FAQ

What does it cost to adopt?

The course and module materials and our support are free. Some optional tools have their own costs. For example, Gradescope is a paid service if you choose it for grading.

How long does adoption take?

Many instructors are running in a couple of hours once they have GitHub access and import the Canvas template. If a JupyterHub is being provisioned for you, that step can take longer depending on scheduling.

Do I have to use Canvas?

No. The notebooks are platform-independent and work with any LMS. Only the common-cartridge template import is Canvas-specific.

Do I need my own JupyterHub?

Not necessarily. You can use a campus hub, a partner-provisioned hub through Cloudbank or Cal-ICOR, or alternatives like Google Colab or Binder. See Infrastructure & Tools.

Can I modify the materials?

Usually yes, though it depends on each course's license. Content without a NoDerivatives (ND) clause can be modified and redistributed. See Understanding Licenses and your course's license section.

How does autograding work?

Assignments are Otter-graded notebooks. The easiest path is the web-based Otter Service Standalone; Gradescope and local grading are also supported. See Otter Autograding.

What do I do if I can't access the private solutions repo?

Confirm you accepted the GitHub invitations and that your username matches the form. See the troubleshooting steps on Support.

Can I get a hub without adopting a course or module?

Yes. Cal-ICOR provisions computing infrastructure for California public colleges and universities (calicor@berkeley.edu), and Cloudbank serves institutions nationwide (Sean Morris). Neither requires you to adopt curriculum from this site. See Infrastructure & Tools.