UW Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning, Instructional Computing Services
Last Revision: 18 September, 2009; R. Hill
We offer three choices of course website, Course Studio, eCompanion,
and WyoSakai, to UW instructors as supplements to campus
courses. Please start at the UW Supplemental Online Courses page:
http://www.uwyo.edu/onlnsupp
You may reach it from the Ellbogen Center page,
www.uwyo.edu/ctl/,
by clicking on "Online Supplemental Courses."
What to Tell Your Students: Tell them clearly what platform you have chosen. "We will be using a course website on the ____ (eCompanion/WyoSakai/CourseStudio) system. Go to the OnLnSupp page, http://www.uwyo.edu/onlnsupp, follow the Student Info link on the left, and read the appropriate section of the instructions."
Course Studio provides communication tools and file space, but no quizzing or grading. For an overview, see the "Faculty Help" question about the new web portal, and continue to the workshop notes "Overview of Course Websites" and "How To... Set Up Course Studio as an Online Supplement." Both of the full-fledged online course platforms, WyoSakai and eCompanion, give instructors a website with standard tools, through which students can view and download course notes and materials, follow links to other websites, carry on discussions, submit work, check their grades, and take quizzes.
| Getting Started | Course Studio | WyoSakai (2.6) | eCompanion (.NExT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| URL for access | In your WyoWeb portal, open the "Faculty" tab,
click on "Course Sites" in My Courses channel. Note supported broswers! |
At the Online Supplemental Courses page, follow the "Login WyoSakai" link; or
go directly to http://WyoSakai.uwyo.edu Note supported browsers! |
At the Online Supplemental Courses page, follow the "Login
eCompanion" link; or go to http://ecampus.uwyo.edu
or
http://onlineuw.uwyo.edu Note supported browsers! |
| How to Obtain | Provided by default for each official teaching assignment. | Course Request form, under "Faculty Resources" at the Online Supplemental Courses site. | Course Request form, under "Faculty Resources" at the Online Supplemental Courses site. |
| Common Feature: User's Home Page | In the "My Courses" channel, clicking on "Course Sites" opens "My Courses" page showing all current courses, as links, and also a link to "My Consolidated Courses." | User enters in "My Workspace" site, a personal file and web service. Use the "My Sites" list to find your course (and also project and portfolio) worksites. | User's personal page carries Outreach and eCollege news. Courses are under "Academics" tab. |
| Course website on link named by title | To enter a course in the Course Sites list, click on its name to go to the course home page. | To enter a course in the My Sites list, click on its name to go to the course Home page. | To enter a course, click on its name, which displays the course home page. |
| Different views of course for student and instructor | Views are same on Course Tools; instructors also have Content Tools and Configuration Tools. (Students who have been delegated privileges on a Content Tool will see it, as well.) | Specific student view on link, top right. Screen appearance same for students, but tools provided may be limited, with no editing options. | “Course” for students; “Author” for instructors. Author view reveals commands, options, and edit windows. |
| Initial Setup | Course Studio | WyoSakai | eCompanion (.NExT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance and Structure | Layout provided (same as WyoWeb Groups). List on left links to standard course tools, and also configuration menus. Middle column contains Announcements and Message Board, if they are in use; not configurable beyond that. | Appearance and layout can be customized by the institution and further by the instructor. We are using the default fixed three-column layout. List on left shows course tools in use. Middle column of home page set up by instructor with "Options." | Layout provided. Organized into units in list on left, where units can be lessons, topics, or weeks; with "Course Home" the default unit. Units contain Content Items (added by the instructor), revealed by mouse click. Some course tools appear in tabs across the top. |
| Adding or Removing Tools | To see what's available, and add or remove: In the Configuration Tools --> Applications |
Many tools are available. To see, and add or remove: Site Editor --> Edit Tools |
Tools set generally fixed. "Course Admin" tab allows disabling and enabling of Syllabus, Gradebook, E-Mail, and a few others. |
| Written Course Materials, in General | Upload to Files, for download by your students, in any format that can be opened by your students with a client application.. | Use the "Resources" tool for directories and files. HTML files can be edited onsite. Easy upload through WebDav. Folders and files can have access privileges and release dates. Resources can be reached through Web Content tools instead, giving a hierarchy of materials in the left-hand column. | To units, add Content Items, with type "Text/Multimedia" or MS Office. The Toolbox for a Content Item allows scheduling. |
| Student Enrollment | Automatically populated from Registrar's data. Students appear in the list of "Members" (ordered by first name). | Students set up their own WyoSakai guest accounts and join courses as "guests," according to the instructions to which you have referred them. You (the instructor) then change the role to "student." | ECompanion courses are populated and updated from UW registration data, with a time lag of a day or two, or sometimes several. |
