This is an introductory guide to help you set up your first course from scratch in the new Ultra version of eCampus. This guide walks through the steps to add and manage content, customize your layout, create tests or assessments, interact with the gradebook, and use various course tools including the Collaborate online meeting tool. Read through the content sections below to learn more about the topics that interest you, or join us for a live training session during scheduled events.
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Getting Started with eCampus Ultra Training Sessions: the ITS Training group holds virtual training sessions for eCampus at the beginning of each semester. Visit the WVU Events Calendar page to see when classes are available or keep an eye on your email for eCampus training sessions.eCampus ULTRA faculty will be invited to attend a special training session before the start of the semester.
You may also contact ITS Training to request one-on-one training , or customized group trainings, or in-person training. We will design our content to meet your needs.
ITS Help Center: You will find a list of all eCampus Ultra for Faculty articles in our help center.
Blackboard Help: View Blackboard Anthology’s video tutorials or review the Blackboard Help guides.
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About eCampus Ultra
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At the top of your eCampus course, tabs allow access to the main areas of your course: Content, Calendar, Announcements, Discussions, Gradebook, Messages, Analytics, and AnalyticsGroups.
Content
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Course Faculty
This area at the upper left right shows who the instructors are. Students can click here to send a message to their instructor(s).
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This is the main space where you will share the educational content of the course.
Click To add content to an empty course, click the Add Content link. To add content to a course that has some content, click the plus sign in ion the middle left side of the page to begin adding content.
A menu appears with the following options:
Create - begin the creation of an eCampus content item such as an assignment or test, a text document, web link, or discussion prompt.Copy Content - copy
items that Auto-Generate Modules - Let the AI Design Assistant create learning modules for you. You can provide information to increase the likelihood that applicable content will be generated.
Copy Content - copy items that already exist in another eCampus course.
Upload - select a file from your computer to share on the content page.
Cloud Storage - share a file from a Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Box account.
Content Market - share content items from 3rd party tools such as textbook publishers, and many more instructional tools.
Content Collection - browse your eCampus content collections (this course and others) to share files on the content page.
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Content Items are documents or containers for course material, such as notes, tests, and assignments. Begin from your Content page to create a welcome message for your students.
Click the plus + sign Add Content in the center of the Course Content area to add any kind of content to the pagecourse.
Click Create in the pop-up menu. A new panel will appear.
Select a Document in the Course Content Items section to create a welcome message for your course.
Your cursor will be in the title field at the top of the new page has opened. Enter a Name for the course welcome message document you’re about to create.
To type a welcome message, click the Add Content button in the middle of the of the page. Note that the document will be saved automatically; you do not have to click to save changes.
The eCampus Ultra Select the type of content block you’d like to add first - click Content to add a text block.
A text editing box will appear, with a number of text formatting options. You can also clear formatting, place a link, add an attachment, or insert many other kinds of content from various sources.
Type or copy/paste a course welcome message into the text box.
Format the content, add links or additional images and media.
Save Click outside the course welcome text, and return to the document pagetext block to add other content to this document.
Click the plus + again if desired below the existing block (or at the top of document) to add other things to the document… an image, file attachment, link or other media.
Use the handle on any content block to drag items around the page.
Use the double arrows to resize items on the page.
Save your changes to this document. (Click Edit to make more changes.)
Set the release conditions for the welcome document. Choose Visible or Hidden to student view.
Click the x in the upper left to Close (X) the document, which will appear on the Content page.
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Click the plus + sign in the center of the Course Content area. Place the item inside a learning module, or in-between other assignments if desired.
Click Create to open the Create Item panel.
In the Assessment section, click Assignment. A new assignment page will open.
Give the assignment a Name in the field at the top.
Click the Plus + in the center content area to add questions, instructions, or documents.
Choose Add text to type or paste in instructions for the assignment.
In the text box, enter the instructions and details about the assignment. Use formatting, tables, links, attachments, etc. to describe what you want them to do.
Click to Save the text content. You’ll now see that text on the assignment page. Click the plus above or below the text section to add other content to the assignment.
There are a number of settings you can choose related to access, submission, and grading. Click the Assignment Settings Gear or one of the provided links to:
Choose a due date and set late submission and collection options.
Choose whether to allow class conversations so that students can converse with each other and the instructor about mechanics of the assignment.
Opt to collect student submissions for this assignment offline.
Set presentation options (for eCampus question types only) that will show only one question at a time, prohibit backtracking, or randomize questions, answers, or pages.
Make this a formative assessment for graded participation in this class, that ; it will not be automatically excluded from grade calculations.
Choose grading & submission options like the grade category, number of attempts, points/letter/percentage grading, number of points available, and grader options. Also set whether this assignment will be automatically posted for student view as soon as it’s graded.
Choose which assessment results are visible (for eCampus question types only) after a student submits this assignment.
Select assessment security options that can require an access code to begin the assessment or the use of Respondus LockDown browser (which ensures no other applications are open).
Implement additional tools such as setting Time Limits, including a Grading Rubric, aligning the assignment with goals & standards, or assigning this item by groups.
