When it comes to CourseDen, it is rare for someone to experience all sides of UWG’s learning management system (LMS). As a graduate student in the Master of Education with a Major in Media (Instructional Technology) program and as an academic instructional support specialist for UWG Online, I get to experience the role of student, instructor and administrator. Working in each role has helped me develop a strong appreciation for the woes of both student and instructor. This appreciation has fueled my excitement for CourseDen’s upgrade from 9.4 to 10.2, scheduled to be available no later than midnight on December 26, 2013.
One of my favorite improvements that affect both student and instructor is the new homepage layout and updated navigation. In 9.4, the homepage was overwhelming, displaying ‘My Courses,’ ‘News,’ ‘Events,’ ‘Updates,’ ‘My Settings,’ ‘CourseDen Resources,’ ‘Calendar,’ ‘Library Help,’ etc. With all of these content modules vying for my attention, I would immediately shut down and focus only on ‘My Courses,’ ignoring any important announcements that could be listed somewhere else on the homepage. In 10.2, by grouping together similar content modules, UWG Online has simplified the homepage by giving focus to the two most important aspects of a LMS: Course Access and Communication modules. You now will be greeted only with the latest news and events, access to your courses, and 24/7 library help.
With 10.2’s introduction of the mini-bar, the navigation in CourseDen has been greatly improved. Using the same method that was used on the homepage – grouping together similar content and focusing on course access and communication – we have removed unnecessary navigation links. This makes it easier for the student and instructor to find the most important content.
Getting a new face lift is not that only thing that has changed in CourseDen. There have been upgrades to course content, discussions, email, dropbox, quizzes, groups, and user profiles. If you would like to see all the updates for 10.2, please visit http://uwgonline.westga.edu/announcements.php. As always, if you have any questions or problems with CourseDen, please give us a call 678-839-6248 or email us at online@westga.edu.
Wesley Steverson is the academic instructional support specialist for Distance and Distributed Education.
