CLE 2.6: Template Feature for Site Setup

For the past few months, we've used this space to highlight some of the new tools in CLE 2.6. This month, we'll focus on a new feature for an existing tool: the template option in Site Setup. With this option, the task of creating a site becomes much easier.

Let's say you want to create a course site. If you were to create it the standard way--without the template--you'd have to search for available rosters, add the text you want to include on the site, find materials to re-use, and decide which tools to select and customize. Using the template streamlines the process quite a bit. After you check the "use template" option and select a course template and academic term, you just:

* Add appropriate roster information, if applicable.
* Specify an email alias.
* Choose whether to publish the site and whether to make it joinable.
* Review the site components and click Create.

It's that simple. The template handles the rest, coming pre-loaded with site text, course materials, and essential tools. And you're still free to customize your new site by changing tools and adding material as usual.

As in the past, you can create a course site in the 2.6 CLE only if you have appropriate permissions. Additionally, you can use the template option only if your system administrator has installed templates.

This handy new feature offers many possibilities. For example, each department in your institution might have its own template that:

* Specifies site layout and appearance
* Adds a specific tool set
* Includes options for course-specific content, such as a course introduction or lesson module
* Provides other useful features, such as options for a pre-designed syllabus or a discussion forum

This functionality does not apply only to course sites: You can create project templates, too! And as members of the Sakai community get more involved with designing templates, this new capability will become an even more potent resource.