Building and Running an Open edX Course: Juniper Release¶

Documentation¶

The edX Help Center for Learners includes topics to help you understand how to use the edX learning management system. The Help Center is also available when you select Help while you are in a course, and from your edX dashboard.

In a Course¶

If you have a question about something you encounter in an edX course, try these options for getting an answer.

• Check the Course page in the course. Course teams use this page to post updates about the course, which can include explanations about course content, reminders about when graded assignments are due, or announcements for upcoming events or milestones.
• Look for an “Introduction”, “Overview”, or “Welcome” section in the course content. In the first section in the course, course teams often include general information about how the course works and what you can expect, and also what they expect from you, in the first section in the course.
• Participate in the course discussions. Other learners might be able to answer your question, or might have the same question themselves. If you encounter an unfamiliar word, phrase, or abbreviation, such as “finger exercise” or “board work”, search for it on the Discussion page, or post a question about it yourself. Your comments and questions give the course team useful feedback for improving the course.
• Investigate other resources. Some courses have a wiki, which can be a good source of information. Outside of the course, a course-specific Facebook page or Twitter feed might be available for learners to share information.

Resources on the edx.org Website¶

To help you get started with the edX learning experience, edX offers a course (of course!). You can find the edX Demo course on the edx.org website.

When you are working in an edX course, you can select Help to access a help center with frequently asked questions and answers.

If you still have questions or suggestions, you can contact the edX Support team for help.

For opportunities to meet others who are interested in edX courses, check the edX Global Community meetup group.

Course Team Support in the edX Partner Portal¶

EdX partner course teams can get technical support in the edX Partner Portal. To access technical support, submit a support ticket, or review any support tickets you have created, go to partners.edx.org and select Course Staff Support at the top of the page. This option is available on every page in the Partner Portal.

Release Announcements by Email¶

To receive and share product and release announcements by email, you can subscribe to announcements on one of the edX portal sites.

1. Create an account on the Open edX Portal or the edX Partner Portal as described above.
2. Select Community and then Announcements.
3. Under Subscriptions, select the different types of announcements that you want to receive through email. You might need to scroll down to see these options.
4. Select Save.

You will now receive email messages when new announcements of the types you selected are posted.

The edX Course Creator Series¶

The courses in the edX Course Creator Series provide foundational knowledge about using the edX platform to deliver educational experiences. These courses are available on edx.org.

Documentation¶

Documentation for course teams is available from the docs.edx.org web page.

• Building and Running an edX Course is a comprehensive guide with concepts and procedures to help you build a course in Studio and then use the Learning Management System (LMS) to run a course.

  You can access this guide by selecting Help in Studio or from the instructor dashboard in the LMS.

• Using edX Insights describes the metrics, visualizations, and downloadable .csv files that course teams can use to gain information about student background and activity.

These guides open in your web browser. The left side of each page includes a Search docs field and links to the contents of that guide. To open or save a PDF version, select v: latest at the lower right of the page, then select PDF.

Email¶

To receive and share information by email, course team members can:

• Subscribe to announcements and other new topics in the edX Partner Portal or the Open edX Portal. For information about how to subscribe, see Release Announcements through the Open edX Portal.
• Join the openedx-studio Google group to ask questions and participate in discussions with peers at other edX partner organizations and edX staffers.

Wikis and Web Sites¶

The edX product team maintains public product roadmaps on the Open edX Portal and the edX Partner Portal.

The edX Partner Support site for edX partners hosts discussions that are monitored by edX staff.

Documentation¶

The edX Research Guide is available on the docs.edx.org web page. Although it is written primarily for data czars and researchers at partner institutions, this guide can also be a useful reference for members of the Open edX community.

The edX Research Guide opens in your web browser, with a Search docs field and links to sections and topics on the left side of each page. To open or save a PDF version, select v: latest at the lower right of the page, and then select PDF.

Discussion Forums and Email¶

Researchers, edX data czars, and members of the global edX data and analytics community can post and discuss questions in our public research forum: the openedx-analytics Google group.

The edX partner portal also offers community forums, including a Research and Analytics topic, for discussions among edX partners.

Data czars who have questions that involve sensitive data, or that are institution specific, can send them by email to data.support@edx.org with a copy to your edX partner manager.

Wikis¶

The edX Analytics team maintains the Open edX Analytics wiki, which includes links to periodic release notes and other resources for researchers.

The edx-tools wiki lists publicly shared tools for working with the edX platform, including scripts for data analysis and reporting.

Documentation¶

Documentation for developers is available from the edX Developer Documentation landing page.

GitHub¶

These are the main edX repositories on GitHub.

• The edx/edx-platform repo contains the code for the edX platform.
• The edx/edx-analytics-dashboard repo contains the code for edX Insights.
• The edx/configuration repo contains scripts to set up and operate the edX platform.

Additional repositories are used for other projects. Our contributor agreement, contributor guidelines and coding conventions, and other resources are available in these repositories.

Getting Help¶

The Getting Help page in the Open edX Portal lists different ways that you can ask, and get answers to, questions.

Wikis and Web Sites¶

The Open edX Portal is the entry point for new contributors.

The edX Engineering team maintains an open Confluence wiki, which provides insights into the plans, projects, and questions that the edX Open Source team is working on with the community.

The edx-tools wiki lists publicly shared tools for working with the edX platform, including scripts and helper utilities.

Include Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content¶

For any non-text content, provide text alternatives so that the content can be changed into other forms that people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols, or simpler language.

For non-text tests or exercises that would be invalid if presented in text, provide text alternatives that at least provide descriptions of the non-text content. Make sure that all images have useful alternative text that screen readers and other assistive technologies can read. For more information, see Use Best Practices for Describing Images.

Provide Alternatives for Time-Based Media¶

For time-based media, including pre-recorded audio or video content, provide alternative equivalent information, such as captions, audio description or pre-recorded sign language interpretation. For more information, see Create Accessible Media.

Make Sure Your Content is Adaptable¶

Design your course content so that it can be presented in different ways without losing information or structure. If your content includes specific information, structure, and relationships (such as sequence) that is conveyed through presentation, make sure the same information, structure, and relationships can be programmatically determined or are available in text. HTML is an ideal format in which to publish course content, because it provides semantic elements with implied roles, states, and properties. Users of assistive technologies rely on such semantic elements to effectively and efficiently consume and navigate content. Publish your content in HTML whenever possible.

Make sure your course content does not rely solely on sensory characteristics such as shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound to be understood by learners.

Make It Easier for Learners to See and Hear Content¶

Make the default presentation as easy to perceive as possible, especially by making it easier for learners to distinguish foreground information from the background, in both visual and audio elements.

For visual elements, techniques include making sure the fonts you use are readable, and that there is sufficient contrast between the foreground and background. Do not use color as the sole means of visually distinguishing an element or conveying critical information. If you must create images that contain text, make sure that the text has a font size of at least 14 points and has good contrast with the background. Images of text cannot be scaled or color corrected as effectively as HTML text. Whenever possible, use the default font and color defined in the edX platform, which was designed to be easy to read. If you choose to override default font colors, make sure that the foreground and background colors have sufficient contrast.

For audio elements, make sure that foreground sounds are sufficiently louder than background sounds.

Write Simply and Clearly¶

Avoid jargon. If unfamiliar words or phrases are relevant to the subject, explain them when they are first used, and include a glossary with your course materials. When you use an abbreviation or acronym, provide the full phrase the first time it appears. For example, “World Health Organization (WHO).”

The Center for Plain Language provides detailed resources on writing clearly and concisely, in language appropriate for your content and target audience.

Make Your Course Easy to Navigate¶

One aspect of making your course understandable is making sure that learners can easily grasp its structure, find content, and determine where they are within the course.

Name your course sections, subsections, units, components, and discussion topics in a consistent way, and make sure the names are useful and easy to skim. Make an element’s name descriptive of its content, and put important keyword information first in the name. These names are used in navigation menus, page headings, and section headings; they are signposts that help learners to navigate your course and read course content.

When you create written learning resources, break text into sections using HTML elements such as headings, paragraphs, and lists. Long blocks of unbroken text are a barrier to most readers. Segmented content is more inviting and is easier to navigate and search. See Use Best Practices for HTML Markup for guidance on creating accessible HTML.

When you provide links to external materials, use link text that clearly explains the link destination (for example, “Review the Course Syllabus”). Avoid using constructs such as “Review the Course Syllabus here”, with only the word “here” serving as link text. For links that point to documents rather than web pages, include the document type in the link. For example, “Supplemental Reading for Week 1 (EPUB)”. Screen reader users frequently browse lists of links, or navigate web pages by moving from one link to the next. Ensuring that link text is understandable without surrounding context is important.

Images That Are Links or Controls¶

If your image serves as a link to additional content or is an interactive form control such as a button, the value of the alt attribute should describe the destination of the link or the action that will be performed when the user clicks the image. For example, if a linked image of an envelope opens an email program to send an email, a useful text alternative is “Send message”, rather than “Envelope.”

