Guide to Higher Education
Learnline Unit
Production
Process Office of Learning and Teaching
October 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
OFFICE OF LEARNING AND TEACHING ...................................................................... 1
GLOSSARY ..................................................................................................................... 3
1. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 5
2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................................... 5
3. IDENTIFICATION OF TP COORDINATORS ............................................................ 5
3.1. Maintaining Accurate TP Coordinator Information in the SMS .................................... 5
3.2. TP Coordinator Access to Learnline unit..................................................................... 6
3.3. Review of Teaching Period Coordinator details .......................................................... 6
3.4. Viewing TP Coordinator details .................................................................................. 6
3.5. Authority to Amend TP Coordinator Details ................................................................ 8
4. LEARNLINE UNIT PRODUCTION PROCESS (LLUP) ............................................. 8
4.1. Unit Creation / Unit Rollover ....................................................................................... 9
4.2. Assignment of Unit Review Mode ............................................................................... 9
4.3. TP Coordinator Review Process ................................................................................. 9
4.3.1. LTD Review Mode Process ....................................................................................... 9
4.3.2. Self-Review Mode Process ..................................................................................... 10
5. UNIT READINESS CRITERIA FROM (URC FORM) .............................................. 11
6. LEARNLINE UNIT PRODUCTION PROCESS TIMELINES ................................... 12
7. SUPPORTING RESOURCES ................................................................................. 12
7.1.1. Learnline Unit Production Status and Reporting ...................................................... 13
8. RELEASE OF UNIT ................................................................................................ 13
Appendix A: Sample of Unit Readiness Criteria Form
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GLOSSARY
6 Key Principles of Online Learning
meaning the principles used by the University to guide learning design, teaching and review of online
units.
Analytics for Learnline
meaning activity in Learnline, made available through statistical reporting.
Area 52
meaning an Oracle APEX (application) tool used for developing and deploying web based
applications that interact with the Student Management System (Callista).
Callista
meaning the Student Management System (SMS).
CSS
meaning Course Systems Support part of the Accreditation and Registration team in OLT.
eQUIP
meaning an Area 52 application used for the annual review of unit offerings.
HE
meaning Higher Education
HETDT
meaning Higher Education Training and Development Team
HE Template
meaning the Learnline template adopted by the LSG and being progressively implemented in all HE
schools.
HOS
meaning Head of School
LDT
meaning Learnline Development and Training Team LLUP Meaning Learnline Unit Production Process
LMS
meaning the Blackboard Learning Management System, known at CDU as Learnline
LSG
meaning the Learnline Steering Group
OLT
meaning the Office of Learning and Teaching
SMS
meaning the Student Management System (also known as Callista)
Teaching Period (TP)
meaning a specified period in which individual units are made available for enrolment, such as
Semester 1, 2 and Summer Semester, Study Period 1, 2, 3 and so on.
Teaching Period Coordinator
meaning the unit coordinator allocated to that specific teaching period, stored in the SMS.
Unit Coordinator (UC)
meaning a member of the relevant School as either a permanent staff member of full-time, long-term
contract member responsible for a unit at a point in time, stored in the SMS.
Unit Coordinator’s Handbook
meaning a guide to assist Unit Coordinators, available on the OLT website at
http://www.cdu.edu.au/olt/downloads/HandbookforUnitCoordinatorsOct2014.pdf
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Unit Coordinator Management System (UCM)
meaning an Area 52 application used to amend unit coordinator details stored in the SMS.
Unit Production Process
meaning the process whereby Learnline sites for HE units are created, made available to lecturers for
development, reviewed and opened for students each teaching period.
