Define Courses

IBS 2.7 > Group Administrator: Publisher Functions

When you are ready to add a new course to the IBS inventory, you will create a specification for it in IBS. If you wish, you can do this even before you have created the corresponding products (but please do not create a course specification unless you really intend to publish the course). The course specification captures required data that applies to the course content, regardless of how it is packaged and delivered. 

To create the course specification, select Group Administrators > Publisher > Define Courses. When the Publisher Course Inventory page appears, click Add Course Specification.

Adding a course specification

Recall that in IBS, a course refers to the content to be taught. It is intellectual property that has no specific format or media. When you add a course specification, you enter:

1. Course Title: The primary way your course will be referred to within IBS. It will appear in course catalogs, in class discussions (for facilitated classes), and on every classroom page (for all interactive courses).
2. Course Description: A free-text field. The text you enter here will be visible to Academic GAs as they build their course catalogs, and to students as they browse the course catalogs. Enter a brief, descriptive statement that will give others an idea of what to expect from the course.
3. Course Language: Each course is in a specific language. A translation of course material into a new language is considered a new course.
4. Course Two-letter Code: This can be two letters or a combination of a letter and a number, and is unique for each course published by your Group. IBS Learning Services will provide this code to you. 
5. Course Folder Name: This is where the files associated with your product(s) will be stored on the IBS server. IBS Learning Services will provide the course folder name to you.
6. # of Lessons, # of Lesson Self-Checks, # of Units, # of Unit Exams, and Course Exam: These fields are most relevant for online course formats (ONFAC and ONIS). Entering the correct values for each of these allows IBS to determine when a student has completed the course. The value entered in # of Lessons and # of Units must be 1 or greater for all courses.
7. Sharing Options: This allows you to control which other Groups will be able to offer this course.
1. Exclusive use means that only you, the course Publisher, may offer the course to your students. (We recommend that you always specify Exclusive use while you are in the process of developing a new course. When your course specification is complete, if you want other Groups to be able to include your course in their course catalogs and study programs, you may choose one of the other sharing options.)
2. Selective sharing means that you will specify which Groups may offer the course. The course will be available only to students in the Groups you specify.
3. Open sharing means that your course will be available to students in any Group in IBS, including any new Groups that join IBS at a later time. 

IMPORTANT: Once you, the publisher, have shared a course, using either Selective sharing or Open sharing, you cannot subsequently withdraw it. For example, if you choose Open sharing, you cannot subsequently change to Selective sharing or Exclusive use, nor can you rescind access to a Group that was previously granted access to the course. This restriction ensures that a student who has purchased your course through another Group will continue to have access to it.

When all fields are complete, click the Submit button. Your specification will appear in the Publisher Course Inventory table with a status of Pending. The IBS SysAdmin will review the specification. 

• If any information is missing or incorrect, the SysAdmin will change the status to Rejected and you will be asked to supply the correct information.
• If all fields are correct, the SysAdmin will approve it and the status will change to Added.  

Depending on how widely you have chosen to share the course, once the specification has been added successfully, the GAs of other Groups may be able to see your course description. They may choose to add it to their course catalogs and study programs as a “coming attraction” before there are actually any corresponding products that can be sold. 

Editing a course specification

To change a course specification that you have entered previously, select Group Administrators > Publisher > Define Courses. Locate the course you need to change, then click Edit. 

• For courses with a status of Pending or Rejected, you may edit any of the fields.
• For courses with a status of Added, you may edit only the Sharing Option. Remember, once you have shared a course, using either Selective sharing or Open sharing, you cannot subsequently withdraw it. You can only make the sharing more open, not more restrictive.

Make your edits in any fields you wish to change, then click Submit Course Specification. Your updated course specification will be sent to the SysAdmin for approval.

Deleting a course specification

You cannot delete a course specification once the SysAdmin has approved it and the status has changed to Added. This is because a course that has been approved may have already been placed in a Group’s course catalog or study program.

If you need to delete a specification that has not yet been approved (status is Pending or Rejected), select Group Administrators > Publisher > Define Courses. Locate the course you need to remove, then click Delete.