.. _The Structure of a Sample Course: #################################### The OLX Structure of a Sample Course #################################### .. tags:: educator, reference This topic describes the structure of a sample course known as the `olx_example_course`_, a course with the structure of an Open edX Studio export. .. contents:: :local: :depth: 1 .. note:: The structure and content of the *olx_example_course* can change without corresponding updates being made to this reference guide. ************************************************** olx_example_course and Directory File Structures ************************************************** All files and subdirectories that comprise ``olx_example_course`` are stored in the `olx_example_course course`_ directory in the ``training-courses`` GitHub repository. .. Image:: /_images/olx-example-images/olx-example-github.png :alt: The olx_example_course in GitHub, showing the file structure of the ``course/`` directory. ********************** Top-level Directories ********************** The `olx_example_course course`_ directory in the ``training-courses`` GitHub repository contains the ``course.xml`` file as well as various XBlock and Platform directories. * The `course.xml`_ file contains the XML for the courseware. In the ``olx_example_course``, this simply contains the course key, ````; this is how the Studio export works. It is possible to define course sections, subsections, and units (``chapter`` s, ``sequential`` s, and ``vertical`` s) within the ``course.xml`` file, however, if imported into Studio and then exported, the format of the ``olx_example_course`` will be applied. * Course sections are defined in the ``chapter`` directory, subsections in the ``sequential`` directory, and units in the ``vertical`` directory. * HTML units are referenced in the ``html`` directory, where there are two files: an XML file that calls an associated HTML file, which defines the HTML content. * Videos are defined in the ``video`` directory. * Problems are referenced in other directories, such as ``problem`` and ``lti``. For more information, see the olx_example_course `course.xml`_ file. ============================== Example of a Referenced XBlock ============================== .. warning:: The "Example of a Referenced Block" part of this guide was written in 2013. As of the Teak release, it is untested and not guaranteed to work when imported into Open edX Studio, either currently or in future releases. Authors can reference an XBlock from the ``course.xml`` file. For example, in ``course.xml``, the first vertical in the courseware contains a single HTML XBlock with the display name ``Week overview``, which references ``Week_overview`` in the ``url_name`` attribute: .. code-block:: html There would be a file called ``Week_overview.html`` in the ``html`` directory that contains the content for that HTML component. For a learner, that HTML component appears as the first unit of the course. .. Image:: /_images/olx-example-images/Insider-first-image.png :alt: The HTML component as a learner sees it. ============================== Example of an Inline XBlock ============================== .. warning:: The "Example of an Inline XBlock" part of this guide was written in 2013. As of the Teak release, it is untested and not guaranteed to work when imported into Open edX Studio, either currently or in future releases. Authors can include XBlock content within the ``course.xml`` file, for ease of reading and maintenance when the content is not needed for reuse. For example, in ``course.xml``, the sequential with the display name ``In-class exercise`` contains embedded HTML content. .. code-block:: html

In the on-line portion, we examined a way we used technology to allow efficient implementation of one theory from learning science – constructive learning – in Open edX. In designing the Open edX platform, we applied many such techniques. We took aspects of mastery learning, project- based learning, gamification and others. Other platforms have sophisticated techniques for targeting specific student misconceptions, enabling a range of student social experiences, assessing teacher performance, and hundreds of other research- based techniques. We would like to give you a chance to practice with designing software to enable good pedagogy.

. . . For a student, that HTML component appears as a unit of the course in the same way as a referenced HTML component does. .. Image:: /_images/olx-example-images/Insider-first-exercise.png :alt: The HTML component as a student sees it. ******************** Platform Directories ******************** The ``olx_example_course`` course contains information in the course subdirectories as described below. ==================== ``about`` Directory ==================== The ``about`` directory contains the following files. * ``overview.html``, which contains the content for the course overview page that students see in the Learning Management System (LMS). * ``short_description.html``, which contains the content for the course in the course list. For more information, see :ref:`Course Overview`. ==================== ``info`` Directory ==================== The ``info`` directory contains the following files. * ``handouts.html``, which contains the content for the **Course Handouts** page in the course. * ``updates.html``, which contains the course updates students see when opening a course. ======================= ``policies`` Directory ======================= The ``policies`` directory contains the following files. * ``assets.json``, which defines all files used in the course, such as images. * A course directory named ``2025`` (the "course run"), which contains: * ``grading_policy.json``, which defines how student work is graded in the course. * ``policy.json``, which defines various settings in the course. For more information, see :ref:`Course Policies`. ==================== ``static`` Directory ==================== The ``static`` directory contains the files used in the course, such as images or PDFs. For more information, see :ref:`Course Assets`. ======================= ``vertical`` Directory ======================= The ``vertical`` directory contains the XML for the 15 units used in the course. *Units* (``vertical`` s) can be embedded in the ``course.xml`` file, however this method is not guaranteed to work on Open edX Studio imports. It is recommended to store XML for units in separate files in the ``vertical`` directory. The *units* are referenced in associated XML files for course *subsections* (in the ``sequential/`` directory). For example, in ``sequential/subsection_1_midterm_exam.xml``: .. code-block:: html And in ``vertical/unit_1_input_problems.xml``: .. code-block:: html .. seealso:: :ref:`What is Open Learning XML?` (concept) :ref:`OLX Components` (reference) :ref:`OLX Exercises, Tools, and Problem Types` (reference) :ref:`Example of an OLX Course` (reference) :ref:`Getting Started with OLX` (quickstart) :ref:`OLX Directory Structure` (reference) :ref:`The Courseware Structure` (reference) :ref:`Work with the targz File` (how-to) **Maintenance chart** +--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Review Date | Reviewer | Release | Test situation | +--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 2025-11-06 | sarina | Ulmo | Pass | +--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 2025-03-19 | Peter Pinch | Sumac |`Fail content `_ | | | Sarina Canelake | |`Fail insider course hosting `_ | +--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+