FAQs: Course Companion Shells for Classroom Courses

What is a “companion shell”?
It’s a copy of an online course made available to classroom-based faculty and learners. If no online version of a course exists, the shell contains no content. The companion shell is used as a resource for the classroom and a repository of documentation (email, assignments, grades) for the classroom course.

Why are we doing this?
Increasingly, our learners are taking their courses in a mix of formats within a program. There is no “on-ground program” or “online program”; there’s just “the MSOL program” (for example). The course outcomes for any given class, in any format, must be met, and providing identical course shells for all formats is a step toward getting us there.

How will it work?
All companion shells provide the WorldClass-on-D2L functions. If there is a corresponding online course, the companion shell includes all of that content as a resource, except for the syllabus (you will still provide that).

In addition, faculty teaching in any delivery mode – online, classroom, or blended – will also have some new permissions to build or reconfigure elements such as the Dropbox, the Grade Book, and TurnItIn. Training for these functions has been added to the WorldClass Tutorial for CPS Faculty.

What’s required?
In either event, classroom-based faculty are required by CPS policy to use at least these three elements of the shell:

• WorldClass Email for all written communication with students during the course
• Dropbox for all assignment submissions
• Grade Book to keep students up-to-date on their progress throughout the course

Use of online content by classroom-based facilitators is encouraged but not required. Classroom facilitators have the ability to delete the online discussions, adjust the Grade Book and Dropbox, and upload their syllabus.

Why are we using these elements?
Our ability to maintain classroom records via WorldClass helps us document our processes for accreditors and more easily resolve any disputes by learners.

Where do I get the WorldClass Tutorial for CPS Faculty?

We’ve built it as a standalone site. Go to: http://cpsdl2.regis.edu/WC_Faculty_Tutorial/

Where do I find my companion shell?
Companion shells, like online courses, reside in our Learning Management System (LMS), provided by our vendor-partner, Desire2Learn (D2L). We refer to this system as WorldClass-on-D2L. To access your course, go to https://worldclass.regis.edu; alternatively, you may go to www.regis.edu and then select WorldClass from the Quick Links on the upper right. Either one takes you to the same location.

You will normally have access to your course/s ten days before the start of a term.

Whom do I contact if I need technical support?
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Or call: 303-458-4050 / 1-800-388-2366 ext. 4050

Exemplar Showcase from CPS Online Courses

Multimedia shouldn’t be a stand-alone component. It needs preparation within the context of the lesson and needs follow up activities. The purpose is to get the student actively engaged with the content and support the focus of the learning.

1. Preparation

• Scaffolding - what background information is necessary to understand the concepts?
• Guiding questions - can we focus the students efforts by asking some questions that direct their learning?
• Context - can we make connections with what they already have learned?
• Advanced information (i.e., strategic hints) - how can the student best acquire and sort the information? How do the experts do it?

2. Media

• Concise - 5-8 minutes maximum for a video segment
• Focus on the topic - follow a script and practice is needed so presenter does not digress
• Immediate feedback - when questions are posed provide immediate feedback for responses
• Limited use within course to maintain motivation - more is not better, the learners become less motivated with multiple repetitions of similar media

3. Follow up activities to reinforce learning

• Activities to assess learning outcomes
• Summaries
• Reflection

The following link is a wonderful resource that you may find helpful for ideas for using multimedia in your lessons. The exemplars are from current CPS online courses. They fall under the categories of graphics/photos; audio; video; narrated slide show; tutorial; animation; case study/scenario; games. These exemplars help us to understand the benefits of each type of media explored and the reasons why we might incorporate these strategies in the presentation of our topics.

CPS Online Multimedia Exemplars