At the bottom of the settings for an assessment you will find a text box to enter a description. Enter a brief sentence or so to tell the students about this assignment.
Now choose when you’d like this assignment to be visible to students and any other release conditions.
At the top of the assignment page, click the drop-down that will default to “Hidden from students.”
If you want students to see this assignment immediately, click Visible to students.
If you want to wait, and make this visible later, leave the Hidden from students setting.
If you want access to this assignment to be restricted to a certain date range or certain students, click Release conditions.
Close (X in the left corner) the new assignment to see it has been added to the content page.
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The Messages tool is the built-in eCampus email application. The Messages tab you see inside of each course is the same tool that you can access from the eCampus navigation page. Messages allows you to send out communications to selected members of the course or to everyone and includes the option to also send sends an email copy to their MIX account.
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Click the Messages tab in the top menu.
A list of your received messages for this course will appear. Click on the message to view its full content, or click the trash icon to delete it.
Click the plus + in the upper right corner to start a New Message.
Click in the Recipients field to select course members by name or grouping. You can also begin typing to see a list of matching people and groups.
Click on individual or group names to select recipients.
Click a checkbox to choose whether to :
Send an email copy - this will send a copy to users’ MIX accounts.
Allow replies - permits users to reply to this message in eCampus
allow replies to this message in eCampus.
Type or copy/paste the information to be shared in the Message field. Use the formatting options to edit or attach things like you would for any other content in eCampus.
Click Send at the bottom of the page.
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The Gradebook is the built-in grading tool for eCampus, which automatically collects information for any assessments that you have created in this course based on the grading detail you provide. The Gradebook tool lets you add or remove assignment columns, or edit the grades as needed. You can even download a spreadsheet copy to work with off-line. You will find the Gradebook in the tabs at the top of the course, with the number of items to be graded in an oval.
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Blackboard Anthology Help: Grading
Blackboard Anthology Help: Navigate Grading
Gradebook Views
There are two views of the data in the gradebook: the list view, or the grid view. Both The gradebook contains four views: an overview, a gradable items list view, a grades spreadsheet view, and a students list view. The last three views provide options to filter what you see by students, groups, assessment categories, and more. You’ll find the same data in both those three views of the gradebook, so take some time to navigate through both them and choose the most comfortable format for you!
WVU ITS Help: eCampus Ultra Gradebook Overview
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Overview
The list view shows either all the Gradable Items (and calculated items) or all the Students. Click a gradable item to see each student's score for this item or grade their submitted attempt and provide feedback. In the Students view, click on a person in the list to see that student’s grades on all assignments, with additional options for tracking student activity and accommodations and eCampus messages.
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Overview shows a list of items, such as tests or assignments, that need to be graded, and a list of items that need to be posted. Clicking Grade now takes you directly to the items needing to be graded. Clicking Post now shows a dialog box allowing you to verify that you are ready to post these grades, which will enable the students to view the grades.
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Gradable Items
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Gradable Items shows a list of all assignments, tests, and graded items (discussions).
View the Item name and the number of students who have submitted their work, the item’s Due Date, Grading Status, and Post status.
Click any graded item in this list to see and edit all students’ scores for that item.
Close (X) the item page to go back to the Gradable Items list.
Students shows a list of all students in the course and their Overall Grade.
View the students' Full Name, Student ID, eCampus Username, their Last Access date, and their Overall Grade for the course. You can search for a student by name, ID, or username in the field at the top.
Click on a student row to view their grades for each assessment as well as links to a report on student activity in the course, notes on any accommodations, and to send a message to this student.
Grades
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The Grades view displays a traditional spreadsheet version of the gradebook, with columns for each graded item or calculation and rows for each student. Click in a cell to grade a submission, edit the current grade, and see more options (i.e., setting exemptions or exceptions).
Rows display students: Columns display assessments (or calculated grades).
Click the Grade Now link in a cell to view student submissions and enter a grade. Or click in any cell with an existing grade to edit/change a grade. Just type a new value.
Filter the data in the gradebook multiple ways:
Search for a student or assessment in the search box at the top of the page.
Click the Filter button to choose which Students, Groups, Gradable Items, or Categories to display.
Click Clear All to remove all filters.
Click any Student Name to see the same student grades page that you can access from the students list view above.
Rows display students: Columns display assessments (or calculated grades).
Click the Grade Now link in a cell to view student submissions and enter a grade. Or click in any cell with an existing grade to edit/change a grade. Just type a new value.
Filter the data in the gradebook multiple ways:
Search for a student or assessment in the search box at the top of the page.
Click the Filter button to choose which Students, Groups, Gradable Items, or Categories to display.
Click Clear All to remove all filters.
Click any Student Name to see the same student grades page that you can access from the students list view above.
view their grades for each assessment as well as links to a report on student activity in the course, notes on any accommodations, and to send a message to this student.
For the selected student, you’ll see a list of all assessments with the Status of their submission and their Grade on each assessment
, and any Feedback you’ve provided.Click the ellipsis (…) to Add or Edit Exemptions for each item (for this student only).
ℹ️ WVU ITS Help: Accommodations, Exemptions, ExceptionsClose (X) the student grades page to return to the list view of the main Gradebook.
