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Using Templates with WebCT Vista

In WebCT Vista, a template contains course design elements (e.g., colors, icon sets) and course content (tools and their content items). Templates are essentially reusable course “shells” which can be assigned to sections as a foundation for section design. They also facilitate content sharing and consistency. Templates are not do not contain student data.

Why Use Templates?

A course template will reside on the server indefinately. Your course section will only reside on the server for about 6 months after the end of a term. Course templates have an additional feature in that documents linked into the template (such as your syllabus) are subscribed files. This means that you if you make e a change to the document in the template, the change will cascade down to any section that the template is applied to.

Developing a Template

All faculty have section level designer and instructor roles for the sections they teach (see learning contents and roles for a description of Vista hierachy). To develop and use templates, you need to be a course level designer. If you are unsure if you have been granted these roles, contact the WebCT Vista Administrator.

• To develop a templates in Vista you need to a course designer. The course designer owns the template and can allow other designers for the same course editorship privledges.
• You can copy or move templates between courses provided you have been granted course designer access for both courses.
• You can create a template from scratch, save an existing course section as a template, or import content from WebCT CE (or other learning system).

Appling and Using a Template

To apply and use a template, you need course level instructor.

• Once developed, a template must be associated with a course before it can be used
• After a template is associated with a course, it can be applied to a section
• A template can be applied to a section several ways (see first steps for one way)
• Generally, you apply it to a course section once at the beginning of the semester. Re-applying the template to a course section will overwrite the entire section, hence any student activity within the section will be lost. Once a template has been applied to a section, you can make changes to section without affecting the template.

Student Assistance
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ITCenter Hours
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