What Is a Course Guide? #

Every TRU-OL course begins with a Course Guide that provides students with information about the course objectives, components, and requirements; and informs them of key responsibilities and resources.

In the past, this part of the course was called the Course Manual and less often a Course Overview. Since most of our courses today are offered online rather than in print, and manual refers to a book or handbook rather than an online format, we decided that guide would better reflect this new reality. As courses are revised or new ones created, guide can be used to describe this part of the course rather than manual or overview.

The standardized Course Guide template was created by the Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) Course Guide Standardization Committee to provide information about Open Learning courses to students and to help them understand their course; its focus, activities, assessments and overall organization. The course guide also aims to inform students about what help and services are available to them during their studies.

For a Word or PDF copy of the Course Guide or Open Learning Faculty Member Guide templates, please contact the editor who is working on your project or email Chris Ward at cward@tru.ca.

Course-Guide-Template_Major-Revision_NOV2025 Download

How to Use This Web Page #

In this document, you will find standardized headings and terms, organizational guidelines, TRU-OL policies and information, and specific wording samples. We have included several options for wording, as follows:

Normal text: Standard text that must be included in all Course Guides.
Red text: Text that is optional or requires customization for the course. Choose the best option or fill-in the appropriate information.
Pink text: Text that is recommended for print courses.
Blue text: Instructions or reminders about the content.

Introduction #

Welcome to [insert course acronym and number: course title].

This Course Guide contains important information about the course structure, learning materials, and expectations for completing the course requirements. It also provides information about how and when to contact your Open Learning Faculty Member, an expert in the course content, who will guide you through the course. Take some time to read through this Course Guide to familiarize yourself with what you need to do to successfully complete your course.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your Open Learning Faculty Member. We hope you enjoy the course.

Course Description #

[Insert EPC-approved course description. Remove “This course contributes 3 (or ?) credits towards a TRU credential” and references to “Blackboard.” Always use the full term for “Open Learning Faculty Member”.]

Prerequisites #

[Ensure this information is consistent with the EPC-approved wording in Curricunet.]

Recommended Requisites #

Co-Requisites #

Exclusions #

Learning Outcomes #

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

Add EPC-approved learning outcomes.
Use a bulleted list.
Begin each item with a capitalized verb and end with a period.

Course Materials #

This section describes the course materials that you will need for [course acronym and new code number].

Required Textbook #

The following [is / are] required for this course:

APA citation. ISBN: …

Other Resources #

Technical Basics lists the hardware and software requirements for your course and the software (e.g., Microsoft Office) available to you.

You need the following for this course:

Materials required for assessments or Final Exams (e.g., A non-programmable calculator)

Note: If you have questions about course textbooks or other materials, email OLMaterials.

[Note: If a course shares a textbook requirement with a companion or related program course, refer students to Enrolment Services not OL Materials. If editing a print course, confirm with CSAs if we provide Marked Assignment (MA) forms with course materials.]

Print courses are delivered primarily through packages of printed materials that are sent out to students, which may include USBs and materials. However, some print-based courses include resources that require Internet access. All mandatory resources will be accessible at dial-up modem speeds while any resources that require higher-speed Internet access will be optional unless otherwise noted. Check the Technical Basics web page for hardware, software, and computer skills requirements for your course at http://www.tru.ca/distance/services/student-orientation/technical-basics.html.

Thompson Rivers University is not responsible for the content or privacy policies of third-party websites. Please read the terms of use of third-party websites carefully. If you need help accessing a resource, please contact the publisher directly and let your Open Learning Faculty Member know.

Course Topics #

[course acronym and number: course title] includes the following [modules, lessons, or units]:

[add content specific to the course]

Learning Activities #

[Choose the most appropriate description for the course.]

You will study independently at your own pace with the support of an Open Learning Faculty Member. Working through these ungraded activities will help you meet the course learning outcomes and successfully complete your assessments.

[For ON or cohort-based courses]

[course acronym and number] provides interactive and collaborative activities with other students and your Open Learning Faculty Member, as well as opportunities to apply your learning in relevant real-world contexts. Working through these activities will help you meet the course learning outcomes and successfully complete your assessments.

For this course, you may from time to time use a synchronous (that is, real time) online conferencing tool which will allow participants to gather in an online meeting room. Your Open Learning Faculty Member will provide you with more information about how and when to participate in these conferences, if needed.

Readings #

The readings are the core resource for the course, so be sure to read carefully and take notes.

