS DesignPlus Template you must first attend a virtual workshop to see if it is the right fit for you. Register for the workshop, titled Intro to the DLS DesignPlus Template, via the AIS Upcoming Events(link is external) page. All who attend a workshop AND who are teaching spring 2020 credit-bearing courses will receive a form to request the DLS DesignPlus Template and information about how to access instructional materials and support. Requests must be submitted by Jan. 21, 2021.