Introduction to CULearn
Information Technology Services | University of Colorado at Boulder
CULearn, based on the Blackboard Learning System (Campus Edition 6), is our online course
management system. CULearn is replacing WebCT on the CU-Boulder campus for spring 2007
courses. CULearn facilitates the creation of web-based educational environments. It can be used to
create entire online courses or to simply publish materials that supplement traditional courses.
Getting Started
Course space on the CULearn server is available for any course listed in the University Student
Information System (SIS). You must request course space on the CULearn server if you wish to use
CULearn for a given semester.
To request course space:
1. Log into CUConnect at cuconnect.colorado.edu
2. Select the Courses tab
3. The Faculty Course Toolkit channel will display your courses for the selected semester
The Faculty Course Toolkit in CUConnect
4. Click on the
name of your
course
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1. Click on the
Request
CULearn
(formerly
WebCT)
Course link
2. Fill out the
course space
request form
Carry-over a
previous course
from WebCT
(optional)
Allow your
teaching
assistants access
to your CULearn
course
Add any special instructions or request you may have.
You will receive an e-mail from ITS when your course is available.
Those whose primary affiliation is not “faculty” might have to add the Faculty Tool Kit channel to
CUConnect in order to request a course (click the “Help” button in CUConnect for directions on
adding channels). Faculty members who cannot find their course information in CUConnect should
work with their department to ensure that SIS is updated to include information about the courses
they are teaching in the spring 2007 semester.
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Accounts and Provisioning
Students enrolled in your course will appear in CULearn approximately ten (10) days before the start
of each semester. Once students are enrolled in your CULearn course they are able to view course
materials that you have posted.
Students that add your course are automatically added to your CULearn course. Student enrollment
information is taken from the Student Information System (SIS) and loaded into CULearn. When
student registers for your course through their normal means (CUConnect/PLUS) they are added to
CULearn within 24 to 48 hours.
Students that drop your course are automatically removed from your CULearn course. This process
also has a 24 to 48 hour delay. At the conclusion of the drop/add period students that are wait-listed
for your course will be removed from CULearn.
Thus the roster in CULearn may not accurately reflect your official class roster maintained by SIS.
Official copies of your course rosters are available through the Faculty Course Toolkit in CUConnect.
Adding Others to Your Course
You may allow access to people other than yourself and your students to your CULearn course
space. CULearn has three levels of access that you may grant to others in order to access your
course.



Designer – Build course, add modules, post course materials
Instructor – Access the grade book, manage students
Teaching Assistant – Access the grade book, manage students
You may specify to whom you would like to grant access and at what level by:



Providing the necessary information when completing the online course request form
Adding teaching assistants yourself within your CULearn course (see ITS documentation)
Sending an e-mail to culearn@colorado.edu with the following information:
o The course name, course number, and section number
o E-mail address or CU Login Name of the person to be added to the course
o The desired level of access to the course
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Browser Information
The suggested browsers for use with CULearn are:




Internet Explorer 6 or 7 for Windows
Firefox 1.5 for Windows
Safari for Macintosh
Firefox 1.0 for Macintosh
Firefox 1.5 on the Mac and Firefox 2.0 on both the Mac and PC are not yet supported. Internet
Explorer on the Mac is not supported and will not be in the foreseeable future.
Faculty members and students are highly encouraged to use the “Check Browser” function of
CULearn the first time they log into CULearn.
The browser check window
The browser check utility will
run a battery of tests with
your Web browser to ensure
that CULearn will function
properly.
CULearn will display either a
green check mark if a test
was successful or a red “X”
if it was not.
If your browser does not
pass one or more tests click
on:
Step-by-step instructions to
properly configure your
browser
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Java
After logging in to CULearn you will be prompted to accept a Java Security Certificate. You must click
“Yes” or “Always” to ensure that portions of CULearn that use Java technology will work properly.
Macintosh Users: Click “Trust”
PC Users: Click “Yes” or “Always”
Files & File Types
In order to post files and course materials in CULearn, you must first upload them to your course
space on the CULearn server. Each course has a limit of 4 gigabytes (4,096 megabytes) of storage
space.
You can use many kinds of files with CULearn including, but not limited to:
Web page (HTML)
files
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Microsoft
Word documents
Microsoft
PowerPoint
presentations
Adobe PDF
documents
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Getting Help
Documentation
Documentation and answers to common questions are available on the ITS CULearn Faculty Support
page at:
www.colorado.edu/its/culearn
Technical Problems
If you or your students encounter technical problems, including:



Login problems such as incorrect CU Login Name or IdentiKey password
Student is enrolled in the course but is not in CULearn
Student does not see your course when they log into CULearn
Please contact the IT Service Center at (303) 735-HELP or via e-mail at help@colorado.edu.
Designing and Using CULearn
For help designing your course in CULearn please contact your academic technology coordinators.
They can help you integrate technology, including CULearn, into your teaching, research, and
creative works. Please note that not all departments, schools, and colleges have an academic
technology coordinator available.
College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Arts and Humanities
Steve Bailey – steven.bailey@colorado.edu – (303) 492-1099
College of Architecture and Planning
Laura Malinin – laura.malinin@colorado.edu – (303) 492-7144
College of Business
Kristeen Burkhardt – kristeen.burkhardt@colorado.edu – (303) 735-3590
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Kimberly Edwards – kimberly.edwards@colorado.edu – (303) 735-1047
College of Music
Please call the IT Service Center at (303) 735-HELP
School of Education
Robyn Fridberg – robyn.fridberg@colorado.edu – (303) 492-5827
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Daniel Schaefer – daniel.j.schaefer@colorado.edu – (303) 492-1835
School of Law
Doris Cheung – doris.cheung@colorado.edu – (303) 492-5315
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Notes:
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