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Using and Managing Blocks

Last Update 9 dagen geleden

Comments Block Latest Announcements Block Online Users Block Blocks on a Course Page Managing Blocks

Blocks on a Course Page

Margarita Berezyanskaya

Last Update 25 dagen geleden

Elements that may be added to the right column on a course page are called blocks. Blocks add resources and functionality to a course page. For example, the Comments block allows learners and instructors to quickly communicate from the course homepage, while the Calendar block displays course, user, group or site events on the course home page. Blocks add quick access to important features of a course.


Refer to the corresponding articles to learn how to configure and use recommended blocks: Online Users Block, Latest Announcements Block, Calendar Block and Comments Block.

Overview

Each course arrives with a Course Index. It contains the topic navigation options for the course. These can be hidden or shown by toggling the Open, close course index icons. Open is labeled below as number 1.  Close is labeled below as number 2. 


When the Course Index is open, available topics in your
course are visible. You can collapse of expand the Course Index by clicking on the the Course index options icon. Labeled as number 3.

Each course also arrives with Blocks, which are available on the right side of the course. The Courseware Help block, the Latest Announcements block and the Online Users block are blocks you may see when you receive your course.


As an instructor, you can add additional features and functionality to your courses through blocks.

Adding a Block to a Course Page

Note: Blocks can be added to the right column of a course page. In these examples, we will use the Activities block.


1. At the top of the Course Homepage, click on the Edit mode toggle button in the upper right corner of the screen to activate the editing tools.


Note: The toggle moves to the right, indicating that course editing is now on.

2. Ensure that the Block drawer is visible. If it is not, click on the Open block drawer button.

3. At the top of the Block drawer, click on the Add a block button.



4. The Activities block appears in the right column of the course page.


Note: A list of available blocks appears in the Add a block pop-up. You will only see a block name on this list if it has not already been added to your course.

The list below shows the standard blocks you can activate, including those already active in your course.

  • Accessibility

  • Accessibility review

  • Activities

  • Activity results
  • Blog menu
  • Blog tags
  • Calendar
  • Checklist
  • Comments
  • Completion Progress
  • Course completion status
  • Course/site summary
  • Latest announcements
  • Latest badges
  • Level Up XP
  • Logged in user
  • Mass Actions
  • Mentees
  • Online users
  • Private files
  • Random glossary entry
  • Recent activity
  • Recent blog entries
  • RSS feeds
  • Search forums
  • Self completion
  • Sharing Cart
  • Tags
  • Text... (formerly HTML)
  • Upcoming events

4. From the list of block names, click on Activities.

 

Note: The new block (Activities) appears at the bottom of the Block drawer.

5. Click on the Edit mode toggle to turn off edit mode to see the student view.


Note: The toggle moves to the left, indicating that course editing is now off.

Learners view a block with the Block title and Block content. For an instructor, if editing is turned on, an Edit icon and Move block icon become available. More details on configuring specific blocks can be found in the corresponding articles: Online Users Block, Latest Announcements Block, Calendar Block and Comments Block.

Parts of a Block (Edit Mode)

We will use the Activities block to describe the parts of a block. Different blocks will have different content, but the main areas indicated here are consistent. 


Editing Block Settings

In this example, we use the Activities block.


1. At the top of the Course Homepage, click on the Edit mode toggle button in the upper right corner of the screen to activate the editing tools.


Note: The toggle moves to the right, indicating that course editing is now on.

2. On the example Activities block, click on the Actions menu icon within that block. A block editing menu appears. Click on Configure Activites block option.



The Configuration options for the block appear. 

Note: Each block will have its own unique settings. 

Options for positioning the block and block appearance

controls are available here.


Ensure that the Visible setting is set to yes if you want your learners to see this block.



3. Click the Save changes button when finished.


Hiding and Showing Blocks

1. With editing turned on, go to the block and click on the Actions menu icon.


2. Choose Hide Activities block. 



The block is hidden from learners; however, as an instructor, you will still see the block while in editing mode. 


3. To show the block, click on the Settings icon drop-down arrow again and choose Show Activities block. 



The block is now available for learners too.

Moving Blocks

In the example below, the instructor has many block but the instructor wants to move the Activities block above the Online users block.




1. With editing turned on, click on the Move icon in the Activities block.



2. The Move block pop-up appears. Click on To item "Online users" to move the Activities block above the Online users block.



The blocks will be reordered. 

Deleting a Block from Your Course

1. With editing mode set to on, locate the block to be removed and click on the Actions menu icon within that block.


2. Choose the option, Delete "block name" block.



3. Click Delete to confirm the deletion.



The block is removed from the course page.