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A '''metacourse''' automatically enrolls participants from other "child" courses.  For example, each time a student enrols in (or unenrols from) a course, they are enrolled/unenrolled from any metacourse(s) associated with the it.
==What is a metacourse?==


Please note that metacourse enrolments do not preserve groups and enrolment does not happen immediately.
A '''meta course''' is a course that is "with" or linked to one or more courses for its student [[Enrolment|enrolment]] (enrollment to some). Adding or subtracting participants in a metacourse can only be done from the courses it is linked to. The linked courses push enrolment information to the metacourse(s) every time [[Cron|cron]] is run. There are [[Metacourse examples of use|many uses for a metacourse]].


==Metacourse setup==
The course meta link option must be turned on by the site adminstrator.
Teachers are able to choose whether a course is a metacourse via the "Is this a metacourse?" (yes/no) menu option in the [[Course settings|course settings]]. In Moodle 1.5 and 1.6, if a meta course is chosen, the [[Students|students]] page changes from listing/searching for students to listing/searching for courses.  In Moodle 1.7 "Child courses" appears in the teacher's administration block.
''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Enrolments > Manage enrol plugins > Course meta link''. The standard package default is to hide this feature.


==Metacourse examples==
''Concept note:'' When using a meta course, Moodle calls the courses it is linked to '''child''' courses. Some people like to think of them as parent courses.  In any case a meta course has a kinship with one or more non-meta courses when it comes to enrolment.
Metacourses may be used in a variety of ways:


* '''Scenario 1:''' X is a metacourse with Course 1 through 4 as normal courses with standard student enrollments. Students enrolling on these courses are automatically enrolled onto Metacourse X. This would be used, for example, when every student gets to choose one option from Courses 1-4 but Metacourse X is compulsory for all students taking one of those four options.  
In the simplest form, a linked course only needs to contain just the Students who are to be enrolled in a meta course. There do not need to be resources,  assignments,  or wikis, etc., just the Students in the linked course.  In the simplest form, a meta course '''cannot''' enroll Students, but will have resources and activities for students in the linked courses.
{| class="wikitable" align="center"
|-
![[Image:simplemetacourse0.png|thumb|left|200px|Created - a child course and a meta course.]]
![[Image:simplemetacourse1.png|thumb|left|200px|Associating one child course and one meta course.]]
|}


[[Image:Metacourses1_en.jpg|Standard Metacourse Usage]]
Examples: one "child" course (a course linked to a meta course) can be associated with many meta courses. Or one meta course can have many child courses associated with it. Both the child courses (non-meta courses) and the meta courses are independent and can be recycled many times, that is, each can be associated with many of the other. {| class="wikitable" align="center"
|-
![[Image:simplemetacourse2.png|thumb|left|200px|2 child courses and a meta course.]]  
![[Image:simplemetacourse3.png|thumb|left|200px|1 child course and 2 meta courses.]]
![[Image:simplemetacourse4a.png|thumb|left|200px|3 child courses and 2 meta courses.]]
|}


* '''Scenario 2:''' Metacourses 1-4 are linked to Y which is a normal course. Students enrolling on Course Y are automatically enrolled on Metacourses  1-4. This would be used, for example, when all five courses are intended to have exactly the same students.  
==Creating a meta course==
For information on how to create a metacourse, see [[https://docs.moodle.org/20/en/admin/setting/enrolsettingsmeta Course meta link plugin]] and see this screencast [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA5QcTb13no&feature=player_embedded| How to make a metacourse in Moodle 2.0]


[[Image:Metacourses2_en.jpg|Upsidedown Metacourse Usage]]
==Tips and Tricks==


In both diagrams you can see students being enrolled normally into standard courses and then the entire student list of a course being added to the Metacourse.
=== Example Procedure for Experimenting with Metacourses ===
In this example, there are 2 sections of students in the "Parent" course: "Section 001" and "Section 002".  Students are enrolled in the section courses.


* '''Scenario 3:''' One or more meta courses are used as a library of resources and activities. For example, the English department has collected material useful in writing papers. Teachers can direct or embed a link to a specific reference about citations, or how to select a topic for a paper or suggested reading compiled by students.
# Turn Metacourses on by going to Site administration -> Plugins -> Enrolments -> Manage enrol plugins and enabled Course meta link.
# Created the following courses:
## Parent
## Section 001
## Section 002
# Enroll users into Section 001 and Section 002. Leave Parent enrollment empty.
# Go to Parent course. Go to Settings -> Course admin -> Users -> Enrolment methods. On that screen, add method "Course Meta link" and choose Section 001. Repeat steps for Section 002. If you look at participants for the parent course, you will see the users from Section 001 and 002.
# If you log-in as a student from section 001, you will see section 001 and parent in your course listings. If you want only students to see the parent course, then go to:
## Site Administration -> Courses -> Add/edit courses. Choose the category for the section 001 course. Find the course section 001. Click the eye icon to hide the course.
## '''OR''' search for the course from the home page logged in as site admin. Click the eye icon to hide the appropriate courses.
# Repeat above for section 002. If you log in as a student, you can't see/search for section 001. However, an admin can still see/search for these now hidden child courses. The will be grayed out to indicate that they are hidden.
 
===Draw a map of your courses===
Get an oversized piece of paper (A3 or 11"x17'), draw boxes for courses and give them names. Add lines to connect the boxes to show relationships. Label the meta courses (alternatively, color the meta course boxes). Add arrows to the lines so you will know where enrolments come from.   This is a great tip from the Business Uses forum.
 
===Groups do not transfer===
Meta course enrolments do not transfer groups from the and enrolment does not happen immediately, but occurs next time the [[Cron|cronjob]] runs.
 
