diegosouzapw 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
- Email search precision: Must find the correct schedule email
- Instructor mapping accuracy: Email addresses must match Canvas user records
- Course naming consistency: Course codes should follow institutional conventions
- 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