Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

My course sites aren't showing up. When will they appear?

Course sites in OWL need to be created by an instructor or another site maintainer. Course details are available in OWL approximately four (4) months prior to the start of term, so the course site can be created in Worksite Setup. Course sites need to be created and published for students to access them.

For more information about creating a course site, please see Worksite Setup > Create a Site.

When can I create my course site?

Course details are available in OWL approximately four (4) months prior to the start of term. Only approved instructors, course coordinators, and Grade Admins can create course sites. 

For more information about creating a course site, please see Worksite Setup > Create a Site.

I don't have any students in my course. How do I add them?

Students are automatically enrolled into course sites via section roster(s) one (1) month prior to the start of the term. The section roster and student list are based on the information from the Office of the Registrar. 

For information on class rosters, please see Site Info > Edit Class Rosters.

For information on manually adding users to your site, please see Site Info > Add Users.

Can I import content from another site?

If you are a site maintainer for multiple sites, you are able to copy and import content from another site. To import content from another site, go to Site Info then click "Import Content".

For more information on how to import content from another site, please see Import Site Content.

How do I change which sites appear at the top of the page?

For quicker access to your sites, you are able to customize which ones appear in the Sites Navigation Bar located at the top of the page. Open your sites drawer by clicking "Sites" on the top right side of the page, then click the star icon beside the sites you want to pin to the top of the page. 

For more information about the OWL interface, please see Navigating OWL. 

I have too many sites. Can I hide or delete my old sites?

You can archive or hide older course sites by going to Preferences and clicking "Sites" in your Home site. Select all the sites you want to archive and click "Update Preferences". 

Course or project sites cannot be deleted by users. To request a site to be deleted, please contact the WTS Help Desk.

Note: Archiving or hiding sites for your account will not hide the site or remove access for other users. 

For more information about hiding course sites, please see Preferences > Hide/Archive Sites. 

Can I include a gradebook item in the course grade calculation without releasing it to students?

No. All gradebook items used to calculate course grades must be released to students.

For more information about course grades, please see Gradebook Setup > Add Gradebook Item.

Can I put different weightings for gradebook items?

Yes. By default, all gradebook items are weighted equally towards a student's course grade. To assign specific weighting for gradebook items you must visit the Gradebook Settings and setup 'Categories & Weighting'.

For more information about weighting in the gradebook, please see Gradebook Setup > Categories & Weighting.

How do I submit final grades?

Instructors can submit course grades by clicking Final Grades in the Gradebook. Clicking the "Submit" button will notify your Grade Admin that your course grades are ready for approval.

Note: If you have multiple rosters in a site, select each roster from the drop-down menu and submit each of them separately.

For more information on submitting course grades, please see Gradebook > Submit Final Grades.

Why can't my students see grades in the gradebook?

Ensure the option 'Release item to students' is selected for each gradebook item. In addition, ensure the option 'Display released Gradebook items to students' is selected in settings under the 'Grade Release Rules' section.  

For more information, please see Gradebook > Release Grades to Students.

Can I use Turnitin with my online assignments?

Yes. When you are creating/editing your online assignment, you can select 'Use Turnitin' to enable the Turnitin service for assignment submissions.

For more information, please see Assignment > Add Assignments.

Can I delete an assignment?

By default, the option to delete assignments is disabled to avoid accidental deletion. To delete an assignment, you must enable the 'Delete assignment(s)' permission under the Instructor column. When you return to the assignment list, you will be able to select assignments to remove. It is recommended that you disable this permission after to avoid accidentally deleting assignments and submissions.

Warning: Deleting assignments will permanently delete the assignment & all associated submissions. This cannot be undone. 

For more information about deleting assignments, please see Assignment > Delete Assignments.

Can I allow a student to resubmit to an assignment?

Yes. To allow a student to resubmit click, 'Grade' underneath the assignment, then click on the student's name. At the bottom of the page, enable the 'Allow Resubmission?' option and adjust the date settings.

For information about assignment submission, please see Assignment > Grade Assignment. 

Can I allow a student retake a quiz?

Yes. To allow a student to retake a quiz, go to the quiz's Scores, then click "Submission Status". Find the specific student in the list and click 'Allow Retake'.

For information about quiz attempts, please see Test & Quizzes > Allow Assessment Retake. 

Can I enable LaTeX display in my site?

Yes. Once enabled, OWL can display LaTeX equations as mathematical notation in most tools. To enable LaTeX in a site, navigate to Site Info, click "Edit Site Information", then select 'Allow the display of LaTeX math in this site', and save your changes.

For more information, please see Site Info > Add LaTeX.