===Transfer of roles===
By default all role assignments from child courses are synchronised to meta courses. However, the "Roles that are not synchronised to metacourses" setting in ''Site administration > Plugins > Enrolments > Manage enrol plugins > Course meta link > Settings'' enables administrators to exclude particular roles.
 
===Restoring a meta course===
When restoring a meta course with the option "deleting the course first", you will notice that the enrolments that were used by the course previously are now gone.  In order to re-link the course, navigate to the new course and select the link "Child Courses" from the "Administration" block on the main course page and re-link the course to its parent.


* '''Scenario 4:''' The metacourse feature can also be used "in reverse."  Say you have a Diploma program that involves courses D1, D2, D3, and D4.  In this case, you would create a "Diploma" course as a normal course (non-metacourse).  You would then designate programs D1 through D4 as metacourses (plus completing the student enrollment task under Course Administration).  When a student enrolls in "Diploma", he or she will be automatically enrolled in courses D1 through D4.


==See also==
==See also==
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=48901 Metacourses?] and [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=54389 Metacourses and Roles in 1.7] forum discussions
*[[Metacourse examples of use]] -  Why use a metacourse? here are many examples
*[[Related courses block]] - contributed code that shows meta or child course relationships


[[Category:Administrator]]
Using Moodle forum discussions:
[[Category:Teacher]]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=48901 Metacourses?]  Forum discussion
[[Category:Enrolment]]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=39438 Best reference for describing a metacourse] Forum discussion
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=89741 Assign student in course] Forum discussion
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=156900#p686857 Confusion over meta-courses] Forum discussion


[[cs:Metakurzy]]
[[de:Metakurs]]
[[es:Metacourses]]
[[es:Metacourses]]
[[fr:Méta-cours]]
[[fr:Méta-cours]]
[[ja:メタコース]]
[[ru:Метакурсы]]
[[ru:Метакурсы]]

Latest revision as of 15:21, 10 August 2021

What is a metacourse?

A meta course is a course that is "with" or linked to one or more courses for its student enrolment (enrollment to some). Adding or subtracting participants in a metacourse can only be done from the courses it is linked to. The linked courses push enrolment information to the metacourse(s) every time cron is run. There are many uses for a metacourse.

The course meta link option must be turned on by the site adminstrator. Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Enrolments > Manage enrol plugins > Course meta link. The standard package default is to hide this feature.

Concept note: When using a meta course, Moodle calls the courses it is linked to child courses. Some people like to think of them as parent courses. In any case a meta course has a kinship with one or more non-meta courses when it comes to enrolment.

In the simplest form, a linked course only needs to contain just the Students who are to be enrolled in a meta course. There do not need to be resources, assignments, or wikis, etc., just the Students in the linked course. In the simplest form, a meta course cannot enroll Students, but will have resources and activities for students in the linked courses.

Created - a child course and a meta course.
Associating one child course and one meta course.

Examples: one "child" course (a course linked to a meta course) can be associated with many meta courses. Or one meta course can have many child courses associated with it. Both the child courses (non-meta courses) and the meta courses are independent and can be recycled many times, that is, each can be associated with many of the other. {| class="wikitable" align="center" |-

!

2 child courses and a meta course.

!

1 child course and 2 meta courses.

!

3 child courses and 2 meta courses.

|}

Creating a meta course

For information on how to create a metacourse, see [Course meta link plugin] and see this screencast How to make a metacourse in Moodle 2.0

Tips and Tricks

Example Procedure for Experimenting with Metacourses

In this example, there are 2 sections of students in the "Parent" course: "Section 001" and "Section 002". Students are enrolled in the section courses.

  1. Turn Metacourses on by going to Site administration -> Plugins -> Enrolments -> Manage enrol plugins and enabled Course meta link.
  2. Created the following courses:
    1. Parent
    2. Section 001
    3. Section 002
  3. Enroll users into Section 001 and Section 002. Leave Parent enrollment empty.
  4. Go to Parent course. Go to Settings -> Course admin -> Users -> Enrolment methods. On that screen, add method "Course Meta link" and choose Section 001. Repeat steps for Section 002. If you look at participants for the parent course, you will see the users from Section 001 and 002.
  5. If you log-in as a student from section 001, you will see section 001 and parent in your course listings. If you want only students to see the parent course, then go to:
    1. Site Administration -> Courses -> Add/edit courses. Choose the category for the section 001 course. Find the course section 001. Click the eye icon to hide the course.
    2. OR search for the course from the home page logged in as site admin. Click the eye icon to hide the appropriate courses.
  6. Repeat above for section 002. If you log in as a student, you can't see/search for section 001. However, an admin can still see/search for these now hidden child courses. The will be grayed out to indicate that they are hidden.

Draw a map of your courses

Get an oversized piece of paper (A3 or 11"x17'), draw boxes for courses and give them names. Add lines to connect the boxes to show relationships. Label the meta courses (alternatively, color the meta course boxes). Add arrows to the lines so you will know where enrolments come from. This is a great tip from the Business Uses forum.

Groups do not transfer

Meta course enrolments do not transfer groups from the and enrolment does not happen immediately, but occurs next time the cronjob runs.

Transfer of roles

By default all role assignments from child courses are synchronised to meta courses. However, the "Roles that are not synchronised to metacourses" setting in Site administration > Plugins > Enrolments > Manage enrol plugins > Course meta link > Settings enables administrators to exclude particular roles.

Restoring a meta course

When restoring a meta course with the option "deleting the course first", you will notice that the enrolments that were used by the course previously are now gone. In order to re-link the course, navigate to the new course and select the link "Child Courses" from the "Administration" block on the main course page and re-link the course to its parent.


See also

Using Moodle forum discussions: