This page is a list of Frequently Asked Questions from Brandeis faculty about LATTE course shells and the default template. If your question isn't on this page, or if you would like additional information, please schedule an appointment with a Library staff member by emailing library@brandeis.edu and including "LATTE Shell" in the subject line.
A "shell" refers to the blank course page that is created in LATTE. Typically, each shell corresponds to a specific course listed by the Registrar's Office. LATTE course shells are provisioned with a template that gives a blank LATTE course shell some structure and design. The LATTE course template is updated each semester to be more minimal, streamlined, and flexible, with all improvements based on faculty feedback. This updated template incorporates many improvements based on faculty input and has received positive feedback from students. Instructors can make any changes to the topic structure and naming conventions to make their course shell fit their class needs. You can view examples of possible adjustments to the shell by self-enrolling into the Sample Course that shows a variety of course organization formats.
Absolutely! Faculty may use a different template by restoring their courses from previous terms in an easy 2-step process. Click the Import or Restore a Course tab on this guide for instructions.
Editing the banner or a label does not require any knowledge of HTML. Text within the banner and labels can be deleted, renamed via the text editor, or duplicated to meet your course structure needs.
IMPORTANT HTML issues result from copying/pasting text in the banner or labels with formatting (from a Word document or an email). Please type directly into the text editor or ensure you are using plain text if you have to copy/paste.
If you'd like to use HTML to change the look or feel of your banner or labels, please contact library@brandeis.edu for help!
You can delete or edit any section you do not want to use from an existing topic. You can also create a new topic for your LATTE page and this topic will be blank to begin. To view examples of possible adjustments to the shell, you can self-enroll into the sample course that shows various course organization formats.
We added a “long-term assignments” topic to the shell for this exact purpose. Alternatively, you can:
We recommend including both dates in the date range for the title of the topic and using this topic for both classes.
Yes! While ITS needs to provision all courses with the same shell template, you can restore your course from a previous semester if you prefer the previous layout or you can restore a blank shell without any pre-filled information. Click the Import or Restore a Course or Use a Blank Shell tabs on this guide for instructions. You can also delete any elements you do not want to use in your LATTE course.
Using the text editor, you can enter the course information, add the instructor’s name, and update the Zoom links. Uploading a picture is optional and does not require knowledge of HTML. Click the Update the Banner tab on this guide for instructions.
This placement is to help avoid collisions of content when faculty migrate content from a previous semester’s LATTE course pages into their new course shell. You can move the Instructor Resources topic to the top (by using the directional arrows to drag and drop) after you have imported a previous semester's course materials.