Unit Readiness Criteria Form
An online checklist used by Unit Coordinators in the review of a Learnline site. For details of the
contents of the form see
https://online.cdu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/institution/FDT/LLUP/LearnlineUnitProductionLearnlineModule
Nov2014.pdf
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1. BACKGROUND
This guide is intended to provide Higher Education schools and academic staff with a clear and
transparent guide to the processes and timeframes for the review and checking of Learnline units. It
is designed to support the continual and systematic improvement of Learnline sites in line with the
principle of continuous quality improvement and in alignment with the university’s Learnline Unit
Production Cycle (LLUP). This guide refers to processes by which Learnline sites are created, made
available to academic staff, reviewed and made available to students. The continuous improvement of
Learnline sites is in alignment with the university’s commitment to providing students with quality
learning experiences and resources, and timely access to their Learnline sites.
2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The roles of Unit Coordinator (UC) and Teaching Period (TP) Coordinator are both referred to
throughout this document. Whilst both the Teaching Period Coordinator and Unit Coordinator will both
have access to a Learnline unit, for the Purpose of completing the LLUP Process the Learnline
Development and Training Team engage solely with the Teaching Period Coordinator.
Glossary: Teaching Period (TP) Coordinator
meaning the unit coordinator allocated to that specific teaching period, stored in the SMS.
The role of the TP Coordinator who, in some instances, may also be the Unit Coordinator, is the
critical role with respect to the systems utilised by CDU to administer the LLUP. The person listed as
the TP Coordinator is the person who will receive notification that a Learnline unit has been created
and is ready to be reviewed/prepared for release. This process is followed irrespective of whether the
Unit will be reviewed by the LDT team prior to release or the TP Coordinator is undertaking a ‘Self-
Review’ of the Unit.
Glossary: Unit Coordinator (UC)
meaning a member of the relevant School as either a permanent staff member of full-time,
long-term contract member responsible for a unit at a point in time, stored in the SMS.
The role of Unit Coordinator is variously understood at the school level, but usually the Unit
Coordinator has overall, ongoing responsibility for a unit, including those found on Learnline. See the
Unit Coordinators Handbook for a comprehensive outline of the responsibilities of the Unit
Coordinator from an academic’s perspective.
Whilst the Unit Coordinator will typically be responsible at the School level for a Unit, from a LLUP
process perspective, it is the TP Coordinator who is responsible for the preparation of a unit for
release in Learnline.
3. IDENTIFICATION OF TP COORDINATORS
3.1. Maintaining Accurate TP Coordinator Information in the SMS
As mentioned previously, for the purpose of the LLUP Process, TP Coordinators in the schools are
responsible for the review and preparation of Learnline Units.
Only full-time permanent or contracted staff with access to Callista can be assigned as Unit/TP
Coordinators. Part time contracted staff cannot be assigned as a Unit/TP Coordinator. The Student
Management System (SMS) does not record part-time or casual lecturing staff.
In order to ensure that the correct TP Coordinator will receive an automated email to advise them their
unit(s) is ready for review it essential that Unit Coordinator and Teaching Period Coordinator details
should never be left blank in the SMS.
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If a Unit Coordinator or Teaching Period Coordinator is unknown, Head of School or Theme Leaders
details or other delegated full time member of the School should be entered. This will ensure that that
any vital information pertaining to that unit is received by the school/discipline.
NB. While the Unit Coordinator and the TP Coordinator will both have access to a Learnline site, only the TP Coordinator has access to the online LLUP Unit Readiness Criteria (URC) form that must be completed before a unit is released to students.
3.2. TP Coordinator Access to Learnline unit
Unit/TP coordinator information is fed to the UCM every 24 hours; therefore an appointed Unit/TP
Coordinator may need to wait up to 24 hours before they are able to access a Unit.
If there are other staff that require access to a Learnline unit, they should in the first instance
contact the TP Coordinator. If they are unable to contact the TP Coordinator they should
contact a member of LDT via [email protected].
