We check the following items for every course. This review happens four to nine weeks before the course goes live for service level 1 courses, and up to four weeks before the course goes live for service levels 2 and 3.
If we find anything needing attention, we post them in the hidden Tasks Timeline page at the top of your course.
Course and resource settings
- settings on course pages, team, forum, activity and assignment are correct
- multiple section course settings are checked, if applicable
- grade book weightings total 100 and match those in the assessment matrix and course schedule
Course layout and presentation
- program standards are applied for permissions, requirements, gradebook settings, policy links, etc.
- welcome message up to date with instructor contact information
- Collaborate rooms created as required
- tasks timeline page is not visible to students
- all pages reviewed to ensure they follow Accessibility Guidelines for Course Development
Formatting
- all pages meet formatting consistency
- external style sheets used for formatting pages
- inline styles avoided if possible
- tables use appropriate style and format
- all information conveyed with colour is also available without colour
Links
- links (URLs) function and are formatted properly
- links are descriptive and state where they will go (e.g., "see the assignment description" not "click here")
- external links open in a new window
- internal links to pages and files within the course open in the same window
Activities/Assignments
- activity titles indicate class or team settings in parentheses at the end of the title, such as "Concept Map (Class)" or "Climate Change (Team)"
- activity names are consistent in all locations
- dates and times consistent with schedule
Course files
Course files are displayed and linked properly
- large groups of files are displayed in a "folder"
- no outdated files appear (for example, "Handout-2008.doc") and are changed to date-neutral
- media files like graphics, audio and video are stored externally on a media server, not within the course
Multimedia
Graphics and animations are designed, developed and presented for ease-of-use in an online environment
- are of good quality, clear, properly sized and legible
- fit in the middle pane and are responsive for smaller resolutions
- alt tags describe the media
- designed to maximize user control, such as intuitive controls for play and stop on a video clip
- file size for multimedia items is optimized for the fastest delivery possible, without compromising quality