Images That Contain Text¶

If your image contains text, the alt attribute would typically consist of exactly the same text as is contained in the image. However, there are a couple of conditions when having an empty alt attribute (alt="") is the preferred solution.

If the text contained in the image is also available in nearby HTML, or otherwise accessible text, including it in the alt attribute would be redundant. In this case, setting an empty alt attribute (alt="") is acceptable. Doing so effectively “hides” the image from screen reader users.

If the text contained in the image is for decorative purposes only and adds no value to the content of the page, an empty alt attribute is also acceptable.

Images That Contribute Meaning or Additional Context to the Page¶

If the image is a simple graphic or photograph that provides additional context to the surrounding content, the alt attribute should briefly describe the image in a way that conveys that context.

Consider the following examples of meaningful alt attributes for a photo of the famous stone bridge, Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy.

• For a representative image of the bridge included on a page about Florence, a meaningful alt attribute would be “Photo of Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge and shopping center in Florence, Italy.”
• If the context of the page is about the bridge itself a meaningful alt attribute would be more specific: “Photo of Ponte Vecchio showing its three stone arches which span the Arno River.”
• For a technical diagram, or illustration, on a page about the construction of the bridge the alt attribute would include the details conveyed visually, such as dimensions and materials used: “The Ponte Vecchio is a stone bridge with three arches and a span-to-rise ratio of 5 to 1.”
• For a map intended to provide directions to the bridge, the alt attribute would provide directions as text.

Graphs or Complex Visual Representations of Information¶

If the image is a graph or represents a complex piece of information, include the information contained in the image as accessible text adjacent to the image, or provide a link to the information. The alt attribute should convey a summary of what the complex image conveys visually. For example, a line graph that represents the price of a stock over time might be “The price of the stock rises from $45 in January of 2015 to over $76 in June of 2015 with a significant drop of 30% during the month of March.”

Consider using a caption to display long descriptions so that the information is available to all learners. In the following example, the image element includes the short description as the alt attribute and the paragraph element includes the long description.

<img src="image.jpg" alt="Photo of Ponte Vecchio"> <p>Photo of Ponte Vecchio showing its three stone arches and the Arno river</p>

Alternatively, provide long descriptions by creating an additional unit or downloadable file that contains the descriptive text and providing a link to the unit or file below the image.

<img src="image.jpg" alt="Illustration of Ponte Vecchio"> <p><a href="description.html">Description of Ponte Vecchio Illustration</a></p>

Images With Unknown Descriptions at The Time of Publication¶

If a suitable text alternative is unknown at the time of publication (for example, a webcam image that updates every 10 minutes) provide an alt attribute that includes as much useful information as possible. For example, “Traffic on Interstate 90 at 5:45 PM June 26, 2015.”

Non-Informative Images¶

Images that do not provide information, including purely decorative images, do not need text descriptions. For example, an icon that is followed by link text that reads “Course Syllabus (EPUB)” does not need alternative text.

For non-informative images that should be skipped by screen reading software, include an alt attribute but leave it with an empty value (also known as a NULL alt attribute).

<img src="image.jpg" alt="">

Information Graphics (Charts, Diagrams, Illustrations)¶

Graphics are helpful for communicating concepts and information, but they can present challenges for people with visual impairments. For example, a chart that requires color perception or a diagram with tiny labels and annotations will likely be difficult to comprehend for learners with color blindness or low vision. All images present a barrier to learners who are blind.

EdX recommends that you follow these best practices for making information graphics accessible to visually impaired learners.

• Avoid using only color to distinguish important features of an image. For example, on a line graph, use a different symbol or line style as well as color to distinguish the data elements.
• Whenever possible, use an image format that supports scaling, such as .svg, so that learners can employ zooming or view the image larger. Consider providing a high-resolution version of complex graphics that have small but essential details.
• For every graphic, provide a text alternative that provides the equivalent information that a sighted learner would obtain from viewing the graphic. For charts and graphs, a text alternative could be a table displaying the same data. See Use Best Practices for Describing Images for details about providing useful text alternatives for images.

Accessible Images Resources¶

• W3C Resources on Alternative Text for Images
• W3C WAI Images Tutorial
• HTML5 - Requirements for providing text to act as an alternative for images
• WebAim provides general guidance on the appropriate use of alternative text for images.
• The DIAGRAM Center, established by the US Department of Education (Office of Special Education Programs), provides guidance on ways to make it easier, faster, and more cost effective to create and use accessible images.

Accessible Course Materials Resources¶

• The DAISY Consortium is a global partnership of organizations that supports and helps to develop inclusive publishing standards.
• The EPUB 3 format is widely adopted as the format for digital books.

Creating Accessible PDF Documents¶

Not all ebooks are available in DAISY or EPUB 3 format. Portable Document Format (PDF) is another common format for course materials, including textbooks supplied by publishers. However, converting materials to PDF documents can create accessibility barriers, particularly for learners with visual impairments. Such learners rely on the semantic document structure inherently available in HTML, DAISY, or EPUB 3 to understand and effectively navigate PDF documents. For more information, see HTML Markup Resources).

Accessibility issues are very common in PDF files that were scanned from printed sources or exported from a non-PDF document format. Scanned documents are simply images of text. To make scanned documents accessible, you must perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on these documents, and proofread the resulting text for accuracy before embedding it within the PDF file. You must also add semantic structure and other metadata (headings, links, alternative content for images, and so on) to the embedded text.

When you export documents to PDF from other formats, it is important to ensure that the source document contains all the required semantic structure and metadata before exporting. Unfortunately, some applications do not include this information when exporting and require the author to add or “tag” the document manually using PDF editing software. You should carefully consider whether exporting to PDF is necessary at all.

Creating Accessible Word Documents¶

Many of the same accessibility techniques and principles that apply to authoring web content also apply to creating Word documents.

• Images must have descriptive text associated with them.
• Documents should be well structured.
• Hyperlinks should be meaningful and describe the destination.
• Tables should include properly defined column and row headers.
• Color combinations should be high contrast.
• Verify the accessibility of your document using Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker.

In addition, follow these guidelines when you format Word documents.

• Keep formatting simple. Use headings, paragraphs, lists, images, and captions. Use tables for tabular data. Do not add unnecessary indents, rules, columns, blank lines, or typographic variation.
• Use standardized styles for formatting your text, such as Normal, Heading 1, and Heading 2, rather than manually formatting text using text styles and indents. Formatting text for its semantic meaning and not for its visual appearance allows users of assistive technology to consume and navigate documents effectively and efficiently.

Creating Accessible Excel Documents¶

Many of the same accessibility techniques and principles that apply to authoring data tables in HTML also apply to creating Excel spreadsheets.

• Images must have descriptive text associated with them. For more information, see Add alternative text to images and objects in Excel documents.
• Column and row headings should be programmatically identified.
• Hyperlinks in spreadsheets should be meaningful and describe the destination.
• Use a unique and informative title for each worksheet tab.
• Do not use blank cells for formatting.
• Color combinations should be high contrast.
• Verify the accessibility of your workbook using Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker.

Creating Accessible PowerPoint Documents¶

Many of the same accessibility techniques and principles that apply to authoring web content also apply to creating PowerPoint presentations.

• Images must have descriptive text associated with them. For more information, see Add alternative text to images and objects in PowerPoint documents.
• Column and row headings should be programmatically identified. For more information, see Specify column header information in tables in PowerPoint documents.
• Hyperlinks in presentations should be meaningful and describe the destination.
• Use a unique and informative title for each slide.
• Ensure that information is presented in a logical order
• Color combinations should be high contrast.
• Verify the accessibility of your presentation using Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker.

To make your content accessible and comprehensible to learners who use screen reading software, start in Outline view and include all of your content as text. After completing the outline, add design elements and images, and use the picture formatting options in MS PowerPoint to include detailed text descriptions of images that convey useful information to learners who cannot view the images. Use the Home > Drawing > Arrange > Selection Pane option to view the reading order of objects on each slide. If the reading order is not logical, change the order of the objects.

Accessible Mathematical Content Resources¶

• The MathJax website provides guidance on creating accessible pages using their display engine.
• The DO-IT project from the University of Washington provides guidance on creating accessible math content.
• The AccessSTEM website provides guidance on creating accessible science, technology, engineering and math educational content.
• Design Science shares information about making math accessible.

Simulations and Interactive Modules¶

Simulations, including animated or gamified content, can enhance the learning experience. In particular, they benefit learners who might have difficulty acquiring knowledge from reading and processing textual content alone. However, simulations can also present some groups of learners with difficulties. To minimize barriers to learning, consider the intended learning outcome of the simulation. Is your goal to reinforce understanding that can also come from textual content or a video lecture, or is it to convey new knowledge that other course resources cannot cover? Providing alternative resources will help mitigate the impact of any barriers.