Gradebook Grid View
The grid view displays a traditional spreadsheet version of the gradebook, with columns for each graded item or calculation and rows for each student. Click in a cell to grade a submission, edit the current grade, and see more options (i.e., setting exemptions or exceptions).
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, and any Feedback you’ve provided.
Click the ellipsis (…) to Add or Edit Exemptions for each item (for this student only).
Close (X) the student grades page to return to the list view of the main Gradebook.
Students
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Students shows a list of all students in the course and their Overall Grade. In the Students view, click on a person in the list to see that student’s grades on all assignments, with additional options for tracking student activity and accommodations and eCampus messages.
View the students' Full Name, eCampus Username, their Last Access date, and their Overall Grade for the course. You can search for a student by name, ID, or username in the field at the top.
Click on a student row to view their grades for each assessment as well as links to a report on student activity in the course, notes on any accommodations, and to send a message to this student.
For the selected student, you’ll see a list of all assessments with the Status of their submission and their Grade on each assessment, and any Feedback you’ve provided.
Click the ellipsis (…) to Add or Edit Exemptions for each item (for this student only).
ℹ️ WVU ITS Help: Accommodations, Exemptions, ExceptionsClose (X) the student grades page to return to the list view of the main Gradebook.
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Grade Schemas - click the Manage Grade Schemas link to edit the existing grading scales, or add a new personalized grade schema.
Student Performance - set up alerts that will appear in your eCampus activity stream to notify you when any student is not active in the course or when their grade falls below a designated percentage.
Automatic Zeros - check a box to select whether eCampus will automatically assign a zero when students fail to submit work by the due date.
Overall Grade - click the Manage overall grade settings link to setup how the final/total grade for the course will be calculated.
Students Visibility - hide students in the gradebook who no longer have access to the course.
Grade Categories - default categories include basic types of graded assessments: assignments, tests, discussions, journals, exams, homework, presentations, and quizzes. You can create new categories, too.
Course Rubrics - rubrics can help students to know what criteria will be used for grading an assessment, and ensure that everyone’s paper is graded according to the same standard. Click Create New Rubric to design one.
Overall Grade Notations - create a mark (outside of the regular course grading scheme) that can be recorded as a student’s Overall Grade; for example, to note that a student has withdrawn from the course. Click the individual’s Overall Grade from the grid view to select a notation grade (like a 'W') instead.
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Click the Gradebook tab at the top of your course.
Click Gradable Items to make sure you are looking at the list of gradable assessments.
Click the Item Name in the Item column, or the # to grade link in the Grading Status column to view all grades and attempts to be graded on the Submissions page of this assessment.
If this is an assignment that has been submitted in-person or just not in eCampus, where you’d want to simply type in a grade for each student, click in the Grade column and enter a grade.
If this assessment was submitted via eCampus with essay questions, text responses, uploaded submissions, or uses a grading rubric, click the attempt to grade link to view the student’s submitted attempt.
On the grading page you can evaluate the student’s submission, select values from a rubric’s scales, and leave feedback.
Make sure you have either selected a score via rubric, or entered a Grade.
Save the grade and feedback you’ve entered, then close (X) the submitted item.
After a grade has been entered, you can still click the Grade to manually override and type in a new value.
Post the grade(s) when you’re ready, if the assessment is not set to automatically post.
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On the main eCampus navigation page, click the Tools menu link, then click on My Mediasite (Instructors only) button. An LTI connection will launch Mediasite in a new browser tab, showing your My Presentations list.
Click on the title or thumbnail image for a video you’d like to share to view the details page for that recording.
Click the Share Presentation button in the column on the right to get a quick link to the video.
Click the Copy button to copy the URL for the video to your computer’s clipboard.
Switch back over to the browser tab containing your eCampus course.
Click on Courses, and click to open your course.
On the Content page, click the plus (+) to add content, and choose Create.
On the Create Item panel, click Link.
On the New Link screen, set up the link as you want the students to see it:
Make the link Visible,
enter a Display Name (title) for this link,
paste in the Link URL that you copied from Mediasite.
Then, add a Description to tell students what they’ll see or learn in the video
, and Save the link to place it on the content page.
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WVU’s Teaching and Learning Commons has more details about using Mediasite in your courses. |
Books and Course Tools
You can access more tools from the Books & Tools link under Details & Actions on the main content page. Some tools require a step to connect the LTI tool to eCampus (like an email authorization or button click). You can add many of the additional tools to the Course Content page for students, too. Click the PLUS next to a tool in the list to add it to the page.
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Zoom – host Zoom sessions from your eCampus course, and place a link in your content area to your course’s Zoom meetings.
Ally Accessibility Report – view an interactive report for the accessibility of all items in your course, and get guided help on how to make items more accessible.
Content Collection – access your course’s file storage area (and other eCampus courses’ collections).
Blackboard Anthology: Content Collection > About Files and Folders
WVU ITS Help: eCampus File Size Limits and Course QuotasRespondus – you can require students to use Respondus LockDown Browser to complete tests and assignments from the Respondus dashboard. Click other tabs in the Respondus interface for guides and tutorials.
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