6.3.8. Creating a Custom Course

This topic describes custom courses on the edX platform (CCX).

6.3.8.1. Overview

You can create a custom course in the edX platform (CCX) to reuse course content. By using a CCX, you can run some or all of an existing course for a group of learners on a new schedule.

A CCX can contain only content from an existing course; you cannot author new content in a CCX.

6.3.8.2. Custom Courses and Roles

There are three roles involved in creating and running a CCX.

  • Admins create the existing course and have privileges to create CCX coaches for their course.

  • CCX Coaches select content from the existing course for the CCX. CCX coaches also enroll learners, set start and due dates for their scheduled content, and manage the grading policy for the CCX.

  • Learners take the CCX and view the selected content on the specified schedule.

6.3.8.3. Enable Custom Courses for an Existing Course

CCX for a course is disabled by default.

You enable CCX in Studio. Ensure you have access to the course in Studio, then complete the following steps.

  1. In Studio, from the Settings menu, select Advanced Settings.

  2. Find the Enable CCX key and change the value to true.

  3. Select Save Changes.

You can now add a CCX coach.

6.3.8.4. Add a CCX Coach

The first step to create a CCX is to create a CCX coach in an existing course. A CCX can have only one CCX coach.

You add a CCX coach through the Instructor Dashboard in the LMS. Ensure you have the Admin role in the course.

In addition, ensure that the user whom you would like to add as a CCX coach has registered in the LMS.

  1. In the LMS, select Instructor, and then select Membership.

  2. In the Course Team Management section, from Select a course team role, select CCX Coaches.

  3. Enter the CCX coach’s username or email address and select Add CCX Coach.

The user is added as a coach and enrolled in the course if she is not already enrolled.

If she’s enrolled when she’s added as a CCX coach, the coach will get an email to let her know.

When the CCX coach next logs into the LMS, the CCX Coach tab will be visible. The CCX coach dashboard is not accessible by course team members with other roles.

6.3.8.5. Create the Custom Course

When you have been made the CCX coach for a course, you can then access the course and create a CCX.

  1. In the LMS, select the CCX Coach tab.

  2. From the CCX coach Dashboard, enter the name for your CCX, then select Coach a new Custom Course for edX.

  3. When the CCX is created, you are re-directed to the full CCX coach Dashboard.

Note

When entering a CCX name, consider that the name should distinguish your CCX from other CCXs based on the same course.

You can revisit your CCX by opening the original course and selecting the CCX Coach tab.

6.3.8.6. The CCX Coach Dashboard

The CCX coach Dashboard provides the tools for you to manage the CCX. The CCX coach Dashboard contains four tabs, described in the following sections.

Note

CCX coaches do not have the same level of access and control over content that team members with the Admin or Staff roles do, and do not have access to the Instructor Dashboard.

6.3.8.6.1. Schedule Tab

On the Schedule tab, you select the course content from the original course that is to be included in the CCX.

Use the drop-down lists to drill down through the course content and select an items from the content hierarchy. You then add those items in the order needed.

Select add all units to include all of the source course’s content.

You can configure each unit to have its own start and due dates. You can select these before or after you add the unit to the CCX . After units are added, you can edit their start and due dates by hovering over or selecting that space on the CCX content hierarchy.

Select Save changes to save the content you configured.

6.3.8.6.2. Enrollment Tab

On the Enrollment tab, you can invite learners to a course, enroll learners in a course automatically, and remove learners from a course.

  • To invite one or more learners to a course, enter one or more email addresses or usernames in the Batch Enrollment field, and then select Enroll under the field.

    Note

    If you want to enroll these learners automatically, select Auto Enroll under the Batch Enrollment field.

    If you want these learners to receive an email invitation to the course, select Notify users by email. Learners are automatically enrolled in the course when they access the invitation.

  • To remove learners from the course, use one of the following methods.

    • If the learner or learners are enrolled in the course and have active accounts on the Open edX instance, locate the username or email address for each learner in the Student List Management list, and then select Revoke access for that learner.

      Note

      The Student List Management list contains only learners who are enrolled and have an active account.

    • If the learner or learners are enrolled in the course but do not have active accounts on the Open edX instance, enter the email addresses or usernames for the learners in the Batch Enrollment field, and then select Unenroll under the field.

6.3.8.6.3. Student Admin Tab

You use the Student Admin tab to view the gradebook and download learner grades.

6.3.8.6.4. Grading Policy Tab

Use the Grading Policy tab to modify the grading policy for the CCX.

A CCX coach can modify the grading policy of the underlying course for their CCX.

Note

As a CCX coach, you can modify the grading policy of the original course on which the CCX was based. Only attempt this if you are confident that you understand how your changes will affect grading. Modifying the grading policy can make your CCX unusable.

The grading policy is in JSON format. Verify that it is well-formed before selecting Save Grading Policy.