Academic Course Setup Automator

Academic Course Setup Automator

Purpose

Automate the creation and configuration of academic courses in Canvas (or similar LMS) from a master schedule and instructor list. This skill handles the end-to-end process from data extraction to final course publication.

Primary Workflow

1. Initial Data Gathering

• Search for schedule email: Look for emails with subject "Course Schedule Notification" or similar
• Download schedule attachment: Extract the course schedule (typically markdown/​CSV format)
• Load instructor data: Read teacher emails from CSV file in workspace
• Verify admin identity: Get current user profile to determine which courses to manage

2. Data Processing

• Parse course schedule: Extract courses for the current administrator
• Map instructors: Match instructor names to Canvas user IDs using email addresses
• Identify multi-course instructors: Flag instructors teaching multiple courses for resource sharing

3. Course Creation & Configuration

• Create courses: Generate all courses for the administrator
• Enroll instructors: Add teachers to their respective courses
• Publish announcements: Create course announcements with instructor name and class time
• Upload syllabi: Attach syllabus PDFs from workspace to corresponding courses
• Update course settings: Set public syllabus and publish courses

4. Resource Sharing Setup

• Create resource sharing notices: Add announcements indicating related courses for instructors teaching multiple sections
• Cross-reference courses: Provide course IDs for easy navigation between related courses

Key Requirements Met

• ✅ Assign correct instructors as teachers using email mapping
• ✅ Publish announcements with instructor names and class times
• ✅ Set up resource sharing for instructors teaching multiple courses
• ✅ Publish syllabi for each course
• ✅ Publish all courses

Critical Success Factors

1. Email search precision: Must find the correct schedule email
2. Instructor mapping accuracy: Email addresses must match Canvas user records
3. Course naming consistency: Course codes should follow institutional conventions
4. File path accuracy: Syllabus files must match course names in workspace

Common Edge Cases

• Missing instructor records in Canvas
• Syllabus files not found in workspace
• Duplicate course names
• Large number of courses requiring batch processing

Optimization Notes

• Batch course creation where possible
• Use consistent naming patterns for course codes
• Validate all operations before proceeding to next step
• Maintain clear logging of created resources for verification