Creating a space
Find out how to create a space on OpenLearn Create for your course or resource.
Defining your course
Once you have clicked Save changes, your course space should appear. You can start to add content and resources. Before you do you should finish editing the metadata for your course.
Go to the box with the heading Administration on the left-hand side of the screen and click on Settings.
The Edit course settings form will appear. It will already be populated with some of the information you added to the Resource metadata form when you created the space. You might want to update the following settings:
| Area | Setting | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| General | Course short name |
This course code is automatically created when you set up your course in the format PUB_1234_1.0. It is also used in the subject line of course email messages. You will not be able to change it unless you have Course Manager permissions for your course. If you want to change it, please email openlearncreate@open.ac.uk with the short name you would prefer and the reason for the change. |
| Description | Course summary | You can update the course summary which will be displayed in the list of courses on the site. A search on OpenLearn Create searches course summary text as well as course names. |
| Description | Learning outcomes |
You need to add learning outcomes to explain what learners should expect to learn from your course. You won’t be able to save the Edit course settings form for the course without adding them: they are displayed on the course homepage and are required on a statement of participation. Learning outcomes should start with a sentence like ‘As a result of studying this course, learners will be able to …’, followed by the list of learning outcomes. A good way of writing learning outcomes is to think about them as what the learner will be able to do as a result of studying your course. Guidance on how to write learning outcomes can be found in an author guide also on OpenLearn Create. There is a limit of 1000 characters, including spaces, for the learning outcomes. This means that they must be succinct and to the point – especially if the course is to be translated into other languages that might require more characters when translated. |
| Description | Course image | This appears as a ‘thumbnail’ when your course appears in the free course listing. The image’s dimensions must be 670 pixels wide and 500 pixels high. |
| Description | Course banner | This appears on your course’s homepage. The image’s dimensions must be 785 pixels wide and 350 pixels high. |
| Tags | Tags | It isn’t compulsory to add tags here, but doing so will help your course’s SEO. |
Once you’ve amended these, click on Save and display to return to your course.