Case Studies #

This type of learning, called case-based learning, is included in this course in order to link theory and practice through the use of a “case”. Cases are specific scenarios that resemble or are real-world examples. The case studies are intended to promote both the acquisition of content knowledge, as well as analytic and application skills.

Learning Journal #

You are asked to keep a journal of your experiences through the course to help you reflect on your feelings, thoughts, questions, actions, and lessons learned. These activities are ungraded; however, you may use your learning journal posts as a basis for assessments.

Practice Exam (Ungraded) #

The Practice Exam will help you prepare for the Final Exam. It consists of questions similar to the questions in the Final Exam. Please see the Practice Exam in your course for more information.

Self-Quiz (Ungraded) #

To determine your level of understanding of the course concepts, principles, and practices, you will complete self-assessment quizzes. These quizzes are intended for you to check your understanding of key concepts. The quizzes are not graded and do not count towards your final grade.

Videos #

The course includes links to online videos. You may find it valuable to take notes while watching the videos to refer to when completing assignments and when reviewing for the Final Exam.

Key Terminology Lists #

Record and define key words and phrases used in this course in your learning journal. You might need to look up the terms in your textbook’s glossary or online.

Student Café #

An informal discussion space called the Student Café has been set up for you to communicate easily with other learners in the course about matters of mutual interest regarding your studies and professional development. This is an informal gathering area to help build a learning community, and you will not be graded on these postings.

For guidelines about online etiquette, please refer to Online Discussions.

[Student Cafe is only available to SW and ON students. Don’t add a note to Production to set up this discussion space, as the Student Cafe is automatically created in our courses.]

Assessments #

To complete this course successfully, you must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course and 50% or higher on the mandatory [Final Exam or Final Project].

If you are taking this course as part of a program, please confirm the program’s grade requirements.

The following table shows how your final grade will be determined for this course.

Assessment	Value
Assignment 1: Research Essay	? %
Assignment 2: Case Study	? %
Quiz 1	? %
Quiz 2	? %
Mandatory Final Exam / Mandatory Final Project	? %
Total	100%

Assignments (??%) #

[Include a very brief description of the assignment types, names, weights, unusual requirements, etc.]

As soon as you have completed an assignment, save your document and send it to your Open Learning Faculty Member for marking. Attach your assignment to an email which has your name, course, and assignment number in the subject line. Alternatively, if you do not have access to email, you can mail a printed copy of your assignment to your Open Learning Faculty Member with a completed Marked Assignment (MA) form.

Non-completion of an assignment will result in a mark of zero for that assignment.

Note: Always keep a copy of each assignment you submit so that you have a copy to refer to in the event of a telephone or email conference with your Open Learning Faculty Member.

Quizzes (??%) #

To determine your level of understanding of the course concepts, principles, and practices, you will complete [insert appropriate number of quizzes and module numbers]. You are allowed [insert time] minutes to make one attempt at completion. Take time to prepare before starting, since you will not have time to look up your answers. Each quiz is worth [??%] of your total course grade.

[Print courses may require instructions to contact the OLFM to get the quiz form.]

Final Exam (??%) #

Your mandatory, invigilated Final Exam is [insert number] hours in length. [Add details.]

To help you successfully complete the course, it is strongly recommended that you complete and submit all assignments, and have had adequate time for review and practice before you attempt the Final Exam. Note that Final Exams are not returned to students in order to maintain exam integrity.

Please see the Final Exam tab in your course for instructions on writing your exam.

Final Project (??%)
#

[If a course contains both a Final Exam and a Final Project, please flag this for Curriculum Services. There should only be one or the other, not both. In cases where we are adding a Final Exam to a course that previously only had a Final Project, we will change the project descriptor to “Major Project.” Do not use “Major Final Project” for a project-type assignment. Use “Mandatory Final Project” and “Mandatory Final Exam” for the final assessment in a course.]

The final assessment in this course is a mandatory Final Project that you will complete and send to your Open Learning Faculty Member for grading after you complete your final assignment.

In [Unit/Module ?] you will submit a project proposal to your Open Learning Faculty Member, who will provide feedback.

Final Grades and Assessment Marks #

You can check assignment or quiz grades in Moodle with any feedback from your Open Learning Faculty Member. All course assessment grades are posted in myTRU, organized according to the assessment table provided in this Course Guide. Your final course and exam grades will be available ONLY in myTRU. To view your grades, log in to myTRU using your TRU login name and password. You can view “Assignment Marks” below the Open Learning Services header or “Final Grades” below the Academic Record header. If you cannot log in, contact the IT Service Desk or call 1-888-852-8533 (toll-free within Canada).