Although you can design simulations to avoid many accessibility barriers, some barriers, particularly in simulations supplied by third parties, might be difficult or impossible to address for technical or pedagogic reasons. Understanding the nature of these barriers can help you provide workarounds for learners who are affected. Keep in mind that attempted workarounds for simulations supplied by third parties might require the supplier’s consent if copyrighted material is involved. If you consider third party solutions, we encourage you to evaluate them for accessibility. The easiest way to do this is to contact the vendor and ask them about the accessibility of their product.

Consider the following questions when creating simulations, keeping in mind that as the course creator, you enjoy considerable freedom in selecting course objectives and outcomes. Additionally, if the visual components of a simulation are so central to your course design, providing alternative text description and other accommodations might not be practical or feasible.

• Does the simulation require vision to understand? If so, provide text describing the concepts that the simulation conveys.

• Is a computer mouse necessary to operate the simulation? If so, provide text describing the concepts that the simulation conveys.

• Does the simulation include flashing or flickering content that could trigger seizures?

  If so, and if this content is critical to the nature of the simulation, take these steps.

  • Do not make using the simulation a requirement for a graded assessment activity.
  • Provide a warning that the simulation contains flickering or flashing content.

Online Exercises and Assessments¶

For each activity or assessment that you design, consider any difficulties that learners with disabilities might have in completing it, and consider using multiple assessment options. Focus on activities that can be completed and submitted by all learners.

Some learners take longer to read information and input responses, such as learners with visual or mobility impairments and learners who need time to comprehend the information. If an exercise has a time limit, consider whether the allowed time is enough for all learners to respond. Advance planning might help to reduce the number of learners requesting time extensions.

Some online exercise question types, such as the following examples, might be difficult for learners who have vision or mobility impairments.

• Exercises requiring fine hand-eye coordination, such as image mapped input or drag and drop exercises, might present difficulties to learners who have limited mobility. Consider alternatives that do not require fine motor skills, unless, of course, such skills are necessary for effective participation in the course. For example, instead of a drag and drop exercise for mapping atoms to compounds, provide a checkbox or multiple choice exercise.
• Highly visual stimuli, such as word clouds, might not be accessible to learners who have visual impairments. Provide a text alternative that conveys the same information, such as an ordered list of words in the word cloud.

Third-Party Content¶

If you include links to third-party content in your course, be mindful of the accessibility of such resources. EdX recommends that you evaluate third-party content prior to sharing it with learners.

You can use the eReader tool or Adding Files to a Course to incorporate third-party textbooks and other publications in PDF format into your course. You can also incorporate such materials into your course in HTML format. See Creating Accessible PDF Documents for guidance on working with third-party supplied PDFs, and Use Best Practices for HTML Markup for guidance on creating accessible HTML.

Accessible Custom Content Resources¶

• Provide access to digital publications, from the National Center for Accessible Media, provides best practices for describing graphs, charts, diagrams, and illustrations.
• AccessSTEM provides guidance on creating accessible science, technology, engineering and math educational content.
• The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) provides Principles and Characteristics of Inclusive Assessment and Accountability Systems.

Timed Text Captions¶

Timed text captions are essential to opening up a world of information for persons with hearing loss or literacy needs by making the readable equivalent of audio content available to them in a synchronized manner. Globally hearing loss affects about 10% of the population to some degree. It causes disability in 5% (360 to 538 million) and moderate to severe disability in 124 million people. Timed text captions also be helpful for learners whose native languages are languages other than the primary language of the media or who have cognitive conditions that benefit from visual. The edX media player displays timed text captions as links in an interactive area adjacent to the video, which allows all learners to navigate to a specific section of the video by selecting some location within the caption text.

Text caption files start with the text version of a video’s spoken content and any non-spoken audio that is important to understanding the context of the video, such as [BUZZER], [LAUGHTER], or [THUNDER]. If you created your video using a script, you have a great start on creating the text caption file. Simply review the recorded video and update the script as needed. Proper editing should maintain both the original meaning, content, and essential vocabulary. Text captions can be uploaded to YouTube along with the video to create a timed text file in SubRip (SRT) format. Otherwise, you will need to create the timed text caption file yourself or engage someone to do it. There are many companies that will create timed text captions (captions that synchronize the text with the video using time codes) for a fee. SRT files should be associated with video components in Studio. See Working with Video Components for details on how to associate text captions with videos.

If you choose to create your own timed text caption files yourself, you must follow these guidelines.

• Each caption frame should not be on screen for less than three seconds.
• Each caption frame must not be on screen for less than two seconds.
• Each caption frame should not exceed more than 2 lines.
• Each caption frame must not exceed more than 3 lines.
• Each line should not exceed more than 32 characters
• All caption frames should be precisely time synched to the audio.
• When multiple speakers are present, it is sometimes helpful to identify who is speaking, especially when the video does not make this clear.
• Non-speech sounds like [MUSIC] or [LAUGHTER] should be added in square brackets.

Descriptions in Video¶

When you create video segments, consider how you will convey information to learners who cannot see what is happening in a video. Actions that are only visible on screen without any audible equivalent are not accessible to learners who have visual impairments.

For many topics, you can fully cover concepts in the spoken presentation. If it is practical to do so, you should audibly describe visual events as they happen in the video. For example, if you are illustrating dropping a coin and a feather together from a height, you should consider narrating your actions as you perform them. Ask yourself if your video would make sense if the learner were only listening to the audio content, for example while they were driving a car.

Downloadable Transcripts¶

For both audio and video transcripts, consider including a text file that learners can download and review using tools such as word processing, screen reader, or literacy software. All learners can use transcripts of media-based learning materials for study and review.

Accessible Media Resources¶

• Accessible Digital Media Guidelines provides detailed advice on creating online video and audio with accessibility in mind.
• Captioning Key by the National Association for the Deaf provides excellent guidance on creating described and captioned media.
• Closed Captioning & Subtitling Standards in IP Video Programming by 3PlayMedia discusses best practices in this recorded webinar and white paper.

HTML Markup Resources¶

• Creating Semantic Structure provides guidance on reflecting the semantic structure of a web page in the underlying markup (WebAIM).
• Creating Accessible Tables provides specific guidance on creating data tables with the appropriate semantic structure so that screen readers can correctly present the information (WebAIM).

Universal Design for Learning Resources¶

• The National Center on Universal Design for Learning provides a helpful overview on Universal Design for Learning.

Course Progress Information¶

The course outline in the LMS also indicates a learner’s progress through the course. A green check mark next to the name of a section, subsection, or unit indicates that a learner has completed all the following actions in the section, subsection, or unit.

• Viewed all of each video.
• Submitted answers for all of the problems.
• Viewed all HTML content for at least five seconds.

If a learner selects the Resume Course option, the course opens to the unit that the learner most recently completed.

For information about more specific learner data, including the learner’s grades or answers for individual problems, see Managing Learner Progress and Grades.

Adding New Sections, Subsections, or Units¶

• To add a section to the outline, select New Section. This option appears at both the top of the page and below the current sections in the outline. For more information, see Create a Section.
• To add a subsection to the end of the section, expand the section and select New Subsection.
• To add a unit to the end of a subsection, expand the subsection and select New Unit. The unit page opens.

Duplicating Existing Sections, Subsections, or Units¶

To add a section, subsection, or unit by duplicating content that already exists in the course outline, select the Duplicate icon for the item that you want to duplicate. You see a Duplicating indicator at the bottom of the Studio page.

Duplicated items are added to the course outline immediately below the original item, with the name “Duplicate of <original item name>”.

Course Progress Information¶

The course outline in the LMS also indicates a learner’s progress through the course. A green check mark next to the name of a section, subsection, or unit indicates that a learner has completed all the following actions in the section, subsection, or unit.

• Viewed all of each video.
• Submitted answers for all of the problems.
• Viewed all HTML content for at least five seconds.

If a learner selects the Resume Course option, the course opens to the unit that the learner most recently completed.

For information about more specific learner data, including the learner’s grades or answers for individual problems, see Managing Learner Progress and Grades.

Unscheduled¶

If you do not change the course start date default value, 1/1/2030 00:00:00 UTC, when you create a new section, its release date will appear as Unscheduled. When the section release date is unscheduled, learners cannot see any content in that section, regardless of the publishing status of that content.

If you have modified the course start date, when you create a new section, the default release date is the course start date.

To make the content available to learners, you must schedule the release date.

Scheduled¶

A section that is scheduled for release on a future date will not be visible to learners until after the release date. Regardless of the publishing status of content within the section, the entire section will not visible to learners.

The scheduled date must pass for the section to be visible to learners.

Released¶

A section that is released is visible to learners; however, learners see only subsections within the section that are also released, and units that are published.

Released with Unpublished Changes¶

If you change a unit in a released section but do not publish the changes, learners see the last published version of the modified unit.

You must publish the unit for learners to see the updates.

