> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.simnetonline.com/instructor-experience/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.simnetonline.com/instructor-experience/getting-started/best-practices/initial-course-setup.md).

# Initial Course Setup

Set your first course up for success.

It can be overwhelming setting up a new course in a new platform with new content. Giving attention to the items below from the start will help you set up a great course that you can copy and tweak moving forward.

### 1. Create your first course

Be sure to identify the naming conventions for course and section and name your course/section accordingly. Talk to your SIMnet admin if you aren't sure.

Ensure your Course Settings are correct. If you change them later, some of them are not retroactive.

For example: Choosing when to assign a zero grade for past due assignments.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Learn more:** [Create Course](/instructor-experience/creating-and-managing-courses/courses-list/create-course.md)
{% endhint %}

### 2. Know what textbook your students are purchasing

It's important to know what your students are purchasing so that when you assign SIMbooks or Lessons, you are not including content that the students will not have a license for.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Learn more:** [SIMbook Series](/instructor-experience/getting-started/getting-to-know-simnet/simbooks-series.md)
{% endhint %}

### 3. Know which version of Office your students have access to

This is important when it comes to projects because these are done in the live application, then submitted for automatic grading in SIMnet. The instructions and grading are specific.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Learn more:** [Microsoft Office Versions](/instructor-experience/getting-started/getting-to-know-simnet/microsoft-office-versions.md)
{% endhint %}

### 4. Create necessary content

If you are creating a course in a new account, or using new materials, you may need to create Lessons, Exams, SIMpaths, or Resources to assign.

Your SIMnet admin or another instructor may have created templates for you to use.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Learn more:** Creating & Managing Content
{% endhint %}

### 5. Assign content to your course <a href="#gradebook-defaults" id="gradebook-defaults"></a>

This can be done without any students yet in your course, and is easier to do at the beginning.

If you don't want to add everything right away, work at least several weeks ahead.

Note that you can bulk update dates or assignment preferences later, as well as remove assignments.

Best practices for assignments

* Name your assignments in a way that makes sense for you and your students.
* Set consistent due dates and times, as well as assignment preferences like number of attempts or whether hints are allowed.
* Provide students with multiple attempts to complete projects. This allows students to submit a project and, based on the feedback provided by SIMnet, correct errors and resubmit the project for grading. This will alleviate student anxiety and allow for an improved learning experience. You have options for how to grade this - using the Average grade, for example.
* Display the solution PDF for projects on the assignment panel so that students have a visual of what the project should look like when it is finished.
* When selecting content for exams and lessons be sure to filter by both Textbook and Chapter. This will logically sequence the questions or tasks as they appear in the textbook.
* Many SIMnet questions and tasks aren’t covered in all textbooks. If you are creating a lesson or exam and can’t find the skill you want through the textbook filter, try switching to the “by Module” filter. Be aware, however, that the skills and questions are in alphabetical order, not the textbook sequence.
* The best way to create an alternate Scenario B exam from a Scenario A exam (and vice versa) is to use the Create Scenario B Exam (or Create Scenario A Exam) feature from the Actions menu in the Content Snapshot. This feature creates a one-to-one copy of exam questions from the practice scenario.
* The best way to create a Lesson from an Exam is to use the Create Lesson feature from the Actions menu in the Content Snapshot. This feature creates a lesson populated with all tasks that cover the exam questions.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Learn more:** Creating & Managing Content
{% endhint %}

### 6. Set your Gradebook defaults

Note that the gradebook defaults to display percentages and averages. Change the default before you assign activities to a course so that all activities assigned automatically display the type of grade you wish. If you wait until after activities are assigned, you will have to change each gradebook column individually.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Learn more:** Course Gradebook
{% endhint %}


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