Course management is the foundation of your FeedForward experience. This guide covers creating courses, managing course settings, organizing assignments, and handling the course lifecycle from creation to archival.
Access Course Creation - From your dashboard, click "Create New Course" - Or navigate to "My Courses" → "New Course"
Enter Basic Information
yaml
Course Name: Introduction to Academic Writing
Course Code: ENGL101
Section: 001 (optional)
Term: Fall 2024
Credits: 3
Add Course Details ```yaml Description: | This course develops fundamental academic writing skills through iterative drafting and revision processes.
Learning Objectives: - Develop clear thesis statements - Support arguments with evidence - Master academic citation formats - Improve through revision ```
Student Settings: Max Enrollment: 30 Self-Enrollment: Disabled Late Submissions: Allowed with penalty ```
The course dashboard is your command center:
[Course Name: ENGL101 - Introduction to Academic Writing]
Quick Stats:
┌─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┐
│ Students │ Assignments │ Submissions │ Reviews │
│ 24/30 │ 5 Active │ 47 Total │ 12 Pending │
└─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┘
Navigation:
- Overview
- Assignments
- Students
- Analytics
- Settings
Access via Course → Settings → General
Course Information:
Name: [Editable]
Code: [Editable]
Description: [Editable]
Display Options:
Show in Dashboard: Yes
Student View: Enabled
Public Syllabus: No
Availability:
Status: Active/Inactive/Archived
Start Date: [Date picker]
End Date: [Date picker]
Configure how students join your course:
Enrollment Options:
Method: Invitation Only
Max Students: 30
Waitlist: Enabled (5 spots)
Invitation Settings:
Require Acceptance: Yes
Expiration: 14 days
Resend Allowed: Yes
Access Control:
Late Enrollment: Allowed until Week 3
Drop Deadline: Week 8
Set default values for new assignments:
Default Settings:
Draft Limit: 3
File Types: PDF, DOCX, TXT
Max File Size: 10 MB
AI Configuration:
Default Models: GPT-4, Claude-3
Runs per Model: 3
Aggregation: Average
Feedback Settings:
Require Review: Yes
Auto-Release: No
Show Scores: After approval
Organize assignments into logical units:
Create Module - Click "Add Module" - Name: "Unit 1: Essay Fundamentals" - Description: Optional - Date range: Optional
Add Assignments to Modules - Drag assignments into modules - Or select module when creating - Reorder as needed
Module Settings - Sequential unlock - Prerequisites - Completion requirements
Visualize your course timeline:
Calendar View - See all due dates - Add course events - Sync with institution calendar
Bulk Date Management - Shift all dates - Adjust for holidays - Copy from previous term
Communicate with all students:
Message: | Your Essay 2 feedback is now available. Please review and begin your revisions.
Options: Email Students: Yes Pin to Top: No Schedule: Immediate ```
Access via Course → Students
Student List View:
┌──────────────┬─────────────┬────────────┬─────────────┐
│ Name │ Email │ Status │ Last Active │
├──────────────┼─────────────┼────────────┼─────────────┤
│ Jane Smith │ js@edu │ Active │ 2 hours ago │
│ John Doe │ jd@edu │ Active │ 1 day ago │
│ Mary Johnson │ mj@edu │ Invited │ Never │
└──────────────┴─────────────┴────────────┴─────────────┘
For each student, you can:
View Profile - Submission history - Performance summary - Contact information
Manage Access - Temporary extensions - Special permissions - Remove from course
Communicate - Send direct message - View message history - Flag for attention
Handle multiple students efficiently:
Reuse successful course structures:
Find Source Course - Go to My Courses - Click "Duplicate" option
Select Copy Options ```yaml Copy Settings: Course Information: Yes Assignments: Yes Rubrics: Yes Modules: Yes
Exclude: Student Enrollments: Yes Submissions: Yes Announcements: Optional ```
Transfer course content:
Export Course - Select components - Generate export file - Download archive
Import Course - Upload archive - Map components - Review and confirm
During the active term:
As the course concludes:
Final Tasks - Ensure all feedback reviewed - Export gradebook - Archive important data - Send final announcements
Grade Export - Generate final reports - Export to LMS/SIS - Create backups
Preserve course for reference:
Prepare for Archive - Review all assignments - Export necessary data - Notify students
Archive Process - Go to Settings → Archive Course - Confirm understanding:
Post-Archive - Course moved to archives - Can be reactivated if needed - Data remains searchable
Add teaching assistants or co-instructors:
Add Co-Instructor - Navigate to Settings → Instructors - Enter email address - Set permissions level
Permission Levels ```yaml Full Co-Instructor:
Teaching Assistant: - View submissions - Review feedback - Limited settings
Grader: - Review feedback only - No settings access ```
Connect with other systems:
LMS Integration - Sync rosters - Grade passback - Assignment links
Calendar Sync - Export to iCal - Google Calendar - Outlook integration
Plan Ahead - Create course early - Set up all assignments - Test configurations
Clear Communication - Detailed descriptions - Explicit expectations - Regular updates
Consistent Structure - Similar assignment formats - Regular due dates - Predictable patterns
Stay Organized - Use modules effectively - Keep calendar updated - Archive old announcements
Monitor Progress - Check analytics weekly - Address issues early - Adjust as needed
Maintain Engagement - Regular announcements - Timely feedback - Respond to questions
Students Can't Access Course - Check enrollment status - Verify course is active - Resend invitations - Check spam folders
Assignment Not Visible - Verify publication status - Check date restrictions - Review module requirements - Test student view
Performance Issues - Large class sizes - Too many assignments - Archive old content - Contact support
Use the course duplication feature to save time when teaching multiple sections or repeating courses across terms.