Create Your Own Learning Object
The Learning Object Manager in the Curriculum Engine (CE) is not just a repository of a Walch course’s learning objects and curated OERs. It is also a tool for creating your own learning objects such as assessments and online practice problems.
The only difference between assessment and online practice problem during the creation process is selecting the object type in step 1. That will place the learning object (LO) in the selected object type folder in the Learning Object Manager with tags ONLINE and PRIVATE (if created by teacher login).
An assessment (optional LO) has the following default properties; these can be modified when the LO is added to an assignment.
Type: Practice
Duration: Checked and set to the duration specified for the learning object
Minimum Proficiency Score: 65%
Randomize Items: Unchecked (enables question shuffling)
Reattempts: Checked and set to unlimited attempts
An online practice problem (standard LO) has the following default properties; these can be modified at any time in the course before students launch it.
Type: Practice
Duration: Unchecked
Minimum Proficiency Score: 65%
Randomize Items: Unchecked (enables question shuffling)
Reattempts: Checked and set to unlimited attempts
Apply settings to all classes: Unchecked (this is only an online practice problem setting; it allows you to apply these properties for this learning object to all your classes that use the same course and version)
The following videos and help articles will guide you through the process of creating your own or modifying assessment and online practice problem.
Video | modifying a copy of Walch LOs and creating your own LOs
Video Training | Create an Online Assessment
Help Doc | How to create an online assessment
Help Doc | how to narrow down results of item bank
And the following links provide details on creating other LO types.
Video Training | How to Create a Learning Object
Help Doc | How to create a new learning object
If you created your own assessment or online practice problem, you can also create an answer key to add as an associated LO.
Help Doc | Adding and creating an answer key
Editing a Copy of the Walch Assessment or Online Practice Problem
Instead of creating an assessment from scratch, you can also modify an existing Walch LO to make it your own. For example, if you want a subset of questions from a Walch Progress Assessment, find that Walch progress assessment in the Learning Object Repository and make a copy of it. Then edit that copy to remove some questions and/or add other questions from the item bank. The copy that you have customized is now labeled PRIVATE and can be added to a course and assigned to your students.
Help Doc | How to copy a learning object
Help Doc | How to edit a learning object
Help Doc | Adding questions to your online assessment
Sharing Your Custom Learning Objects with Other Teachers
The custom learning objects that you’ve just created can also be shared with other teachers by submitting a “Share LO with District Supervisor” request. District users with District Supervisor permissions can review and approve the LO which will then become visible in the Learning Object Manager to all teachers in the district.
From the teacher created LO, select the 3-dots and select “Share LO with District Supervisor”.
And after it’s been approved by the district supervisor, the LO will be tagged CONTRIBUTED. Now the LO is “owned” by the district and can only be modified by users with district supervisor permissions. The teacher who originally created the LO can no longer modify it. However, any teacher can make a copy of the newly shared district LO and update it.
Help Doc | sharing a learning object with the district supervisor
Help Doc | how to approve learning objects created by teachers
Video | modifying existing walch LOs and creating your own LOs
Using Your Custom Learning Object in Class
To use your custom learning objects or other Walch learning objects from the Learning Object Manager in your class, they must be added to a course that is assigned to your class. There are 2 recommendations for adding your custom LOs to a course.
- Create a simple course and add your custom LOs to it. Then assign your new course to your class where you can create assignments and share your custom LOs with students.
With this recommendation, you need to create assignments and share standard LOs from 2 places:
- Walch LOs from the licensed Walch course
- Your custom LOs from your custom course
Grade reports are not impacted by multiple courses as the reports require you to select the course first before generating the results.
Help Doc | create a simple course
You must unassign the Walch course from your class and assign your customized Walch course to your class. Assignments will be made and LOs will be shared from your customized Walch course. Throughout the school year, you can continue to add your own LOs to the customized Walch course to share with your students.
If you have already made assignments or shared Walch LOs from the licensed Walch course, you can still unassign the course from your class but the assignment grades will be deleted and shared to Google Classroom links will no longer work. You will need to save the grade information first then unassign the licensed Walch course. Then re-share incomplete assignments to Google Classroom or recreate any incomplete assignments from your new customized Walch course.
Alternatively, if you have already made many assignments or shared learning objects from the licensed Walch course, you can set an end date for that course which will prevent students from accessing it after that end date. Then assign your customized Walch course to your class and create assignments and standard learning objects from your customized Walch course. Grades will still be available to you as teacher for assignments made from the licensed Walch course.
Help Doc | How to assign a course to a class
Help Doc | How to assign a course to multiple classes
Help Doc | remove a course from a class
Your custom LOs and courses created for the current school year can be used the following school year if the district will be licensed for a Walch course in the same consortium, for example CCSS, the next school year. Otherwise, the teacher can’t assign her custom course with her own LOs to classes in the following school year.