Avenue Help Center | Managing Blocks

Managing Blocks

Margarita Berezyanskaya

Last Update hace un mes

Elements that may be added to the right columns on a course page are called blocks. Blocks add functionality to a course. For example, the Calendar block displays course, user, group or site events on the course home page. Blocks also add quick access to important features of a course.

Avenue instructors can add, delete, move, show and hide blocks in their courses, but there may be a limited number of blocks available to them. Instructors with an Instructor (non-editing) role have a limited number of block options unless they enroll in Stage 2 of the LearnIT2teach training.

The image below shows two blocks on the right hand side of Beverly’s 3-4 Class page: the Courseware help block and the Online users block. On the left, there is the Navigation Drawer that contains Navigation options for this course. We will show how the Navigation Drawer is used to add blocks in the next section.

Adding Blocks to Your Course

Note: In this example, we will show how to add the Calendar block. Other blocks can be added in the same way.

1. Near the top-right corner of a course, click on the Turn editing on button.

2. Ensure that the Navigation drawer is visible. If it is not visible, click on the Vertical ellipsis icon on the top-left corner of your page.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the Navigation drawer and click on the Add a block link.

4. A list of available blocks appears.

Note: You will only see a block name on this list if it is not already added to your course.

From the list of available blocks, click on Calendar.

5. The new block (Calendar) appears at the bottom of the right column of the course.

6. Click on the Turn editing off button to see the student view.

Parts of a Block

We will use the Calendar block to describe the parts of a block. Different blocks will have different content, but the main areas indicated below are consistent. Learners view a block with the Block title and the Block content.

In addition to the Block title and content, instructors will see an Actions menu and Move block icon when editing is turned on.

Editing Block Settings

In this example, we will use the Calendar block. The process is the same for other blocks.

1. To enable editing, near the top-right corner of the course, click on the Turn editing on button.

2. In the Calendar block, click on the Actions menu.

Several options appear. Note that we will only demonstrate how to change the Show/Hide setting in this article.

3. Click on Hide Calendar block.

The Calendar block becomes invisible to students.

4. To make the block visible again, click on its Actions menu.

5. Click on Show Calendar block.

The Calendar block becomes visible

Moving Blocks

In this example, there are three blocks on the course. The Courseware help block, the Online users block and the Calendar block. Instructors can change the order of these blocks. The following example demonstrates how to move the Calendar block.

1. Near the top-right corner of a course, click on the Turn editing on button.

2. In the Calendar block, move the cursor over to the Move icon.

The cursor changes to a cross icon with four arrow tips.

3. Drag the Calendar block vertically to a new position on the course page in the right column.

4. Another way to move the block is by clicking on the move icon once.

A pop-up appears with the name of all the blocks on the page, in the order they appear.

Note: The HTML block that appears on this list refers to the Courseware Help block.

5. Click on the name of any of the blocks to move the Calendar block in that position. In this example, we clicked on Online users.

The pop-up closes and the Calendar block is moved.

6. Click on the Turn editing off button to see the student view.

Deleting Blocks

Follow these steps to delete a block.

1. Near the top-right corner of a course, click on the Turn editing on button.

2. Click on the block’s Actions menu.

3. Click on Delete Calendar block.

4. Click on the Yes button if you are sure you want to delete the block

The Calendar block is removed.

Note: Deleting a block from your course is not always necessary. An alternative solution is to hide it temporarily from your students.