One of GeorgiaVIEW Vista's advantages is that it allows you to use templates. A template is an exact copy of a course. Templates consist of things you use in your online course every semester —a syllabus, PowerPoints, weekly assignments, etc. Templates do not contain things that change with each course section —the students in the section, email messages, and discussion threads.

The GHC Adoptable Template contains materials most instructors use in each course section: samples of introductory pages, a generic syllabus derived from the Academic Affairs sample syllabus, and 16 ready-to-edit learning modules. Each learning module contains a generic overview page and a single content page. There are also commonly used "tools" such as mail, discussions and Chat Room.

You can assign the GHC Adoptable Template to a section, break links to the original template, and modify everything in it to suit your needs. If you are developing a course section based on the adoptable template, you will be building and modifying it as you teach the class. Then at the end of the semester, you can save the developed section as a new template, which will contain all the material you have built during the semester. The new template can be assigned to subsequent sections in future semesters, and will remain available to assign for as long as you want.

• To assign the GHC Adoptable Template:

1. On your "myVista"page, locate the section to which you wish to assign the template.
2. Click the section title. The Assign Template dialog appears.
3. Carefully select the "ghcadoptable template0409" and click to begin the assigning process.
4. It may take a minute or so for the template to be assigned,
5. When it has been assigned, you will see the introductory screen.
6. When you have read the page, check the "Do not show this page again" box, and click "start" to go to the home page of the template that has been assigned to the section.

• Editing a section based on the GHCAdoptable template:

On the home page of the GHC Adoptable template that you have assigned to your section, you will see a heading, two "file folder" icons, a syllabus, and various tools at the top of the screen. The Adoptable Template is intended as a bare-bones starting point from which you can build your own course.

You can edit the existing text, add or delete tools, organizer pages, and modify everything in the template. The original Adoptable Template will be unaffected, because you will break the links to it.

Breaking the links in your section will enable you to edit the existing text files. It is a good idea to break all the file links before you start modifying your section. To break the links, you will go to the File Manager, where the files in your section are stored.

• Breaking Links: How to make files editable in the File Manager

1. On the home page of your section, click the BUILD tab.
2. When you are in BUILD view, click File Manager link in Vista's top bar menu.
3. The File manager window opens.

Take a minute to get your bearings. On the left you will see a "tree" of directories similar to the picture below. A directory is a folder in which your site files reside. The directory for the course section you are working on is shown as an "open" folder. You will also see the "Section Content" directory shown as open. This is where all the files for your section reside.

Figure 1: The File Manger Directory Tree

On the right, in the main window, you will see a list of the files used on the home page of the Adoptable template, and a folder for the learning Modules.

Notice that there is a "Type" column, indicating what kind of file each one is. There are also various icons next to each file. Next to the name of each file is a check box.

Figure 2: The main File Manger pane

If you have not yet broken the links to the template, the file names will be in italics, indicating that they are still linked. You can edit the HTML or HTM files only after you break the link.

4. In the list of files, locate the HTM or HTML file for which you want to break the link, check the check box, click "Break Link," then dismiss the confirm box.

Notice that the file name changes from italic to regular text, indicating that the file link has been broken. Finally, note that there is now a pencil icon associated with the file you just unlinked, indicating that it is now editable.

In the File Manger, you can click the pencil icon next to the file you wish to edit, or you can edit the file wherever it is on your course section page (i.e. you can now edit the "Syllabus" file on the home page).

• Using the Built in HTML Editor in Vista

Vista's built-in HTML Editor allows you to edit existing HTM or HTML files already in the Adoptable template, or to create new ones. "HTML" files are web pages, and the HTML Editor allows you to edit or create web pages in a familiar design environment —it looks like MS Word, and is very easy to use.
For instructions, see: How to Use the HTML Editor in Vista.

The HTML Editor can be finicky, at least until you have got it set up. When you have done so, it works all the time. It works in Firefox and Internet Explorer, but it is best to try it out in Internet Explorer first. It may work right away. If it doesn't work in Internet Explorer, try Firefox.

• Test the HTML Editor

Log on to Vista and enter the section to which you assigned the Adoptable template.
Go to the home page.
In BUILD view, click the small grey triangle next to the "Syllabus" file and choose Edit. The Edit Content File window appears.
Locate the "HTML Creator On" radio buttons, and select "On".
The HTML Editor should appear.

Figure 3: Vista's HTML Creator

If it does not, and you are using Internet Explorer, log off, and try Firefox, following the same steps.
If the HTML Editor with a Word-like editing window still doen't appear, you'll have to troubleshoot...

• Troubleshooting the Vista HTML Editor

Here's what you will do:
1. Find out what version of Java your web browser is using
2. Make sure it is the correct version
3. Remove incorrect versions of Java from your computer
4. Install the correct version if needed

Because Java is sometimes set to update automatically on computers, there can be multiple versions of Java installed. This will prevent HTML Creator working and will also crete problems uploading files when you are "Adding Content" files from your computer to a page in Vista.

1. Find out what version of Java your web browser is using

The first thing to do is to see what version of Java your browser is using.Go to the USG Browser Checker and look under "Required Components Iinformation: Java Version

2. Make sure it is the correct version

You should have one of the following (and ONLY one) on your computer.
JRE 1.4.2
JRE 1.5 Build 5
JRE 1.6

3. Remove incorrect versions of Java from your computer

Follow thes detailed instructions for removing extra versions of JRE at the Vista HELP site.

4. Install the correct version if needed

Follow the steps in the detailed instructions for removing extra versions of JRE and installing the correct version.

Restart your web browser

Try the HTML Editor. If it is working, as it launches, you should see the Sun Logo while the applet loads.

Try uploading a content file from your computer. You should be able to upload files directly from your PC.