Best Practices

Best Practices for Editing TRU-OL Curriculum Materials

[for checklists: expand each item in the list to link to subpage]

Conduct a Pre-Edit

Before starting to edit a course, confirm with Editing Coordinator (Brian):

• Issue (course) has been entered in JIRA[link] and assigned to you
• Any info that might impact the editing process

Discuss and verify with the instructional designer, course lead, subject matter expert (SME), or course writer:

• Scope of edit: this may change as editing proceeds and may differ from information captured in JIRA
• How to handle duplicate edits (for a standard web (SW) and print (PT) course, for example)
• How to handle URLs: best practice is as weblinks with author/originator stated, title of resource in bold font, URL provided, instructions to Production
• How to handle lists of resources (provide short lists in module or unit and references list at end of course)
• Whether to and where to provide a resources page
• Layout in the web (for example, if the Course Schedule will have a separate page or be included in the Course Guide)
• What citation style is to be used (generally, either APA or MLA)

Verify with the curriculum assistant:

• Details of the textbook(s) (name, author, edition); companion website; and other resources
• Editor's access to the resources (get the textbook)

Set up a style sheet:

• Either set up a new style sheet or get one from the previous editor
• Log in to Blackboard Learn[link] and note in the style sheet choices already made for the course

Set up the course folders and files:

• Save all original files with their original names
• Save all original files renamed according to File Naming Conventions[link]
• In the renamed files, accept all changes (if any remain) but keep any comments by previous reviewer

Back up all materials on the O: drive:

• Use a folder under O: Open Learning Share> Curriculum Services> editing [check] and back these up each day

In JIRA:

• Enter any relevant comments regarding previous edit and scope of the current one
• Log preliminary work

Edit the Course

Use JIRA

1. Log work. If there are two MODs (methods of delivery), log work under each one.
2. Enter comments for top-level information (from which an editing memo can be made) on the main page.
3. Enter comments for granular information under the log work page.
4. Estimate percentage of work done.

Use the Style Sheet

• Use and add to the Style Sheet [link to example]

Send Documentation

• Email edited Course Guide to the appropriate CA

Use Generic [use other word?] Email Addresses

Some OL teams do work on campus or work with several other teams so they might have generic sites. Rather than email a particular person in the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), for example, we use the IPO's generic email address. Generic email addresses:

 * Copyright: Copyright@tru.ca[link]
 * CA Business: CA1@tru.ca[link]
 * CA Arts: CA2@tru.ca[link]
 * CA Health: CA3@tru.ca[link]
 * Media Services : media@tru.ca [verify][link]
 * Default Course Lead (Naomi) and Project Manager (Andrea C): CurriculumServices@tru.ca[link]
 * Exams (Jennifer C): CSexams@tru.ca