Note: If you haven't already done so, it is recommended to view the tutorial on how to create & modify course designs before reading through this tutorial.
Figure 1
The Course Builder is composed of 3 tabs:
- Information (Figure 1-1)- This tab contains the basic course title and description provided to participants.
- Activities (Figure 1-2)- The Activities tab lays out the training experience, from pre-session assignments to live events, along with any post-session work or activities. Assignments and activities under this tab typically allow for dates and times to be entered during a project setup.
- Resources (Figure 1-3)- The Resources section of the course is meant for files/documents/etc... that are normally available to participants at any point, but that don't need dates & deadlines attached and/or don't need to be accessed in any specific order. Note that Events cannot be added to the Resources area.
Information Tab
To modify the title and description of the course, simply click in either field, make your changes, and then be sure to apply those changes by clicking on either Save or Save & Close.
The title and description entered here show on the top of the course when participants access it through their Participant Portal. This title and description also shows on their course overview screen if they have access to more than one course in Blanchard Exchange.
Activities Tab
The majority of what you add to through the Activities tab will allow you to enter dates & times when you create a project (or edit an existing project) using your modified course template, such as deadlines or live events.
Figure 2
The Activities tab is broken down into 3 sections:
- Components (Figure 2-1)- This section contains options for managing the layout of your course. See below for a detailed look at Components.
- Materials (Figure 2-2)- This shows all Products available in your Blanchard Exchange account along with any custom files in your Library (or Materials/custom files available to your project if modifying at the project level).
- Events (Figure 2-3)- The Events tab allows you to enter placeholders for specific types of live events. See below for a detailed look at Events.
To add any of sub-components from the 3 categories above to your course design, simply click on the appropriate category, hold down your mouse click on the sub-component you wish to add, and drag it to where you wish to display it in your course.
Each of the components you add to a course have placeholders for titles and descriptions. The titles and descriptions you enter are the same titles and descriptions participants see when accessing the course. Click on the existing title or description for any component, material, or event in your project to customize those fields. Be sure to click on the check mark in the edit field to save your changes.
Resources Tab
Adding resources are similar to adding activities. To add a resource, find the resource under the available materials on the left and then hold down your mouse click and drag it to the resource area based on the order you want the resource displayed.
When you add a resource, you are provided with the following options in terms of how/when you want the resource displayed:
- Resource is always visible - The resource will be available at any point including when the participant first accesses the course.
- Material will be visible as a resource when the corresponding activity is complete. - The resource will only show under the Resources tab to a participant if they have accessed this same resource under their activities (the resource must also be listed under the Activities tab for this option to work correctly)
- Materials will be visible as a resource when the entire course is completed. - The resource will only be visible once all trackable items in a course have been completed by the participant.
Component Details
The table below provides a breakdown of the different Component types available in the Course Builder.
Event Details
The table below provides a breakdown of the different Event types, also known as "live event placeholders", available in the Course Builder.
| NAME | DESCRIPTION | PROJECT PLACEHOLDERS |
|---|---|---|
| Face-to-Face Session | Live event for Face-to-Face events with a physical location. |
|
| Virtual Session | Live virtual session event type for events taking place virtually. |
|
| Virtual Session - WebEx | Live virtual session event type specific to WebEx virtual events. |
|
| Teleconference | Live teleconference event. |
|
| Online Activity | Used for sending participants to alternate websites. |
|
| Email Activity | Used for sending an email directly to a specific email address (opens default email program on each participant's computer based on email address filled in under the project setup). |
|
| Offline Activity | Used for general text instructions/directions. |
|