Course Access After Completion #

You will have access to your online course material and assessments in the learning management system for 60 days from the date of your final grade.

Grading Scale #

The official grading scales for all Open Learning courses are noted in TRU’s Grading Systems and Procedures.

For detailed information, go to http://www.tru.ca/distance/services/policies/newgrading.html.

Academic Integrity #

Your responsibility

You are responsible to know what kinds of behaviours are not acceptable in your academic work (known as “departures”).

For example:

copying another student’s work,
buying or stealing assignments or answer keys,
submitting work that is not your own (created by generative Artificial Intelligence [AI] without permission), and
using someone else’s work in your assignment without acknowledging it,

are all departures from academic integrity. Such behaviours have consequences. Sanctions for departures from academic integrity include issuing letters of warning, reducing assignment grades, recommending suspension and failing the course for repeated patterns of behaviour.  

Your Open Learning Faculty Member’s responsibility

If your Open Learning Faculty Member suspects a departure from academic integrity, they will contact you to discuss the situation. If they determine that there is a concern, they will present their evidence for this in a case form. You will be given an opportunity to review this case form and respond. Then, the case is adjudicated. The process can be stressful for students. For support through this process, you can reach out to your Academic Integrity Learning Strategist.

Learn more

You can learn more about what behaviours are not acceptable, your responsibilities, your rights, and the supports available to you for academic integrity by:

visiting the Centre for Academic Integrity website to view the resources and websites,
being familiar with the Academic Integrity Policy ED 05-0 [PDF], and
reaching out to your Academic Integrity Learning Strategist.

Suggested Schedule #

You have 30 weeks to complete this course. The following schedule indicates how you can complete your course in [??] weeks, the time normally available for a traditional semester-long university class. You may benefit from filling in your intended completion dates and printing this schedule to post around your home or workplace.

Weeks	Units	Assessments	My Completion Dates ☑
1	Unit 1	Assignment 1 (?%)	_______________ ▢
2	Unit 2	Quiz 1(?%)	_______________ ▢
3–5	Unit 3	Quiz 2 (?%)	_______________ ▢

Help Available #

The following sections describe the support that is available to you throughout this course.

Open Learning Faculty Member #

Your Open Learning Faculty Member will guide your learning in this course and mark and comment on your assignments. You are encouraged to contact your Open Learning Faculty Member early and often; for example, when:

You do not understand some aspect of the course instructions or assessments.
You have difficulty with any of the assigned readings.
You have a question arising from your Open Learning Faculty Member’s comments or grading of your assessments.

TRU Library #

TRU Library provides access to online, print, and audiovisual resources to complete your assignments and explore further reading. The Distance, Regional, and Open Learning (DROL) services include the direct delivery of materials at no cost to you and one-on-one research assistance. To access TRU Library resources off-campus, please use your TRU network username and password. If you require assistance:

Online: Use the online form, live chat, or scheduler app to connect with a librarian.
Phone: 250-852-6402 (Kamloops, BC) or 1-800-663-1699 (toll-free in Canada).
In-person: Appointments may be available at the House of Learning (Kamloops campus) or Williams Lake Library (Williams Lake campus).

Note: Please check the hours of operation before visiting in person.

Thompson Rivers University Library provides you with access to online, print, and audiovisual resources to successfully complete your assignments and explore further reading. The Distance, Regional, and Open Learning (DROL) services include direct delivery of materials at no cost to you and one-on-one research assistance. For information about TRU Library’s policies and services for students, visit the DROL website at http://www.tru.ca/library/services/distance.html.

To search the library’s resources, go to http://www.tru.ca/library.html. Use your TRU network username and password to access TRU Library resources off-campus. If you require assistance, go to www.tru.ca/library/services/distance.html or contact the librarians by email at library@tru.ca or phone at 1-800-663-1699 (toll free in Canada) or 250-852-6402 (Kamloops, BC).

Learning Strategist #

Learning Strategists support student learning and well-being. They can help you navigate resources and support services, and they can answer general questions about Open Learning. They host student engagement events on Out in the Open with learning strategies, resources, and tips for students who may be struggling with different areas of online learning. Contact the Learning Strategist by phone, virtual appointment, or email at olconnect@tru.ca.

Writing Centre #

The Writing Centre can help you with feedback on your writing. You can request help with any stage of the writing process, including: understanding assignment requirements; tips on brainstorming and idea generation; feedback on organization, sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation; resources for academic citations and avoiding plagiarism; and strategies for effective revision. You may ask for help with a specific writing problem or for general feedback. Open Learning students can get support online or in person on TRU’s Kamloops campus.