Staff Only Content¶

A section can contain a unit that is hidden from learners and available to members of the course team only. That unit is not visible to learners, regardless of the release date of the section or subsection.

Send Weekly Highlight Emails¶

To send weekly highlight emails to your learners, you must first set highlights for each section. When you have set section highlights, you then enable the Weekly Highlight Emails setting.

The number of highlights that you have set for a section is visible in the course outline, below the name of the section.

Course Progress Information¶

The course outline in the LMS also indicates a learner’s progress through the course. A green check mark next to the name of a section, subsection, or unit indicates that a learner has completed all the following actions in the section, subsection, or unit.

• Viewed all of each video.
• Submitted answers for all of the problems.
• Viewed all HTML content for at least five seconds.

If a learner selects the Resume Course option, the course opens to the unit that the learner most recently completed.

For information about more specific learner data, including the learner’s grades or answers for individual problems, see Managing Learner Progress and Grades.

Scheduled with the Section¶

When you create a subsection, it is set by default to release on the same date and time as the section it is in. Therefore, published content in the subsection is visible to learners at the date and time the section is released.

When a subsection is in the “Scheduled with Section” state, and the section is scheduled, the subsection is visible in the outline with a vertical green bar next to the subsection’s display name.

You can change the release date for a subsection to be different from the section it is in. For more information, see Set a Subsection Release Date.

Unscheduled¶

If the parent section is unscheduled, when you create a new subsection it will also be unscheduled.

Regardless of the publishing status of units within the subsection, no content in an unscheduled subsection is visible to learners.

When a subsection is unscheduled, the subsection is visible in the outline with a vertical gray bar next to the subsection’s display name.

Content in the subsection is not visible to learners until you set a release date and the date passes.

Scheduled Later than the Section¶

You can set a subsection to release on a date after the section releases.

Content in a subsection that is scheduled for release on a future date is not visible to learners, even if some or all of the units in the subsection are published.

When a subsection is scheduled, even if the subsection is scheduled to release later than the section, the subsection is visible in the outline with a vertical green bar next to the subsection’s display name.

The scheduled date must pass for the subsection to be visible to learners.

Scheduled with Unpublished Changes¶

You can make changes to a published unit before its parent subsection is released.

In this situation, when the release date for the subsection passes, the last published version of units within the subsection are made visible to learners. The changes in units are not visible to learners until you publish them.

When a subsection is scheduled but has unpublished changes, the subsection is visible in the outline with a vertical yellow bar next to the subsection’s display name. When you expand the subsection, the unit that has unpublished changes is visible.

Released with Unpublished Changes¶

If you modify a unit within a released subsection, those modifications are not visible to students until you publish them.

When a subsection is scheduled but has unpublished changes, the subsection is visible in the outline with a vertical yellow bar next to the subsection’s display name. When you expand the subsection, the unit that has unpublished changes is visible.

Released¶

A subsection that is released is visible to learners; however, learners see only units within the subsection that are published.

When a subsection is released, the subsection is visible in the outline with a vertical blue bar next to the subsection’s display name.

Staff Only Content¶

A subsection can contain a unit that is hidden from learners and available to members of the course team only. That unit is not visible to learners, even if the subsection has been released.

When a subsection contains a unit that has staff-only content, the subsection is visible in the outline with a vertical black bar next to the subsection’s display name.

Entirely Hide a Subsection from Learners¶

You can completely hide a subsection and its content from learners, regardless of the status of units within the section. Subsections hidden in this way are not shown in the course navigation, and are not included when grades are calculated.

To entirely hide a subsection from learners, follow these steps.

1. Select the Configure icon in the subsection box.

   

   The subsection settings dialog box opens.

2. On the Visibility tab, locate Subsection Visibility, and then select Hide entire subsection.

3. Select Save.

None of the content in the subsection is visible to learners. In the course outline, the subsection is shown with a lock icon, indicating that it is available only to course staff.

To make the subsection visible to learners, repeat these steps and select Show entire subsection.

Hide a Subsection Based on Date¶

You can make a subsection’s content unavailable based on date. For example, you might want to make exam questions unavailable after a certain date. For instructor-led courses, this option uses the subsection’s due date. For self- paced courses, this option uses the course’s end date.

Subsections that are hidden in this way remain visible in the course navigation, and are included when grades are calculated. However, learners can no longer access the subsection’s content after the due date or the course end date.

To hide a subsection based on date, follow these steps.

1. Select the Configure icon in the subsection box.

   The subsection settings dialog box opens.

2. On the Visibility tab, locate Subsection Visibility, and then select the appropriate option.

   • In instructor-led courses, select Hide content after due date.
   • In self-paced courses, select Hide content after course end date.

3. Select Save.

Learners who access the subsection after the due date or course end date has passed are shown a message indicating that the subsection is no longer available because the due date (or course end date) has passed.

In the course outline in Studio, the subsection is shown with an icon and a “Subsection is hidden after due date” or “Subsection is hidden after course end date” message under the subsection’s display name.

Course Progress Information¶

The course outline in the LMS also indicates a learner’s progress through the course. A green check mark next to the name of a section, subsection, or unit indicates that a learner has completed all the following actions in the section, subsection, or unit.

• Viewed all of each video.
• Submitted answers for all of the problems.
• Viewed all HTML content for at least five seconds.

If a learner selects the Resume Course option, the course opens to the unit that the learner most recently completed.

For information about more specific learner data, including the learner’s grades or answers for individual problems, see Managing Learner Progress and Grades.

Draft (Never Published)¶

When you create a new unit and add components to it, the unit’s publishing status is Draft (Never Published), as shown in the status panel.

In Studio, you see the draft content as you develop the unit. Though you do not see the unit in the LMS, you can preview the unit.

Learners never see a unit with this status, even after the release date (in an instructor-paced course). You must publish the unit for it to be included in the LMS.

Published and Live¶

You published the unit and have not modified it. The release dates for the section and subsection have passed (in an instructor-paced course). You, and enrolled learners, see the current version of the unit.

The Release section applies only to instructor-paced courses. It does not appear for units in self-paced courses. For more information, see Course Pacing.

Published (not yet released)¶

You published the unit, but the release date is still in the future. Learners cannot see this unit until the release date passes.

This status applies only to instructor-paced courses. It does not apply to self-paced courses.

Draft (Unpublished changes)¶

When you edit a published unit, whether or not it is released, the unit’s publishing status changes to Draft (Unpublished Changes), as shown in the status panel.

The Release section applies only to instructor-paced courses. It does not appear for units in self-paced courses.

In Studio, you see the draft content as you develop the unit. You can preview the changes to a unit to test how your changes will appear to learners after you publish the unit.

If the release date has passed in an instructor-paced course, learners see the last published version of the unit. If the release date is in the future, learners cannot see your content. You must publish the unit for learners to see your changes.

Visible to Staff Only¶

When you hide a unit from learners, the unit’s publishing status changes to Visible to Staff Only.

The publishing status of a unit also changes to Visible to Staff Only if you hide the parent section or subsection from learners.

Learners never see a unit with this status, even if it has been published and the release date has passed (in an instructor-paced course).

The Release section applies only to instructor-paced courses. It does not appear for units in self-paced courses.

Edit the Unit Name¶

To edit a unit name, on the unit page in Studio, select Edit next to the name.

The name field becomes editable. Enter the new name, and then tab or click outside of the field to save the name.

Reorganize Components in Units¶

You can reorganize components within a unit by dragging and dropping them to new locations.

To change the location of a component, move your mouse pointer over the Drag to reorder handle on the component toolbar. The pointer changes to a four- headed arrow. You can then drag the component to the location that you want.

In the image that follows, the handle for the discussion component is selected.

A blue outline indicates where the component will land when you release the mouse button. For example, in the image below, the discussion component is being moved to the top of the unit.

Use the Unit Page to Publish a Unit¶

To publish the unit, select Publish in the status panel.

Use the Outline to Publish a Unit¶

To publish a unit from the outline, select the Publish icon in the box for the unit.

Use the Unit Page to Hide a Unit¶

In the status panel, select Hide from learners.

The Release section applies only to instructor-paced courses. It does not appear for units in self-paced courses.

For more information, see Controlling Content Visibility and Access.

Use the Outline to Hide a Unit¶

1. Select the Configure icon in the unit box.

   

   The Settings dialog box opens.

2. In the Unit Visibility section, select Hide from learners.

3. Select Save.

Make a Hidden Unit Visible to Learners¶

Before you make a hidden unit visible to learners, be aware that course content will immediately be visible to learners, as follows.

• For a hidden unit that previously was published, deselecting Hide from learners publishes the current content for the unit. If you made changes to the unit while is was hidden, those draft changes are published.
• When you make a section or subsection that was previously hidden visible to learners, draft content in units is not published. Changes you made since last publishing units are not made visible to learners.

You can make a hidden unit visible to learners from the unit page or the course outline. Follow the instructions above and clear the Hide from learners check box.