| Particular Tools and Elements | Course Studio | WyoSakai | eCompanion (.NExT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syllabus | Upload the syllabus as a file, as described below. (There is no special-purpose Syllabus tool.) | Add Syllabus tool; then enter individual components or use your own, uploaded. | Click "Syllabus" in Course Home unit; then enter individual components or use your own completed document, uploaded. |
| Adding New Items and Files | Use "Manage Files" (in the Content Tools) to upload files of all types to the course, and organize with subfolders. Search function provided. File size severely limited (20Mb each, 100Mb total). | Upload individually into Resources folders, or set up a Network Place (in Windows) to drag folders and files into course Resources through WebDAV. Files launch client apps. Resources can be links to other Sakai elements on the same server (such as in your Workspace). | Add a unit, then a content item, then attach it to the unit and enter content. If a Text content item is entered right there through the edit window, it does not exist as a separate file. Uploaded MS Office files are converted to web pages. The File Manager (under the "Course Home" unit) can be used for storage or for files offered to students through links in content items. |
| Announce-ments | Shown on home page. Expire in one week, then deleted. No archive. | Announcements tool. Can set time span and other options. Can merge announcements from other site (a different course) into current one. Group-aware. | On Course Home page, Author view, you will find "Add Announcement." You can control the dates of display; announcements are retained in Author view. |
| Discussions | Message Board tool | Discussion Forums tool (friendly) or Forums tool (formal). Many controls; see documentation. | Add content item of type "Threaded Discussion." Can sort by each parameter shown, and can allow students to edit with Preferences (Course Admin tab). |
| E-Mail tool allows selection of members, but the list is ordered in an odd fashion. "Draft" and "Save" options do not work. | Messages tool; choose course-site or external e-addr delivery. And note that the E-Mail Tool provides a single address for sending to the whole class (all members); these messages are archived. | E-Mail tool (on tab) sends to UWYO addresses; allows selection of students, but no CC, no archives, and no saving drafts for finishing later. Ensure that you are included in the list of recipients. | |
| Collaborative Assignments | Delegate management authority (with the "Member" tool) to groups formed in class, for sharing News, Photos, and Links. Or request a portal Group for a student collaboration. | Sections tool, or Groups: Site Editor --> Manage Groups Also: Grant access to outside guest instructors by e-mail address, in Site Editor --> Add Participants. Guests will be e-mailed passwords to Sakai server enabling entry to your course site only. |
Course Admin tab --> Group Management to set up groups, for use in E-mail, Content Items-- including Exams and Discussions, Chat rooms, Doc Sharing, and Gradebook items. |
| Calendar and Scheduling Delivery | Use the tool here, in the course, or the WyoWeb Calendar. No control over course access, or of specific items, is possible. | Calendar tool for presentation. Many course tools or component have dates of availability in Settings or Options. For access to the entire course, set the Joinable Parameter in "Site Editor" --> "Manage Access." | Calendar tool not available; undergoing refinement. For individual items, use "Edit Scheduler" in Author View, sometimes in Toolbox. |
| Grades | None | Gradebook tool. Many controls. See documentation. | Gradebook tab; select unit from drop-down list: To enter new item, "Setup Gradebook." To enter data, "View Gradebook." |
| Exams | None | Tests and Quizzes tool; includes a quick-create that forms questions from pasted text and extensive settings. | Add content item of type "Exam," then click on it and enter Exam Builder. |
| Where to find more details | "Instructions for Standard Teaching Tasks Using Course Studio in WyoWeb" (Faculty Resources at the OnLnSupp page) | "Instructions for Standard Teaching Tasks in WyoSakai" (Faculty Resources) and its subordinate documents; and see the extensive Help pages (question-mark button) on your WyoSakai worksite. | "Instructions
for Standard Teaching Tasks in eCompanion" (Faculty Resources at the
OnLnSupp page)
|
| What to tell your students Note: If you have edited the course link in the WyoWeb "My Courses" page, you may instruct them to use that. |
"Log in to the WyoWeb portal and go through the My Courses channel to the site for this course. For more details, see the Online Supplemental Courses page, Student Info." | "We are using WyoSakai. Create your own account and join this course at http://wyosakai.uwyo.edu. See the Online Supplemental Courses page, Student Info, for instructions." | "We are using eCompanion, which you will reach through the OnlineUW login page at http://ecampus.uwyo.edu. See the Online Supplemental Courses page, Student Info, for instructions." |
| ICSL 1001-01 ICSL 1001-02 |
Instructors: Doctor Schmoctor (schmoctor), Preachy Teachy (teachy) Students: Judy Jetson (jjetson), George Jetson (gjetson), Barney Rubble (brubble), Wilma Flintstone (wflintstone) |