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