Just as our homes need a refresh after winter, courses benefit from a little spring cleaning! Now is the perfect time to organize materials, streamline navigation, and prepare for the transition from eCampus Learn to eCampus Ultra. A well-structured course enhances student success by improving accessibility, engagement, and ease of navigation. 

Clear, consistent course design helps students focus on learning rather than searching for resources, reducing feelings of disconnection in online learning (Moore, 2018). Effective organization minimizes extraneous cognitive load (Moore, 2018), making content easier to engage with (Mayer, 2009), while intuitive structures promote deeper learning (Aspillaga, 2016; Ralston & Braatz, 2021; Lee et al., 2012). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) highlights the need for flexible, accessible content to support all learners (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014), and consistency across courses helps students transition smoothly between them (Kamaruddin & Sulaiman, 2017). To get you started, this post outlines six key steps to clean up and refresh your course. 

1. Declutter Unnecessary Content

   Over time, courses accumulate extra files, outdated materials, and redundant resources. Cleaning up unnecessary content keeps your course focused and easy to navigate, ensuring students can engage with relevant materials without distractions. Too much text, redundant resources, or complex navigation can overwhelm students, making it harder to focus and retain information (Skulmowski & Xu, 2022). If you’re hesitant to delete something completely, consider creating an archive folder hidden from students but accessible to you. 

   Take a step back and ask yourself:

   • Are there readings, videos, or assignments that are no longer relevant?

   • Have you uploaded multiple versions of the same document?

   • Are there discussion boards or announcements from previous semesters needing removal?

2. Improve Organization for Clarity and Accessibility

   A cluttered course layout can make it difficult for students to find what they need. A well-structured course reduces student frustration and helps them focus on learning rather than searching for materials.

   Take some time to:

   • Simplify your course menu: Remove unused links and reorder items so the most essential content is easy to find. Using a consistent module or folder layout makes it easier for students to navigate and locate course materials. 

   • Use clear and consistent naming conventions: Ensure files, assignments, and modules have short yet descriptive titles.

   • Check accessibility: Use tools like eCampus Ally (WVU Login Required) to ensure documents are accessible to all students. 

3. Refresh and Update Course Materials

   A well-maintained course contains relevant and effective learning materials. Regularly reviewing and updating your content helps improve clarity, accessibility, and engagement. As you refresh your course, consider whether the materials align with your learning objectives and provide your students with the best learning experience. Minor updates, such as refining instructions, adding multimedia, or reformatting content for readability, can significantly impact student comprehension and engagement. 

   Take this time to review the quality and relevance of your content:

   • Check links and resources: Update any outdated information or links.

   • Replace long blocks of text: Consider where you could add engaging visuals, videos, or interactive elements. 

   • Incorporate student feedback: Assess what worked well and what could be improved.

   When transitioning to eCampus Ultra, consider how the new platform’s features can help you present content. Ultra’s streamlined design, improved assessment tools, and enhanced communication features make it easier to create a student-centered learning experience. 

4. Clean Up the Gradebook and Rubrics

   The grade book is an often-overlooked part of course clean-up. A well-maintained grade book makes grading more efficient and reduces student confusion. 

   Take a moment to:

   • Remove unnecessary columns: Delete old assignments or extra columns no longer in use.

   • Ensure grade categories are correctly set up: Confirm weighted grades, total points, or calculated columns are configured correctly.

   • Check for consistency in grading rubrics: Ensure that rubrics are clear, aligned with course outcomes, and free of outdated criteria.

   eCampus Ultra provides improved grading workflows, so cleaning up the gradebook now will make the transition much smoother. 

5. Streamline and Automate Where Possible

   Do you have announcements, feedback, and rubrics you’d like to keep for future use? Copy or save your communication to create templates that you can reuse! A little time spent now on automation can make managing your course much more manageable. 

   Save yourself time in the future by setting up:

   • Auto-releasing content: Schedule based on dates or completion criteria with Release Conditions.

   • Reusable templates: For announcements and discussion prompts.

   • Grading rubrics: To provide more precise expectations and faster feedback.

6. Preview Your Course Before the Next Term

   Before wrapping up, take the time to do a final check to ensure everything in your course is clear, functional, and ready for students. Reviewing the course in the student preview mode, you can identify any navigation challenges, broken links, or outdated settings that might need adjustment. This final review helps create a seamless learning experience and prepares your course for success in the upcoming semester.  

   Take some time to review the following: 

   • Student Preview: Use student preview to experience the course from a learner’s perspective.

   • Link Check: Test all links and embedded media to ensure they work correctly.

   • Due Dates and Settings: Check due dates and grading settings are updated for the upcoming semester. 

A Fresh Start for a Smooth Semester

You’re setting yourself and your students up for success by giving your course a thorough spring cleaning. A clean, well-organized course also reduces stress, improves the learning experience, and makes teaching more enjoyable. Plus, if you haven’t yet transitioned to eCampus Ultra, this process will make the move much smoother by eliminating outdated materials and ensuring your content is well-structured before migrating.

What’s one small change you can make today to clean up and improve your course for its next offering? 

Need help with cleaning your course?

For more information on organizing and preparing your course, check out Transitioning Your Course to eCampus Ultra instructor guide on the Digital Learning Hub. 

WVU Resources

To answer your frequently asked questions on the eCampus Ultra transition, refer to WVU ITS’ How do I move to eCampus Ultra?

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