Before Registration Starts: Check Your Course Status

The U of S uses the Banner Student Information System (SiRIUS). Check courses as early as possible (preferably before registration starts) to make sure that the proper instructors have been assigned. This may be accomplished using SiRIUS Self Service. 

1. Visit the list of SiRIUS course offerings.

 

2. Select the term the course is in and then click the Submit button.

 

3. Use the search options to find the course. For example, if the course is "CMPT 100" then select "Computer Science" for the subject, enter "100" for the course number, then click the Class Search button. A list of all sections of that course will be displayed.

 

4. Find the sections you are teaching. Review the "Instructor" column. If the instructor is "TBA" or the wrong instructors are listed, then you must get the proper instructors assigned. Contact your departmental SiRIUS contact (usually the department administrative assistant) to have this done.

 

After the Course is Created: Student Access, Content Creation, Additional Users

STUDENT ACCESS:

Approximately one month before the start of the term, SiRIUS creates a course shell in BBLearn and adds students and all instructors for the course. The student class list is also automatically created and maintained. You are able to access this course from the moment it is created.

By default, the course will be available to students. Access is via PAWS > Academics Tab > My Courses > Course Tools > Courses I'm Attending.

If you do not want the course available to students while preparing content, the availability may be changed.

1. Log in to BBLearn (bblearn.usask.ca) OR (Course Tools / BBLearn Icon in PAWS > Academics Tab > My Courses) and access your course list
2. Within EACH course, navigate to the Control Panel (left side, lower part of page)
3. Within the Customisation section choose:
   • Properties -> Set Availability
   • In Section 2, set the Make Course Available radio button to No
4. Click Submit

Note:  Remember to reset the Course Availability to Yes before the students need to access it.

CONTENT CREATION: 
A. New Course - No content added

 Content may be added using the Content Materials area. For more information, help documents and videos, please visit BBLearn / Course Tools Help. 

B. Existing Development or Test Course - Some content added

1. If you have a template of the course stored in a separate "development area," revise that template so that all dates and content are accurate for the current term.
2. Copy your content from your development course to your "live" course.  From within your development course, do the following:
   
   1. Within the Control Panel, select Packages and Utilities - > Course Copy
   2. Within the Course Copy utility ensure your Copy Type is set to "Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course"
   3. Within Select Copy Options, click the Browse button to view your list of available courses, and select the course to which you wish to copy content.
   4. Within the Select Copy Options, select the checkboxes of the content components you want to copy
   5. Within the Course Files, ensure that "Copy links and copies of the content (Include all Course Files)" is selected
   6. Click Submit



Note:  While you have the option to copy selected portions of content within this tool, it is recommended that you copy the entire content collection at one time as the functionality of some portions is dependent on others portions being available.

ADDITIONAL USERS:Add any additional instructors, course builders, graders, teaching assistants or guests to the course. While logged into your course, select the "Add Users By Role" tool within the Control Panel. You will require the NSID of the people you wish to enrol.

Assistance

If you need assistance with any of the above steps, or have further questions, please e-mail bblearn_support@usask.ca.