You are prompted to confirm that you want to make the unit visible to learners.

Set the Display Name for a Component¶

The display name identifies the component. This name appears as a heading above the component in the LMS, and it identifies the component for you in Insights.

The following illustration shows the display name of a problem in Studio, in the LMS, and in Insights.

Unique, descriptive display names help you and your learners identify components quickly and accurately.

To set the display name for a component, follow these steps.

1. Edit the component. A dialog box opens.

   • For a discussion or video component, the dialog box opens to the list of settings, including the Display Name field.
   • For an HTML or problem component, the dialog box opens to an editing view. Select Settings to show the list of settings, including the Display Name field.

2. Edit the Display Name field.

   

3. Select Save.

Different types of components have different fields in the Settings dialog box, but all of them have a Display Name field.

Reorganize Components Within a Unit¶

To reorganize components within their current unit, you drag and drop components in the same way that you can drag and drop units, subsections, and sections on the Course Outline page. For more information, see Reorganize the Course Outline.

For components that consist of nested components (for example, a content experiment), you can also use drag and drop to move a child component into a different parent component, if both parents are expanded. For example, you can select the video component that is in Child Component A and drag it into Child Component B. Select the video component, and as you drag it into Child Component B, release the mouse button when a dashed outline of the component you are moving appears in the new location.

You can also drag a child component outside of a parent, so that the child moves to the same level as the parent.

Move Components to Other Units¶

To move components to another unit in the course outline, follow these steps.

1. Select the Move icon for the component that you want to move.

   

   A dialog box appears that displays your course outline tree, starting at the section level.

2. In the Move dialog box, navigate to the location where you want to move the component by selecting the section, the subsection, and then the unit.

   

   The Move button is enabled only when your selected location is a valid level and location for moving your component. For example, when you move a component, the Move button is enabled only when you have navigated to a unit to which the component can be moved.

3. Select Move.

   The component moves to the new location. A success message appears that provides options to go to the new location or to undo the move.

   Note

   If the old and new locations of the component that you moved were previously published, your changes are not reflected in the learner’s view of the course until you republish the affected units.

Edit a Parent Component¶

A parent component does not directly contain content. Content such as HTML, videos, or problems are in the child components.

A parent component has a display name. When the unit is private or in draft, select Edit in the parent component to change the display name.

View Child Components¶

When you select View in the parent component, the parent component page opens, showing all child components. In this example, Child Component A contains an HTML component and a video.

Select the arrow next to a child component name to collapse it and hide the component’s contents. Select the arrow again to expand the component.

For more information, see the following topics.

• Edit a Component
• Set the Display Name for a Component
• Duplicate a Component
• Delete a Component

Add a Child Component¶

If the containing unit is private or in draft, you can add a child component in its parent component.

To add a child component, open and expand the parent component. Then, select the component type that you want under Add New Component within the parent component.

For more information, see the section for the specific component type that you want.

• Working with Discussion Components
• Working with HTML Components
• Working with Problem Components
• Working with Video Components

XML for Parent and Child Components¶

You develop parent and child components in XML, then import the XML course into Studio to verify that the structure is as you intended.

For more information about working with your course’s XML files, including information about terminology, see the EdX Open Learning XML Guide.

The following examples show the XML used to create the unit and components shown in Studio above.

The XML for the unit is as follows.

<vertical display_name="Unit 1">
    <html url_name="6a5cf0ea41a54b209e0815147896d1b2"/>
    <vertical url_name="131a499ddaa3474194c1aa2eced34455"/>
</vertical>

The <vertical url_name="131a499ddaa3474194c1aa2eced34455"/> element above references the parent component file that contains the child components.

<vertical display_name="Parent Component">
    <vertical url_name="2758bbc495dd40d59050da15b40bd9a5"/>
    <vertical url_name="c5c8b27c2c5546e784432f3b2b6cf2ea"/>
</vertical>

The two verticals referenced by the parent component refer to the child components, which contain the actual content of your course.

<vertical display_name="Child Component A">
    <html url_name="4471618afafb45bfb86cbe511973e225"/>
    <video url_name="fbd800d0bdbd4cb69ac70c47c9f699e1"/>
</vertical>

<vertical display_name="Child Component B">
    <html url_name="dd6ef295fda74a639842e1a49c66b2c7"/>
    <problem url_name="b40ecbe4ed1b4280ae93e2a158edae6f"/>
</vertical>

Theoretically, there is no limit to the levels of component nesting you can use in your course.

The Learner View of Nested Components¶

For learners, all parent and child components appear on the unit page.

The following example shows the learner view of the unit described above.

Hiding Graded Content¶

Grading is affected if you hide sections, subsections, or units that contain graded problems in such a way that they are not included in the course navigation. When the platform performs grading for a learner, the grading process does not include problems that are not included in that learner’s course outline.

If you want the problems in the subsection to remain visible, but you want to hide learners’ results for these problems, see Set Problem Results Visibility.

Enable Subsection Prerequisites¶

To enable prerequisite subsections in a course, follow these steps.

1. From the Settings menu, select Advanced Settings.
2. In the Enable Subsection Prerequisites field, enter true.
3. Select Save Changes.

Create a Prerequisite Subsection¶

To prevent learners from seeing a subsection of your course until they have earned a minimum score or completed a minimum portion in a prerequisite subsection, follow these steps.

1. Enable subsection prerequisites for your course. For more information, see Enable Subsection Prerequisites.

2. Select the Configure icon for the subsection that must be completed first. This is the prerequisite subsection.

   

3. Select the Advanced tab.

4. Under Use as a Prerequisite, select Make this subsection available as a prerequisite to other content.

5. Select Save.

6. Select the Configure icon for the subsection that will be hidden until the prerequisite is met.

7. Select the Advanced tab, and then locate the Limit Access section.

8. In the Prerequisite list, select the name of the subsection you want to specify as the prerequisite.

   

9. To require that learners achieve a minimum score in the prerequisite subsection before the current subsection opens, enter the percent of the total score that learners must earn in the Minimum Score field. If the prerequisite section is not a problem set, set Minimum Score to 0 and set Minimum Completion Percentage to a value greater than zero.

   For example, if the prerequisite subsection includes four problems and each problem is worth the same number of points, set the Minimum Score to 75 to require at least three correct answers.

   To require that learners complete a minimum portion of the prerequisite subsection before the current subsection opens, enter the percent of the prerequisite subsection that learners must complete in the Minimum Completion Percentage field.

   If you set both the Minimum Score field and the Minimum Completion Percentage field to a value greater than zero, then learners must satisfy both conditions in the prerequisite section before they can view the current subsection. The default value for both the Minimum Score field and the Minimum Completion Percentage field is 100.

10. Select Save.

11. In the course outline, if a subsection has a prerequisite, the prerequisite name appears under the subsection name.

    

Note

Prerequisite course subsection settings are not retained when you export or import a course, or when you re-run a course.

All Rights Reserved¶

All Rights Reserved indicates to learners that you own the copyright but reserve all rights for sharing copies of course content or videos. Learners cannot reuse or republish course content or videos that have All Rights Reserved licenses.

Creative Commons License¶

The Creative Commons license indicates to learners that you own the copyright but are granting certain permissions for reuse, depending on the license options that you select.

When you create a new course, the default terms are set to All Rights Reserved. You can change the terms for your course in the Schedule & Details page in Studio.

For more information, see the Creative Commons website.

View Published and Released Content¶

To view published and released content as it would appear to members of different groups, follow these steps.

1. From the Studio Course Outline page, select View Live. Alternatively, from a unit page, select View Live Version.

   A separate browser tab opens for the course in the LMS.

2. In the LMS, select one of the View this course as options, as described in Viewing Course Content Based on Roles.

The course view refreshes to present published course content as a learner in the selected group would see it.

For more information about each view, see Staff View, Learner View, or Specific Learner View. For more information about viewing cohort-specific course content, see Viewing Cohort-Specific Course Content.

Preview Draft Content¶

To preview draft content and see how it would appear to members of different groups when it is released, follow these steps.

1. From a unit page in the Course Outline in Studio, select Preview.

   A separate browser tab opens for the course in the LMS.

2. In the LMS, select one of the View this course as options, as described in Viewing Course Content Based on Roles.

The course view refreshes to present course content as it is currently configured in Studio, and as a learner in the selected group would see it.

Staff View¶

Staff view displays content in your course as any member of the course team would experience it.

When you view your course content using Staff view, you can execute tests to make sure that your course works the way you intend. For example, before the release date of a subsection, members of the course team can work through the problems to verify that the correct answer receives a green check for correct, and that any answer other than the correct one receives a red X for incorrect.

When you use Staff view in the LMS, you can go back to Studio to edit course content in the following ways.

• On a unit page, select View Unit in Studio to open the unit within the course outline in Studio.
• From the instructor dashboard, select View Course in Studio to open the course outline in Studio.
• On the Progress page, select View Grading in Studio to open the Grading page in Studio.