3.3. Review of Teaching Period Coordinator details
It is recommended that teaching Period Coordinator details are reviewed and up-dated by Schools
regularly during the year, and particularly at the following prior to:
February/March (for Semester 2 units)
September (for Semester 1 units)
Annually during the review of all unit offerings (eQUIP) for the following Academic year
3.4. Viewing TP Coordinator details
Current Unit Coordinator, Theme Leaders, Heads of Schools and School Admin Leaders Should be
able to view TP Coordinator (and Unit Coordinator) details through eQUIP, or the Unit Coordinator
Management System (as per following images). If you need to view this information and do not have
access please contact [email protected].
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Example Screen-shot of School of Law in eQuio
From within the ‘School Page’ in eQUIP you are able to see who is listed as the Unit Coordinator.
To identify the Teaching Period Coordinator f or a unit, click on the magnifying glass next to the unit
title .
Once in the ‘Unit Page’ within eQuip you will be able to see both Teaching Period Coordinator and
Unit Coordinator details .
Again note, whilst both the Teaching Period Coordinator Details and Unit Coordinator Details are
visible from within eQuip, the LLUP Process relies solely on the Teaching Period Coordinator details
for the purpose of providing access to the Unit Readiness Criteria form and email communications.
If the information contained within eQuip is incorrect, Teaching Period Coordinators must advise the
Unit Coordinator and their Head of School so that the correct details can be recorded.
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3.5. Authority to Amend TP Coordinator Details
Amendments to TP Coordinator details must be approved by the Head of School. School Admin
Leaders, Heads of School and Learning and Teaching Committee Chairs can request access to the
Unit Coordinator Management (UCM) application in Area 52 to complete amendments to TP
Coordinator details.
Alternative nominated staff can be email Course Systems Support ([email protected] ) to request a
change.
Detailed information on how to amend unit coordinator details in the Unit Coordinator Management
System (UCM) is provided in the User Guide for UMC Tool located in the Unit Coordinator
Management (UCM) tool itself.
Unit Coordinator Management access via Area 52
4. LEARNLINE UNIT PRODUCTION PROCESS (LLUP)
The Learnline Unit Production Process (LLUP) is the process of reviewing and preparing a Learnline
Unit in readiness for release in the next teaching period that the unit will be offered. There are:
Units that have been designated in ‘LDT Review’ mode this process includes ‘site-checks’
undertaken by the LDT team to ensure the unit meets the minimum CDU readiness criteria.
Units that have been designated ‘Self-Review’ mode the TP Coordinator is solely responsible
for ensuring that the unit meets CDU’s readiness criteria and
The main steps in the Learnline Unit Production Process are:
1. Unit Creation / Unit Rollover
2. Assignment of Unit Review Mode
3. TP Coordinator Review (LDT-Mode / Self-Review Mode)
4. Unit Release Process
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4.1. Unit Creation / Unit Rollover
In the case of a new Unit offering, the LDT Team will create the Unit structure in Learnline utilising the HE unit template.
For existing Units, the Unit is copied and ‘rolled over’ in Learnline for the TP Coordinator to review and update. In this instance content from the previous offering of the Unit, with the exception of announcements, is copied into the new instance of the unit.
Upon ‘Creation’ or ‘Rollover’ of a Unit the TP Coordinator will receive an automated email advising that the Unit has been made available.
Note: It is important the Unit’s TP coordinator details recorded in the UCM are correct at this stage to ensure that vital notifications and information are sent to the correct person. If these details are not correct, they should be updated as outlined in Section 3.
4.2. Assignment of Unit Review Mode
The Learnline Unit Production Process (LLUP) consists of two review modes:
LDT Mode
Self-Review Mode
Prior to creating or rolling over the Unit in Learnline it will be assigned to either the LDT Mode or Self-
Review Mode based on criteria approved by the Learnline Steering Group (LSG).
The TP Coordinator will be advised within the automated email which mode their Unit has been
allocated to.
The automated email will also contain further instructions regarding which review mode the Unit has
been allocated to and related submission due dates.
