Course API

Please see below for quick links to the different sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Submit Course
• Amend Course
• Statuses

Introduction

CLA have produced a new API that allows HEIs to automatically add or amend courses in their instances of the DCS.

The API is free-to-use for all HEI users of the DCS and for any relevant third-party.

The documentation to use the API is attached to this article, at the bottom of the article.

Users and third-parties must go through the CLA API Portal to use this API.

Submit Course

The fields that can be included in the SubmitCourse call, which allows new courses to be added to the DCS, are:

hei required for identification

CourseCode required

CourseName required

NumberOfWeeks optional (will default to '52' if not included)

NumberOfStudents optional (will default to '0' if not included)

Department optional

Subject optional

LeadLecturer optional

LeadLecturerEmail optional (must be in valid email format: name@place)

 

All courses are added as Active by default (see Statuses section below).

 

Before adding a new course we recommend using the GetCourses call to see if the course (with matching Course Code) already exists in the DCS.

 

We recommend that users think carefully about how they might use this API. We have suggested to Reading List providers that this could be used at the point that a request has been made (where the course is not already in the DCS) and therefore is only added into the DCS when a Digitisation Request is in progress. Remember that the more courses that are in the DCS, the longer rollover will take, even if the courses are empty. Remember also that all courses, even empty courses, must be archived or given a correct or nominal (in the case of empty courses) number of students in order to rollover.

 

 

Amend Course

The fields that can be included in the AmendCourse call, which allows existing courses to be amended in the DCS, are: 

hei required for identification

CourseCode required

NewCourseCode optional (will replace the Course Code above)

CourseName optional

NumberOfWeeks optional 

NumberOfStudents optional

Department optional

Subject optional

LeadLecturer optional

LeadLecturerEmail optional (must be in valid email format: name@place)

Status optional (see details below)

 

This API only amends existing courses and, before amending a course, we recommend using the GetCourses call to see if the course (with matching Course Code) already exists in the DCS.

 

This API could perhaps be linked to your Student Record System to automatically update your student numbers. More details can be found here. https://cla.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360033651214-Linking-to-a-Student-Record-System-to-Automatically-Update-Student-Numbers

 

 

Statuses

In the AmendCourse call you can update the Status of a Course as well. 

The Statuses are:

• Active a course in an Active status is live and all the published links are accessible
• Archived a course in an Archived status is not live and the published links are not accessible
• Deleted a course in a Deleted status is dead and the course and content within cannot be accessed or recovered

Statuses can also be updated if not deleted.

• Active > Archived = a live course becomes archived and the published links are no longer accessible
• Archived > Active = the archived course is reinstated as live and the published links can be accessed
• Active > Deleted = a live course is permanently deleted and the links are all deleted and no longer accessible
• Archived > Deleted = an archived course is permanently deleted and the links are all deleted and no longer accessible
• Deleted > Active = no change, course remains permanently deleted
• Deleted > Archived = no change, course remains permanently deleted

CLA advises great caution when updating statuses, especially when deleting courses, as this permanent and not reversible. Perhaps deletions could include a warning or not be included at all.

If the status is not included in the call and left blank, this remains unchanged in the DCS.