Learner View¶

Learner view displays content in your course as an enrolled learner in your course would experience it.

Specific Learner View¶

Specific learner view displays published content in your live course as the learner that you specify experiences it. When you view the Progress page, the page displays grades and progress for the learner that you have specified.

When you view your course content as Specific student, be aware of the following limitations.

• You cannot view open response assessment problems as a specific learner.
• In courses with randomized content blocks, you see the actual problem that was assigned to a specific learner. This view allows you to evaluate a request to adjust a grade or reset the number of attempts for a problem. For details about adjusting grades or resetting attempts, see Adjust Grades for One or All Learners.

Learner in a Content Group View¶

This view displays content as a learner who belongs to the specified content group would experience it. You can use this view to verify that content designed for learners in a specific content group is displaying as intended.

For details about content groups, and about creating and previewing cohort-specific content, see Content Groups, Creating Cohort-Specific Course Content, and Viewing Cohort-Specific Course Content.

Learner in an Enrollment Track Group View¶

This view displays content as a learner who is in a specific enrollment track would experience it. You can use this view to verify that content designed for learners in a specific enrollment track is displaying as intended.

For more information about enrollment track groups, and about creating and previewing enrollment track based content, see Enrollment Track Groups and Creating Course Content for Specific Enrollment Tracks.

HTML Components¶

HTML components are the basic building blocks of your course content. You use HTML components to add and format text, links, images, and more. You can work with your HTML components in a “visual” or WYSIWYG editor that hides the HTML code details, or in a “raw” editor that requires you to mark up your content.

Set the Editor for an HTML Component¶

1. Add or locate the HTML component in your course.
2. Select Edit, and then select Settings.
3. Select Visual or Raw.
4. Select Save, and then reopen the component to use the new editor.

The Visual Editor¶

The visual editor provides a “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) interface that allows you to format text by selecting options at the top of the editor.

The following image shows callouts for the editing options and is followed by descriptions.

1. Select a formatting style for the selected text, such as paragraph, preformatted (monospace), or a heading level.

   Note

   The available heading levels in the HTML component editor begin with heading 3 (<h3>). HTML components are part of a complete page, and elements outside the HTML component use heading levels 1 and 2 by default. Because tools such as screen readers use heading levels to navigate through pages, using heading levels 1 or 2 inside an HTML component can interfere with the functionality of these tools.

2. Select a font family for selected text, such as Arial, Courier New, or Times New Roman.

3. Format the selected text in bold, or remove this formatting. The editor inserts <strong> tags around the selected text.

4. Format the selected text in italics, or remove this formatting. The editor inserts <em> tags around the selected text.

5. Underline the selected text, or remove this formatting. The editor encloses the selected text in the tag <span style="text-decoration: underline;">.

6. Change the color of the selected text. The editor encloses the selected text in the tag <span style="color: color-hex-code;">.

7. Format the selected text as a code block, or remove this formatting. The editor inserts <code> tags around the selected text, which is then displayed in a monospace font.

8. Align text and images to the left. The editor adds style="text-align: left;" to the <p> tags that surround the text.

9. Center text and images. The editor adds style="text-align: center;" to the <p> tags that surround the text.

10. Align text and images to the right. The editor adds style="text-align: right;" to the <p> tags that surround the text.

11. Justify text and images. The editor adds style="text-align: justify;" to the <p> tags that surround the text.

12. Create a bulleted list, or remove this formatting. The editor inserts <ul> tags around the selected text, and encloses each paragraph in <li> tags.

13. Create a numbered list, or remove this formatting. The editor inserts <ol> tags around the selected text, and encloses each paragraph in <li> tags.

14. Decrease and increase the indentation of the selected paragraph.

15. Format the selected paragraph as a blockquote. The editor inserts <blockquote> tags around the selected text, which is then displayed as a separate paragraph in a monospace font.

16. Create a hypertext link from the selected text. For more information, see Add a Link in an HTML Component.

17. Remove a hypertext link from the selected text.

18. Insert an image at the cursor. For more information, see Add an Image to an HTML Component.

19. Review the HTML markup.

Review HTML Markup in the Visual Editor¶

To review the HTML markup added to content in the visual editor, select HTML from the visual editor’s toolbar. The HTML source code editor opens.

You can edit text and the HTML markup in this editor. However, you cannot add custom styles or scripts in this editor. Use the raw HTML editor instead.

Select OK to return to the visual editor. The visual editor attempts to correct any problems with the markup that you entered. For example, if you do not provide a close paragraph tag, the editor adds the tag for you.

You can then continue working in the visual editor.

Warning

Selecting OK in the source code editor does not save your changes to the HTML component. To save your changes and close the component, select Save in the visual editor. If you select Cancel, the changes you made in the HTML source code editor are discarded.

The Raw HTML Editor¶

The raw HTML editor is a text editor. It does not offer a toolbar with formatting options.

When you use this editor, you must supply valid HTML. The raw HTML editor does not validate your HTML code. If you use this editor, you should thoroughly test the HTML content in your course.

HTML Component Templates¶

When you create an HTML component, you select one of the following templates.

• Text
• Announcement
• IFrame Tool
• Raw HTML

The raw HTML template uses the raw HTML editor by default. All of the other templates use the visual editor by default. You can switch between the editors in any HTML component. For more information, see Set the Editor for an HTML Component.

Add a Link to a Website¶

1. Select the text that you want to use as the link text.
2. Select the link icon in the toolbar.
3. In the Insert link dialog box, enter the URL of the website that is the destination for your link in the URL field.
4. If you want the link to open in a new window, select the dropdown arrow next to the Target field, and then select New Window. If not, you can leave the default value.
5. Select OK.
6. Save the HTML component.
7. To test the link, select View Live Version or Preview. When the unit opens in the LMS, select the linked text and verify that the correct website opens.

Add a Link to a Course Unit¶

1. Obtain the location ID of the unit you want to link to.

   1. In Studio, open the page for the unit that you want to link to in Studio, and then locate Unit Location in the right pane.

   2. Under Unit Location, select and copy the alphanumeric text in the Location ID field.

      

2. Open the HTML component where you want to add the link.

3. Select the text that you want to make into the link.

4. Select the link icon in the toolbar.

5. In the Insert link dialog box, enter a value that resembles the following value in the URL field.

   /jump_to_id/<location ID>

   Make sure to replace <location ID> (including the brackets) with the location ID that you copied in step 1, and make sure that you include both forward slashes (/).

Caution

Ensure you use /jump_to_id/<location ID> as the URL value. Do not use the URL of the unit that you see in the browser address bar. If you do not use /jump_to_id/<location ID>, the link will be broken if you export and then import the course.

1. If you want the link to open in a new window, select the dropdown arrow next to the Target field, and then select New Window. If not, you can leave the default value.
2. Select Insert.
3. Save the HTML component and test the link.

Add a Link to a File¶

You can add a link in an HTML component to any file that is uploaded for the course. For more information about uploading files, see Adding Files to a Course.

1. On the Files & Uploads page, locate the file that you want, and then select Studio in the Copy URLs column.

Note

You must use the Studio URL to link to the file, not the Web URL. For more information, see Adding Files to a Course.

1. In the HTML component where you want to add the link, select the text that you want to make into the link.

2. In the toolbar, select the link icon.

3. In the Insert link dialog box, paste the Studio URL for the file in the URL field. For example, the URL might resemble the following URL.

   /static/FileName.pdf

   Make sure that you include both forward slashes (/).

4. (optional) If you want the link to open in a new window, select the dropdown arrow next to the Target field, and then select New Window. If not, you can leave the default value.

5. Select OK.

6. Save the HTML component and test the link.

Drag an Image into the Add Image Dialog Box¶

1. In the HTML component, position the cursor where you want to add an image, and then select the image icon on the toolbar.

2. In the Add an Image dialog box, drag an image from your computer into the Drag and Drop area.

   As soon as your file uploads, the Edit Image Settings dialog box opens.

3. In the Edit Image Settings dialog box, add an image description.

   • In the Image Description (Alt Text) field, enter alternative text for the image. This text becomes the value of the alt attribute in HTML and is required for your course to be fully accessible. For more information, see Use Best Practices for Describing Images.
   • If your image is a decorative image that does not convey important information, select the This image is decorative only checkbox.

4. (optional) Specify the width and height of your image. For more information, see Change the Image Size.

5. Select Insert Image.

6. Save the HTML component and test the image.

Locate an Image on Your Computer¶

1. In the HTML component, position the cursor where you want to add an image, and then select the image icon on the toolbar.

2. In the Add an Image dialog box, Browse Your Computer.

3. In the dialog box that opens, locate the file that you want to add, and then select Open.

   As soon as your file uploads, the Edit Image Settings dialog box opens.

