What is the General Course Shell?
Blinn’s general course shell is an eCampus course that includes standardized start here modules designed to support quality course design, accreditation requirements, and consistency for all students across modalities. Instructors sign up for access and then copy the material into their own courses.
The General Course Shell modules include:
- Welcome – Start Here (Edit module and embedded webpages based on your course)
- Getting Help (Do not edit)
- Mental Health Counseling (Do not edit)
- eCampus Student Orientation (Do not edit)
- Syllabus and Course Materials (Edit module based on your course)
Please do not rearrange or take this template apart. It is meant to give students a consistent look across all Blinn courses.
Updates made in the General Course Shell do NOT automatically update your live courses. You must replace the older modules with the newly updated versions each time changes are announced. This helps prevent broken links, outdated content, and accessibility issues.
How to Get Access to the General Course Shell
To take advantage of the General Course Shell, Instructors must first Self Register to gain access to the course. Once registered, the course material can then be copied into any other course the Instructor has access to. To Self Register:
- Log-in to eCampus at https://ecampusd2l.blinn.edu/d2l/home
- Click the My Tools link in the blue navigation bar
- Select Self Registration from the drop down menu
- Click the General Course Shell link
- Click the Register button to confirm you wish to register for the course.
- Complete the registration information form
- Click the Submit button
- Click the Finish button
Once these steps have been completed, Instructors will have access to the General Course Shell. The course can be accessed by instructors to review the content, but the content cannot be modified. The material in the course can be copied just like any other eCampus course. For additional help copying the material please check the following Knowledge Articles:
Additional Information
The General Course Shell was last updated: 2/26/2026
The General Course Shell is maintained by Blinn's Instructional Designers. For questions on the content of the course or how to best use it please contact them at instructional.design@blinn.edu