[Print]

Open Learning students can get support online at https://www.tru.ca/writingcentre/Open_Learning_Writing_Centre_Support.html or in-person on TRU’s Kamloops campus.

Science Help Centre #

[First-year math or UEPREP courses only.]

The Science Help Centre (formerly the Math Help Centre) is a free service for TRU students. Face-to-face help from faculty or fellow students is available on TRU’s Kamloops campus.

Note: Check the hours of operation and tutoring schedule before visiting.

[Print]

The Science Help Centre (formerly the Math Help Centre) is a free service for TRU students. Face-to-face help from faculty or fellow students is available on TRU’s Kamloops campus. Check the website for more information at https://www.tru.ca/science/students/science-help-centre.html

Note: Check the hours of operation and tutoring schedule before visiting.

Technical Support #

If you have problems using the tools or features of the course website, check the Technical Basics web page to see if you are using the correct hardware and software required for your course. If you still experience problems, contact the IT Service Desk.

For help, email the IT Service Desk or call 1-888-852-8533 (toll-free in Canada), 250-852-6800 (Kamloops, BC), and 1-250-852-6800 (International).

If you have problems accessing the optional, online course resources or have other related questions, phone the IT Service Desk at 1-888-852-8533 (toll-free in Canada), 250-852-6800 (Kamloops, BC), and 1-250-852-6800 (International), or email ITServiceDesk@tru.ca.

Strategies for Success #

Taking a course through online education is different from learning in a face-to-face classroom. For example, distance education often requires a high level of independent learning and use of a variety of digital communication technologies. In addition to these Keys to Success, the following suggestions can assist your progress through the course:

Preview the course materials and resources.
Review the learning outcomes.
Read, view, and listen actively and critically.
Complete all learning activities.
Appreciate the diversity of your community of learners.
Situate the learning in your life and community.
Set goals and follow a schedule.
Check the assessment grading criteria.

Curriculum Developer #

[optional: insert pic]

[insert short bio]

[Update credentials using tru.ca or LinkedIn. List degree acronyms without periods. List degrees from most recent to oldest. We include only the terminal degree in the list of course developers, but can list everything in the bio if desired or needed.]

Curriculum Consultant #

[Insert a short bio. Optional: insert pic]

Copyright & Credits #

Copyright © 2025 Thompson Rivers University. All rights reserved. [Use for ID-led major revisions and new courses — this is a “reset” as the major revision is viewed as a new course with a new development team. For ID-led new courses and major revisions, please do not include the previous development and revisions teams. ]

The content of this course material is the property of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and is protected by copyright law worldwide. This material may be used by students enrolled at TRU for personal study purposes only. No part of this work may be forwarded or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the Intellectual Property Office, Thompson Rivers University, copyright@tru.ca.

TRU seeks to ensure that any course content that is owned by others has been appropriately cleared for use in this course. Anyone wishing to make additional use of such third-party material must obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

[Include specific copyright credits here, if applicable; e.g., permission from textbook publishers to use instructor guide questions.]

[Style for Course Developer or Course Revisor lists: See Course Developer Credentials (May 2025). List people as first name and last name, academic degree. You may need to verify the academic credentials using tru.ca or LinkedIn. Do not use periods between letters in degree acronyms. Include the person’s terminal or highest credential only. Group lists by years of editions and revisions, and include the year in the heading. Order the groups in reverse chronological order; i.e., most recent is at the top, and earliest is at the bottom of the page. For ID-led new or major revisions, do not include previous revision or development teams as this is a “reset” or new edition of the course.]

[For major revisions:]

Course Development Team [no date required here]
Course Writer: Name, PhD
Instructional Designer: Name, MA
Editor: Name, BA
Associate Dean, […]: Name, PhD
Program Coordinator, […]: Name, MA

[For maintenance revisions, list the original development team and the subsequent revision teams:]

Course Revision Team 2024
Course Reviser: Name, PhD
Instructional Designer: Name, MA
Editor: Name, BA
Associate Dean, […]: Name, PhD
Program Coordinator, […]: Name, MA

Course Revision Team 2018
Course Reviser: Name, PhD
Editor: Name, MA
Associate Dean, […]: Name, PhD [Include only if different from who is listed above.]

Course Development Team 2013
Course Writer: Name, PhD
Instructional Designer: Name, MA
Editor: Name, BA

[Check to make sure the course has the new address.]

Thompson Rivers University
805 TRU Way
Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8