4.3. Unit Review Process
As described in section 4.2 two review modes are supported in the LLUP:
LDT Review Mode
Self-Review Mode
4.3.1. LTD Review Mode Process
LDT Review Mode requires that the Unit is reviewed by a member of the LDT Team after it is
submitted by the TP Coordinator – See Appendix A:
LDT Mode generally is used when:
Unit has not been offered previously
TP Coordinator is new to CDU
TP Coordinator has not previously taught the Unit
Unit has previously been passed through two consecutive ‘Self-Mode’ reviews
Units was not submitted on time in last review cycle
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Issues were identified in the last review cycle that required multiple revisions of the Unit prior
to release
In LDT Mode:
TP Coordinator uses the online Unit Readiness Criteria Form (URC Form) to review and
update their Unit in readiness for the next teaching period (Refer Section 5).
Based on the TP Coordinators assessment of each of the questions contained within the URC
Form, the TP coordinator will update the Unit as he/she deems necessary.
The Unit TP coordinator records their responses to the Unit Readiness Criteria within the
URC Form ensuring all mandatory criteria have been completed.
Once the Unit is ready for submission to the LDT team for their review, and no later than the
stated due date, the TP Coordinator must submit the URC Form via the submit button. Note
that the submit button will not be visible until all ‘No’ responses have been replaced with a
‘Yes’ or ‘NA’ response.
Once the URC Form is submitted the LDT team will check the readiness of the Unit against
the URC. If the Unit meets the URC the unit will be finalised (Status changed to 6), otherwise
it will be returned to the TP Coordinator with a request for amendments.
When the Unit is ready for release TP Coordinator will receive an automated email confirming
the process is complete and Unit is ready to be released to students on the Friday prior to
commencement of the next teaching period.
At this point the status within the LLUP management tool is automatically updated from
‘Awaiting Development’ (Status 2) to ‘Ready for Release’ (Status 6).
Faculty PVC’s and HOS shall be notified via the LLUP reporting process on the status of all
units within the LLUP process.
4.3.2. Self-Review Mode Process
Generally, this mode is available when Units and TP Coordinators have previously completed the
development/review cycle without issue.
Self-Review mode means that the unit will NOT be reviewed by the LDT team except in the instance
where the Unit may have been selected for a random spot check after it has been submitted.
In Self-Review Mode:
TP Coordinator uses the online Unit Readiness Criteria Form (URC Form) to review and
update their Unit in readiness for the next teaching period.
Based on the TP Coordinators assessment of each of the questions contained within the URC
Form, the TP coordinator will update the Unit as he/she deems necessary.
The Unit TP coordinator records their responses to the Unit Readiness Criteria within the
URC Form ensuring all mandatory criteria have been completed.
Once the Unit is ready for release, and not later than the stated due date, the TP Coordinator
must submit the URC Form via the submit button on the form. Note that the submit button will
not be visible until all ‘No’ responses have been replaced with a ‘Yes’ or ‘NA’ response.
Upon submission of the Unit the LDT team will email a confirmation to the TP Coordinator
advising that the process is now complete and the Unit is will be released to students on the
Friday prior to commencement of the next teaching period.
At this point the status within the LLUP management tool is automatically updated from
‘Awaiting Development’ (Status 2) to ‘Ready for Release’ (Status 6).
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Faculty PVC’s and HOS shall be notified via the LLUP reporting process on the status of all
units within the LLUP process.
5. UNIT READINESS CRITERIA FORM (URC FORM)
Irrespective of which review mode a unit is assigned to, on creation, or rollover, of a Unit TP
Coordinators are provided access to an online Unit Readiness Criteria Form (URC Form) to help
guide them through the review, and/or, preparation of their Unit(s) for the next teaching period.
Access to the URC form is through the “Unit Production” tab in Learnline as shown below.
Learnline Unit Production Unit Readiness Criteria Form
Mandatory URC are clearly identified on the URC Form. Units that do not meet one, or more, of the
mandatory criteria will not be eligible for release – See Sample in Appendix B.
Where applicable, the relationship of the URC to CDU’s 6 Key Principles for Online Learning are
identified in the URC Form.
