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Course adoption, pilot and release checklist

Before adoption

  • Select a tested commit and record it in the private course plan.
  • Reconcile the module map with the official syllabus and actual teaching calendar.
  • Confirm external platform names, access arrangements, activities and alternatives.
  • Map the Spring 2026 practical outcomes to assessed catalog, workflow, encryption and monitoring evidence. Optional Labs 12–14 provide extension routes; optional availability does not establish that every student completed an outcome.
  • Rehearse setup, core labs, selected optional labs and recovery on disposable Ubuntu.
  • Prepare private grading calibration and the approved submission route.

Two usability pilots

A novice learner should follow the README, setup and first three labs without a live walkthrough. Record time to first successful check, confusing steps, help requests, and ability to explain one independently changed example. Collect feedback privately.

A replacement instructor should prepare one class from the session guide, explain expected results, diagnose a prepared failure and assess a fictional submission. Record missing information and revise before inviting broad adoption. Neither pilot has been completed merely because automated tests passed.

Use the private observation and workload worksheets to record both routes. An instructor's successful technical walkthrough is valuable rehearsal evidence; it does not substitute for either independent pilot.

Support arrangements for an offering

Before teaching, configure these items in the LMS using the staff and resources actually available. These are planning decisions, not support promises made by this public repository.

  • Name the help channel and the person or team responsible for monitoring it.
  • State staffed lab/help times, response expectations and a backup escalation route.
  • Explain how to report a blocker: lab/step, command, redacted error and attempted recovery. Never request passwords, .env contents or an unredacted log dump.
  • Provide an accessible alternative to oral check-ins and screenshot evidence.
  • Identify what learners can do while blocked and how to request deadline support under the offering's policies; do not tell them to bypass a failed prerequisite.
  • Schedule feedback and an opportunity to clarify or revise reasoning under the existing assessment rules. Consider the brief reasoning check-ins.

Release gate

  • Both Ubuntu workflow jobs pass at the intended executable revision.
  • Local links, evidence labels and assessment instructions agree.
  • Known limitations, supported platforms and dependency maintenance are documented.
  • Owner reviews historical credential revocation and sensitive Git history separately.
  • Pilot blockers are resolved or clearly listed with a usable workaround.
  • Maintainer selects a version tag and publishes release notes linking exact test results.

A tag is a stable reference, not a guarantee that installations will remain identical forever: distribution packages and external resources can change. Keep the tested commit and supported environment visible. Do not create a release labeled fully syllabus-complete while required practical gaps remain unresolved.

Maintenance

Before each offering, review dependency advisories, external links, platform access, synthetic fixtures and assessment consistency. Run the workflow after dependency or execution changes. Preserve prior teaching releases so cohorts do not receive unannounced changes mid-course. Record curriculum changes in the changelog.

Offering administration to publish privately

  • Authorized official syllabus, current outcomes and effective term.
  • LMS calendar, assignment selection, institutional grade weights and revision dates.
  • Accessibility/accommodation route, equivalent text evidence and accessible tooling.
  • Instructor/TA support contacts, response expectations and managed-device VM access.
  • External platform access, costs, alternatives and required local policy approvals.
  • Applicable integrity, data handling and student-work consent rules.

Use the delivery plan, fictional calibration example and pilot record to prepare and document the offering.

Author: Isaac K. Nti.