4. In the Edit Image Settings dialog box, add an image description.

   • In the Image Description (Alt Text) field, enter alternative text for the image. This text becomes the value of the alt attribute in HTML and is required for your course to be fully accessible. For more information, see Use Best Practices for Describing Images.
   • If your image is a decorative image that does not convey important information, select the This image is decorative only checkbox.

5. (optional) Specify the width and height of your image. For more information, see Change the Image Size.

6. Select Insert Image.

7. Save the HTML component and test the image.

Select a Previously Uploaded Image¶

1. If you have not already added the image that you want to add, open the Files & Uploads page, and then upload the image. For more information about uploading images, see Adding Files to a Course.

   When you upload an image, the image automatically becomes available in a list that opens when you add an image to an HTML component.

2. In the HTML component, position the cursor where you want to add an image, and then select the image icon on the toolbar.

3. In the Add an Image dialog box, locate the image in the Select a previously uploaded image list, and then select Next.

4. In the Edit Image Settings dialog box, complete one of the following options.

   • In the Image Description (Alt Text) field, enter alternative text for the image. This text becomes the value of the alt attribute in HTML and is required for your course to be fully accessible. For more information, see Use Best Practices for Describing Images.
   • If your image is a decorative image that does not convey important information, select the This image is decorative only checkbox.

5. (optional) Specify the width and height of your image. For more information, see Change the Image Size.

6. Select Insert Image.

7. Save the HTML component and test the image.

Format an Image in an HTML Component¶

You have several options for formatting an image in an HTML component.

Enable the LaTeX Processor¶

The LaTeX processor is not enabled by default. To enable it, you have to change the advanced settings in your course.

1. In Studio, select Settings, and then select Advanced Settings.
2. In the field for the Enable LaTeX Compiler policy key, change false to true.
3. At the bottom of the page, select Save Changes.

Add an HTML Component that Contains LaTeX Code¶

When the LaTeX processor is enabled, you can create an HTML component that contains LaTeX code.

1. In the unit where you want to create the component, select html under Add New Component, and then select E-text Written in LaTeX. The new component is added to the unit.

2. Select Edit to open the new component.

3. At the bottom of the component editor, select Launch Latex Source Compiler.

   The LaTeX editor opens.

   

4. Add your LaTeX code. To do this, complete either of the following procedures.

   • In the High Level Source Editing field, add your LaTeX code.
   • To upload a LaTeX file from your computer, select Upload.

5. Select Save & Compile to edX XML.

6. On the unit page, select Preview to verify that your content looks correct in the LMS.

   If you see errors, go back to the unit page. Select Edit to open the component again, and then select Launch Latex Source Compiler to edit the LaTeX code.

Adding Graded or Ungraded Problems¶

When you establish the grading policy for your course, you define the assignment types that count toward learners’ grades: for example, homework, labs, midterm, final, and participation. You specify one of these assignment types for each of the subsections in your course.

As you develop your course, you can add problem components to a unit in any subsection. The problem components that you add automatically inherit the assignment type that is defined at the subsection level. For example, all of the problem components that you add to a unit in the midterm subsection are graded.

For more information, see Set the Assignment Type and Due Date for a Subsection.

The Simple Editor¶

When you edit one of the common problem types, the simple editor opens with a template that you can use as a guideline for adding Markdown formatting. The following templates are available.

• Checkbox Problem and Checkboxes with Hints and Feedback
• Dropdown Problem and Dropdown with Hints and Feedback
• Multiple Choice Problem and Multiple Choice with Hints and Feedback
• Numerical Input Problem and Numerical Input with Hints and Feedback
• Text Input Problem and Text Input with Hints and Feedback

Blank common problems also open in the simple editor but they do not provide a template.

Adding Markdown Formatting¶

The following image shows the multiple choice template in the simple editor.

The simple editor includes a toolbar with options that provide the required Markdown formatting for different types of problems. When you select an option from the toolbar, formatted sample text appears in the simple editor. Alternatively, you can apply formatting to your own text by selecting the text and then one of the toolbar options.

Descriptions of the Markdown formatting that you use in the simple editor follow.

1. Heading: Identifies a title or heading by adding a series of equals signs (=) below it on the next line.
2. Multiple Choice: Identifies an answer option for a multiple choice problem by adding a pair of parentheses (( )) before it. To identify the correct answer option, you insert an x within the parentheses: ((x)).
3. Checkboxes: Identifies an answer option for a checkboxes problem by adding a pair of brackets ([ ]) before it. To identify the correct answer option or options, you insert an x within the brackets: ([x]).
4. Text Input: Identifies the correct answer for a text input problem by adding an equals sign (=) before the answer value on the same line.
5. Numerical Input: Identifies the correct answer for a numerical input problem by adding an equals sign (=) before the answer value on the same line.
6. Dropdown: Identifies a comma-separated list of values as the set of answer options for a dropdown problem by adding two pairs of brackets ([[ ]]) around the list. To identify the correct answer option, you add parentheses (( )) around that option.
7. Explanation: Identifies the explanation for the correct answer by adding an [explanation] tag to the lines before and after the text. The explanation appears only after learners select Show Answer. You define when the Show Answer option is available to learners by using the Show Answer setting.
8. Advanced Editor link: Opens the problem in the advanced editor, which shows the OLX markup for the problem.
9. Toggle Cheatsheet: Opens a list of formatting hints.
10. Question or Prompt: Identifies the question that learners need to answer. The toolbar does not have an option that provides this formatting, so you add two pairs of inward-pointing angle brackets (>> <<) around the question text. For example, >>Is this the question?<<.
    • You must identify a question or prompt in every problem component. In problems that include multiple questions, you must identify each one.
    • The Student Answer Distribution report uses the text with this formatting to identify each problem.
    • Insights also uses the text with this formatting to identify each problem. For more information, see Using edX Insights.
11. Description: Identifies optional guidance that helps learners answer the question. For example, when you add a checkbox problem that is only correct when learners select three of the answer options, you might include the description, “Be sure to select all that apply.” The toolbar does not have an option that provides this formatting, so you add it after the question within the angle brackets, and then you separate the question and the description by inserting a pair of pipe symbols (||) between them. For example, >>Which of the following choices is correct? ||Be sure to select all that apply.<<.

The Advanced Editor¶

When you edit one of the advanced problem types, the advanced editor opens with an example problem. The advanced editor is an XML editor that shows the OLX markup for a problem. You edit the following advanced problem types in the advanced editor.

• Circuit Schematic Builder Problem
• Custom JavaScript Display and Grading
• Custom Python-Evaluated Input
• Drag and Drop (Deprecated)
• Image Mapped Input Problem
• Math Expression Input Problems
• Problem Written in LaTeX
• Problem with Adaptive Hint and Problem with Adaptive Hint in LaTex
• Molecular Structure

For the Open Response Assessment advanced problem type, a dialog box opens for problem setup.

Blank advanced problems do not provide an example problem, but they also open in the advanced editor by default.

The following image shows the OLX markup in the advanced editor for the same example multiple choice problem that is shown in the simple editor above.

For more information about the OLX markup to use for a problem, see the topic that describes that problem type.

Display Name¶

This required setting provides an identifying name for the problem. The display name appears as a heading above the problem in the LMS, and it identifies the problem for you in Insights. Be sure to add unique, descriptive display names so that you, and your learners, can identify specific problems quickly and accurately.

The following illustration shows the display name of a problem in Studio, in the LMS, and in Insights.

For more information about metrics for your course’s problem components, see Using edX Insights.

Maximum Attempts¶

This setting specifies the number of times that a learner is allowed to try to answer this problem correctly. You can define a different Maximum Attempts value for each problem.

A course-wide Maximum Attempts setting defines the default value for this problem-specific setting. Initially, the value for the course-wide setting is null, meaning that learners can try to answer problems an unlimited number of times. You can change the course-wide default by selecting Settings and then Advanced Settings. Note that if you change the course-wide default from null to a specific number, you can no longer change the problem-specific Maximum Attempts value to unlimited.

Only problems that have a Maximum Attempts setting of 1 or higher are included in the answer distribution computations used in edX Insights and the Student Answer Distribution report.

Problem Weight¶

This setting specifies the total number of points possible for the problem. In the LMS, the problem weight appears near the problem’s display name.

By default, each response field, or answer space, in a problem component is worth one point. You increase or decrease the number of points for a problem component by setting its Problem Weight.

In the example shown above, a single problem component includes three separate questions. To respond to these questions, learners select answer options from three separate dropdown lists, the response fields for this problem. By default, learners receive one point for each question that they answer correctly.

For information about how to define a problem that includes more than one question, see Including Multiple Questions in One Component.

Randomization¶

For problems that include a Python script to generate numbers randomly, this setting specifies how frequently the values in the problem change: each time a different learner accesses the problem, each time a single learner tries to answer the problem, both, or never.

For example, in this problem, the highlighted values change each time a learner submits an answer to the problem.

If you want to randomize numeric values in a problem, you complete both of these steps.