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6. LEARNLINE UNIT PRODUCTION PROCESS TIMELINES
The general timelines for the release, development/update or review of Learnline Units are shown in
Diagram 3.
Note that the dates for submission of Units in LDT-Review mode are earlier than Units in Self-Review
mode.
The specific ’due dates’ for LDT Mode Review and Self-Mode Review are published on the Learnline
website and can be accessed via the following link.
Diagram 3
7. SUPPORTING RESOURCES
Resources that support the continual quality enhancement of unit learning materials, activities and
teaching approaches in the unit include:
Information on student performance and experience from My View (previously SELT) data.
Unit analytics from previous semester delivery of the unit.
HE Learnline Template overview and guidelines documents provides information on the CDU
endorsed navigational structure and reusable items for HE Learnline units.
CDU 6 Key Principles for Online Teaching should be utilised as a guide when reviewing and
updating units.
Information about the 6 Key Principles is located on the OLT website at
http://www.cdu.edu.au/olt/teaching/6keyprinciples.html.
The 6 Key Principles Review Tool can be used to review online units, and additionally, it
provides examples of practices and tools that align with the principles.
The 6 Key Principles for Online Teaching are:
o Structured Learning;
o Active Learning;
o Teacher Presence;
o Collaboration;
o Feedback; and
o Inclusiveness.
Unit Coordinators Guide:
http://www.cdu.edu.au/olt/downloads/HandbookforUnitCoordinatorsOct2014.pdf
Semester 1 Units
September: Unit created and made available to unit & TP coordinator
December: Development of unit to be completed by TP coordinator
(Units for LDT Review)
January: Development of unit to be completed by TP coordinator (Units
for Self Review)
Semester 2 Units
March: Unit created and made available to unit & TP coordinator
May: Development of unit to be completed by TP coordinator (Units
for LDT REview)
June: Development of unit to be completed by TP coordinator (Units
for Sef Review)
Summer Semester
Units
July: Units created and made available to unit & TP coordinator
September: Development of unit to be completed by TP coordinator
(Units for LDT Review)
October: Development of unit to be completed by TP coordinator (Units
for Self Review)
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The HE Training and Development Team in OLT and Educational Technologists in the HE
Faculties can support the review and enhancement of units. OLT school contacts can be
located at http://www.cdu.edu.au/olt/about/schoolcontacts.html
7.1.1. Learnline Unit Production Status and Reporting
In order to efficiently manage and report against the progress of individual units through the LLUP
Process CDU has implemented an automated system (DataLoad) that administers, manages and
reports on the progress of individual Units. The LLUP process consists of 7 stages, some of which
may be bypassed depending on the mode and number of times that the unit may need to be
amended by the TP Coordinator (LDT Mode only).
The following table briefly describes each stage of the process. Appendices A and B provide an
overview of how a unit will move through the individual stages for LDT and Self-Mode.
If you have any questions regarding the process you can contact a member of the Learnline team on
6198 between 8am – 5pm.
LLUP Unit Production Status Table
At agreed times through the LLUP process TP Coordinators, Faculty PVC’s and Heads of Schools are
provided progress reports that summarise the activity of individual School. These reports are also
provided to the Learnline Steering Group (LSG).
8. RELEASE OF UNIT
Learnline Units are typically scheduled for release to students the Friday prior to the start of the
Teaching Period unless otherwise requested in writing by the HOS (or School Admin Leader/School
LTC Chair/Theme Leader with a copy to the HoS). In requesting the early release of a Unit to students
HoS’s, or their appointee, must provide a written undertaking that the TP Coordinator will be available
to respond to students prior to the commencement of the teaching period.
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Changes Required
Appendix A: Learnline Unit Production Process (LLUP) –�LDT Mode
If No Changes Required UnitMoves Directly to Status 6 C
ha
ng
es
Re
qu
ire
d
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Appendix B: Learnline Unit Production Process (LLUP) –�Self-Mode