| CourseWorks FAQs: Introduction and Settings

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Introduction

Q: How can I change the course title and other information about my course?

  • CourseWorks picks up basic course information from the Directory of Classes. You can use "Edit Intro" from the Introduction page to add and correct information. If any of the basic information is incorrect, ask your Departmental Administrator to get it changed in the Directory of Classes so edits will not be overwritten.

Settings

Q: How do I give a Columbia affiliate (someone who has a UNI) access to my course?

  • Students enrolled in the course will automatically have access to your site. If you want to add additional members, go to the "Settings" section of CourseWorks. Then click on "Set Members." Enter the Columbia UNI of the person you would like to make a member of the course. Select either Teaching Assistant, Non-registered Student, or Non-registered Auditor.

Q: How do I add a person to my course who does NOT have a Columbia UNI?

  • If a person does not have a Columbia UNI, their access to CourseWorks is limited. They can only view the course via guest access. The URL for guests is found in the "Settings" sections of CourseWorks; you can copy this URL and send it to guests via email. Click on "For World Wide Guests." Select the sections that you want to make visible to outside users, and click "Save Changes." Note: The Test and Quiz, Grade book, Class files, Discussions, and Class Email sections can not be made accessible to guest users because they contain student information.

Q: What is the difference between auditors, students, and TAs?

  • Teaching assistant (TA) status grants instructor level access. Except for some advanced features of CourseWorks, such as Course Controls and Preferences, TA status does not give the member access to Settings.
  • Granting students access to the course will NOT enroll them in the course, however non-registered students will see the same material as the other students. Students can view all materials, but cannot edit any of the sections.
  • Auditors cannot receive class emails, post files, use the discussion boards, or use the test and quiz section. If you require an auditor access to these functions, set their permission level to "Non-registered student."

Q: How do I change the level of access of one of the members of my site?

  • Go to the "Settings" sections and then to "Set Members," and click on the link "Show Student Panel." Change the member's status or edit permissions and click on "Update Permissions" to save your changes. Only activate the check boxes next to each class member's name if you want that individual to have edit access in those sections.

Q: I want to show some sections of my CourseWorks site, but hide others. Can I do this?

  • Yes. The various sections of your CourseWorks sites have options to hide information from students. In terms of guest access, most of the sections of a CourseWorks site can be made available without password. Sections that contain personal student information cannot be made available to guests.

Q: Sections of my CourseWorks site are available for guest access, but I don't want guests to be able to view some files. Can I password protect individual files within CourseWorks?

  • No. There is currently no password protection scheme in CourseWorks that will offer that level of granular security. If you are concerned about maintaining a server that houses the files securely, please consider Columbia's server options at http://www.columbia.edu/itc.

Q: How to I get my syllabus to appear in the Directory of Classes (DOC) website?

  • To do this, you'll need to take information from your CourseWorks page and input it into a form on the DOC website:

1. In Courseworks, click on "Settings."
2. Click on the "For World Wide Guests" tab.
3. Check "Syllabus."
4. Copy the URL that appears at the bottom of the page.
5. Go to the DOC website.
6. Click "Help."
7. Click "Materials for Instructors."
8. Click "Access the forms."
9. Log in with your Columbia UNI and password.
10. Click "Section Information Change Form."
11. Fill out the form, pasting the CourseWorks URL in the "Syllabus" section.
12. Your syllabus will now appear in your course page in the DOC. It may take a few hours for your syllabus to appear.