Administrator Setup

Introduction

Student Learning & Licensure (SL&L) has been designated as an official edTPA Integrated Platform Provider.  SL&L allows edTPA candidates to submit their required materials to edTPA / Pearson through the familiar activity interface.  This guide will walk you through creating activities for edTPA candidates that are submittable to edTPA / Pearson.

EdTPA Program

We also suggest creating a program (Hierarchy node) dedicated to edTPA.  Often, the courses created for use with edTPA submissions are not actual institutional “courses,” but instead are created to organize student candidates by Content Area.  Creating a dedicated program will help separate normal courses from the unique edTPA courses.

edTPA Courses

To create an edTPA activity, you need to have created a course and section, just as with any other activity.  However, because edTPA activities are created based on content area, we suggest creating a unique course for each Content Area.

edTPA Sections

Once you’ve created the edTPA courses, you can create a section within each course that comprises your student candidates for that specific Content Area.  You can create a new section each time a new candidate group needs to submit.

TIP:  When creating and naming sections, you can include a time period in the name, such as semester, to easily identify them going forward.

 edTPA Instructors

Instructors of edTPA courses are able to see edTPA activities included in their section.  Just as with any other activity, they can see the student candidates’ names, submission status, and view the submitted files.  However, because student candidates submit directly to edTPA, there is no internal assessment.

NOTE:  Because edTPA courses are unique and are only used for edTPA activities, the instructor you select is often yourself (the admin) or your edTPA Coordinator.

edTPA Templates

Creating an edTPA enabled activity is almost identical to creating any other activity. However, rather than creating your own template, Watermark provides pre-made templates that you will use to create edTPA activities.  Because requirements differ for each edTPA Content Area, a pre-made template is available for each edTPA Content Area.  When edTPA has been enabled for your institution, the edTPA templates will automatically become available for creating an activity.

Creating Activities

Creating an edTPA activity is accomplished at the section level, and is identical to creating any activity.

To create an edTPA Activity:
 

1. From the Academics & Offices screen, click on the course where the activity will be created

2. Click on the name of the section where the activity will be created

3. On the Activities tab, click the Create Activity button.

4. Give the activity a title.

5. Click the template drop down menu.

6. Click the pre-made edTPA template that corresponds to the activity’s Content Area.

7. From the Submitter drop down menu, select the role that contains the student candidates.

8. Select the date and time the activity will become Visible to student candidates.

9. Select the date and time the activity will become Open for submission by student candidates.

NOTE:  The two checkboxes at the bottom are greyed out, and cannot be unchecked. (See the Student Submission section for details on submission revision)

10. To complete creating the activity, click either the Save as Draft button or the Publish button.

NOTE:  Clicking the Save button will save all activity settings, but will leave the activity in Draft status.  In draft status, the activity will not be visible to student candidates.  Clicking the Publish button will save the activity and make it “live.”  A live activity is viewable and usable by student candidates.

Congratulations!  You’ve created an edTPA activity!