• Make sure that you edit your problem to include a Python script that randomly generates numbers.
• Select an option other than Never for the Randomization setting.

The edX Platform has a 20-seed maximum for randomization. This means that learners see up to 20 different problem variants for every problem that has Randomization set to an option other than Never. It also means that every answer for the 20 different variants is reported by the Answer Distribution report and edX Insights. Limiting the number of variants to a maximum of 20 allows for better analysis of learner submissions by allowing you to detect common incorrect answers and usage patterns for such answers.

For more information, see Student Answer Distribution in this guide, or Review Answers to Graded Problems or Review Answers to Ungraded Problems in Using edX Insights.

You can choose the following options for the Randomization setting.

Show Answer¶

This setting adds a Show Answer option to the problem. The following options define when the answer is shown to learners.

Show Answer: Number of Attempts¶

This setting limits when learners can select the Show Answer option for a problem. Learners must submit at least the specified number of attempted answers for the problem before the Show Answer option is available to them.

Show Reset Button¶

This setting defines whether a Reset option is available for the problem.

Learners can select Reset to clear any input that has not yet been submitted, and try again to answer the problem.

If the learner has already submitted an answer, selecting Reset clears the submission and, if the problem contains randomized variables and randomization is set to On Reset, changes the values in the problem.

If the number of Maximum Attempts that was set for this problem has been reached, the Reset option is not visible.

This problem-level setting overrides the course-level Show Reset Button for Problems advanced setting.

Timer Between Attempts¶

This setting specifies the number of seconds that a learner must wait between submissions for a problem that allows multiple attempts. If the value is 0, the learner can attempt the problem again immediately after an incorrect attempt.

Adding required wait time between attempts can help to prevent learners from simply guessing when multiple attempts are allowed.

If a learner attempts a problem again before the required time has elapsed, she sees a message below the problem indicating the remaining wait time. The format of the message is, “You must wait at least {n} seconds between submissions. {n} seconds remaining.”

Adding Multiple Questions to a Problem Component¶

To design an assignment that includes several questions, you add one problem component and then edit it to add every question and its answer options, one after the other, in that component. Be sure to identify the text of every question or prompt with the appropriate Markdown formatting (>> <<) or OLX <label> element, and include all of the other required elements for each question.

• In the simple editor, you use three hyphen characters (---) on a new line to separate one question and its answer options from the next.
• In the advanced editor, each question and its answer options are enclosed by the element that identifies the type of problem, such as <multiplechoiceresponse> for a multiple choice question or <formularesponse> for a math expression input question.
• You can provide a different explanation for each question with the appropriate Markdown formatting ([explanation]) or OLX <solution> element.

As a best practice, edX recommends that you avoid including unformatted paragraph text between the questions. Screen readers can skip over text that is inserted among multiple questions.

The questions that you include can all be of the same problem type, such as a series of text input questions, or you can include questions that use different problem types, such as both numerical input and math expression input.

An example of a problem component that includes a text input question and a numerical input question follows. In the simple editor, the problem has the following Markdown formatting.

>>Who invented the Caesar salad?||Be sure to check your spelling.<<
= Caesar Cardini
[explanation]
Caesar Cardini is credited with inventing this salad and received a U.S. trademark for his salad dressing recipe.
[explanation]
---
>>In what year?<<
= 1924
[explanation]
Cardini invented the dish at his restaurant on 4 July 1924 after the rush of holiday business left the kitchen with fewer supplies than usual.
[explanation]

That is, you include three hyphen characters (---) on a new line to separate the problems.

In the advanced editor, the problem has the following OLX markup.

<problem>
  <stringresponse answer="Caesar Cardini" type="ci">
    <label>Who invented the Caesar salad?</label>
    <description>Be sure to check your spelling.</description>
    <textline size="20"/>
    <solution>
      <div class="detailed-solution">
        <p>Explanation</p>
        <p>Caesar Cardini is credited with inventing this salad and received
         a U.S. trademark for his salad dressing recipe.</p>
      </div>
    </solution>
  </stringresponse>

  <numericalresponse answer="1924">
    <label>In what year?</label>
    <formulaequationinput/>
    <solution>
      <div class="detailed-solution">
        <p>Explanation</p>
        <p>Cardini invented the dish at his restaurant on 4 July 1924 after
         the rush of holiday business left the kitchen with fewer supplies
         than usual.</p>
      </div>
    </solution>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

Feedback in Response to Attempted Answers¶

You can add feedback that displays to learners after they submit an answer.

For example, the following multiple choice problem provides feedback in response to the selected option when the learner selects Submit. In this case, feedback is given for an incorrect answer.

Best Practices for Providing Feedback¶

The immediacy of the feedback available to learners is a key advantage of online instruction and difficult to do in a traditional classroom environment.

You can target feedback for common incorrect answers to the misconceptions that are common for the level of the learner (for example, elementary, middle, high school, college).

In addition, you can create feedback that provides some guidance to the learner about how to arrive at the correct answer. This is especially important in text input and numeric input problems, because without such guidance, learners might not be able to proceed.

You should also include feedback for the correct answer to reinforce why the answer is correct. Especially in questions where learners are able to guess, such as multiple choice and dropdown problems, the feedback should provide a reason why the selection is correct.

Providing Hints for Problems¶

You can add one or more hints that are displayed to learners. When you add hints, the Hint button is automatically displayed to learners. Learners can access the hints by selecting Hint beneath the problem. A learner can view multiple hints by selecting Hint multiple times.

For example, in the following multiple choice problem, the learner selects Hint after having made one incorrect attempt.

The hint text indicates that it is the first of two hints. After the learner selects Next Hint, both of the available hints appear. When all hints have been used, the Hint or Next Hint option is no longer available.

Best Practices for Providing Hints¶

To ensure that your hints can assist learners with varying backgrounds and levels of understanding, you should provide multiple hints with different levels of detail.

For example, the first hint can orient the learner to the problem and help those struggling to better understand what is being asked.

The second hint can then take the learner further towards the answer.

In problems that are not graded, the third and final hint can explain the solution for learners who are still confused.

Create Problems with Feedback and Hints¶

You create problems with feedback and hints in Studio. Templates with feedback and hints configured are available to make creating your own problems easier.

While editing a unit, in the Add New Component panel, select Problem. In the list that opens, select Common Problem Types. Templates for problems with feedback and hints are listed.

Add the problem type you need to the unit, then edit the component. The exact syntax you use to configure hints and feedback depends on the problem type. See the topic for the problem type for more information.

• Checkbox Problem
• Dropdown Problem
• Multiple Choice Problem
• Numerical Input Problem
• Text Input Problem

How Learners Receive Partial Credit¶

Learners receive partial credit when they submit an answer in the LMS.

In the following example, the course team configured a multiple choice problem to award 25% of the possible points (instead of 0 points) for one of the incorrect answer options. The learner selected this incorrect option, and received 25% of the possible points.

Partial Credit and Reporting on Learner Performance¶

When a learner receives partial credit for a problem, the LMS only adds the points that the learner earned to the grade. However, the LMS reports any problem for which a learner receives credit, in full or in part, as correct in the following ways.

• Events that the system generates when learners receive partial credit for a problem indicate that the answer was correct. Specifically, the correctness field has a value of correct.

  For more information about events, see Problem Interaction Events in the EdX Research Guide.

• The AnswerValue in the Student Answer Distribution report is 1, for correct.

• The edX Insights insights:student performance reports count the answer as correct.

Course teams can see that a learner received partial credit for a problem in the learner’s submission history. The submission history shows the score that the learner received out of the total available score, and the value in the correctness field is partially-correct. For more information, see Learner Answer Submissions.

Adding Tooltips to a Problem¶

To help learners understand terminology or other aspects of a problem, you can add inline tooltips. Tooltips show text to learners when they move their cursors over a tooltip icon.

The following example problem includes two tooltips. The tooltip that provides a definition for “ROI” is being shown.

To add the tooltip, you wrap the text that you want to appear as the tooltip in the clarification element. For example, the following problem contains two tooltips.

<problem>
    <text>
        <p>Given the data in Table 7 <clarification>Table 7: "Example PV
          Installation Costs", Page 171 of Roberts textbook</clarification>,
          compute the ROI <clarification><strong>ROI</strong>: Return on
          Investment</clarification> over 20 years.
        </p>
     . . .

Workarounds¶

If you have to modify a released problem in a way that affects grading, you have two options to ensure that every learner has the opportunity to submit a new response and be regraded. Note that both options require you to ask your learners to go back and resubmit answers to a problem.

• In the problem component that you changed, increase the number of attempts for the problem, and then ask all of your learners to redo the problem.
• Delete the entire problem component in Studio and replace it with a new problem component that has the content and settings that you want. Then ask all of your learners to complete the new problem. (If the revisions you must make are minor, you might want to duplicate the problem component before you delete it, and then revise the copy.)

For information about how to review and adjust learner grades in the LMS, see Adjust Grades for One or All Learners.