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Instructor Help: Organizing Materials and Icons

1. How do I organize the materials on my course site?
2. What is the difference between an Organizer Page and a Content Module?
3. How do I create an Organizer Page and add items to it?
4. How do I create a Content Module and add items to it?
5. Can I reorganize the materials on my class site later?
6. How do I remove materials from my class site?
7. How do I change the way the icons look or are positioned on my page?
8. How do I hide an item so that students can't see it?
9. How do I reveal a hidden item?
10. How do I hide items on my pages so my students don't see them until I want them to?

1. How do I organize the materials on my course site?

You can simply add all your materials and links to your course Homepage, but if you have many, you may wish to organize them into separate groups. Doing so involves using Organizer Pages or Content Modules.

Organzier Pages are, essentially, folders and subfolders on your class site. One empty one is built into every course website automatically, and usually titled "Course Materials." Organizer Pages can be nested within each other, so that you can create one called "Study Materials," for instance, and within that have one titled "Homework Materials" and another for "Quizzes." Each Organizer Page can hold several icons for links, materials, and WebCT tools.

Content Modules are, essentially, outlines or tables of content that list (and link to) all your course materials hierarchically. One empty one is built into every course website automatically, and usually titled "Content Organizer." You can use a Content Module to group materials under headings. For instance, under a heading "Week 1," you could include the syllabus and handouts from the first two class meetings. Since the Content Module is used less frequently, it is hidden from students. You must reveal it in order for them to access it.

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2. What is the difference between an Organizer Page and a Content Module?

An Organizer Page can contain any number of links to handouts, websites, and WebCT tools. These links are displayed as icons with text below (by default--this layout can be changed).

Sample Organizer Page:

Individual items on an Organizer Page may be "hidden" or set to be released to students only under certain conditons (see Questions 8-10 below).

Sometimes a page with numerous icons can become cluttered and difficult to navigate. The relationship between the materials can be unclear. A Content Module provides an alternative to this (potential) mess, since the items take up less space and can be arranged hierarchically. They appear as textual links, rather than icons. The image below shows how the same set of materials pictured above would appear on a Content Module.

Sample Content Module:

Another sample Content Module, this time with the materials grouped by type rather than by week:

In general, we recommend that instructors who add more than 5 or 6 items to their course site consider using the Content Module (the "Content Organizer") to make the purpose of the materials more clear to their students. The Content Module does not allow you to hide or apply conditional releases to individual items, and it cannot contain certain WebCT tools. It is best suited for organizing many files, like handouts and readings. A Content Module and all its accompanying files can be exported from one course site and imported to another. Basic instructions on using a Content Module are below, and your ITC will gladly give you pointers if you wish.

• Who is my ITC?

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3. How do I create an Organizer Page and add items to it?

Go to the page that you want to hold the Organizer Page (this may be the Homepage or another Organizer Page, like the "Course Materials" page) and follow these steps:

1. Make sure that the Designer Options tab is selected.
   
   
   
   
2. Under Actions > Options: Links, click Add page or tool.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Pages, click Organizer Page.
   
   
   
   
4. Part 1: enter a title for the page in the textbox. This is the title that will appear below the icon.
   
   
   
   
5. Part 2: decide where you want this page to appear on your course site and check the appropriate box. You can add it to the Course Menu or to an existing page (like the Homepage), or to both. When you check "Organizer Page," you can choose which Organizer Page the item will appear on from the pull down menu. The default selection is shown. You can also control how the item will look by selecting/deselecting the options for showing the item title and showing the item icon. You can change the appearance of the link later if you don't like how it turns out.
   
   
   
   
6. Finally, click Add to add the page to your site.
   
   
   
   

Once you've created the empty Organizer Page, you can add items to it in two ways:

1. To move existing items to the page, go to the page that currently holds the item and click the small round button to the left of the item. Under Actions > Options: Links, click Move to Organizer page. Select the destination page from the pulldown menu, and click Move. Repeat for each item you wish to move.
2. To add new items to the page, go to the page that you want to hold the item, and follow the instructions for Adding Materials or Adding Links to your course site.

Contact your ITC if you'd like to setup a tutorial or request further assistance.

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4. How do I create a Content Module and add items to it?

Setting up a Content Module can be tricky for first-time users, so you may want to arrange a meeting with your ITC for personal assistance. You can use the "Content Organizer" included in your course site or add a new Content Module by following these steps:

1. Make sure that the Designer Options tab is selected.
   
   
   
   
2. Under Actions > Options: Links, click Add page or tool.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Course Content Tools, click Content Module.
   
   
   
   
4. Part 1: enter a title for the page in the textbox. This is the title that will appear below the icon.
   
   
   
   
5. Part 2: decide where you want this page to appear on your course site and check the appropriate box. You can add it to the Course Menu or to an existing page (like the Homepage), or to both. When you check "Organizer Page," you can choose which Organizer Page the item will appear on from the pull down menu. The default selection is shown. You can also control how the item will look by selecting/deselecting the options for showing the item title and showing the item icon. You can change the appearance of the link later if you don't like how it turns out.
   
   
   
   
6. Finally, click Add to add the Content Module page to your site.
   
   
   
   

Once you've created the empty Content Module, you can add items to it in the following manner:

1. Select Designer Options and click on the icon for the Content Module.
   
      
   
   
2. To add a heading, such as "Week 1 Materials" or "Readings," click Add heading (under Actions > Options: Table of Contents), type your heading title, and click Add.
   
      
   
   
3. To add a file, such as a handout or image, click Add files (under Actions > Options: Table of Contents), choose the file you wish to add from the box, and click Add. You can click Browse (click Choose File on Macs) to upload new files to add, or you may have uploaded them eariler using Manage Files or WebDAV (click here to read more about uploading).
   
      
   
   
4. After adding your files, you will probably want to rename them or adjust their order. Click Edit titles under Actions > Options: Tables of Contents to change the headings and names. To move items up and down in the list, first click the round circle next to the item, then click the appropriate button under Actions > Organize.
   
   
   
   
5. When you are finished with your additions, click Update Student View to make the materials available to your students. If you do not click this button, they will not see any changes you have made to the Content Module since the last time you updated the student view.
   
   
   
   

IMPORTANT: Remember to click Update student view each time you finish editing the Content Module, so your students can see the changes you have made and access the materials.

Use the buttons under Actions > Options: Table of Contents to add more materials, change the titles of the items, or delete them. Use the buttons under Actions > Organize to move the items up and down in the list or indent them. Contact your ITC if you need assistance arranging the items in the Content Module.

• Who is my ITC?

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5. Can I reorganize the materials on my class site later?

Yes. You can login to Ecampus and make changes at any time. Access to certain materials can even be restricted to certain students, or to a limited time during which they will be available. Contact your ITC for further instructions.

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6. How do I remove materials from my class site?

1. Make sure that the Designer Options tab is selected.
   
   
   
   
2. Click on the small round button to the left of the item you wish to delete.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Actions > Options: Links, click Delete.
   
   
   
   
4. A window will open warning that you are about to delete an item. Click OK to proceed.
   
   
   
   
5. The item no longer appears on your course site. If you want to add it again, you must follow the steps for Adding Materials or Adding Links.

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7. How do I change the way the icons look or are positioned on my page?

See the page on Personalizing Your Course Website. You can also change the colors and add headers and footers to your pages.

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8. How do I hide an item so that students can't see it?

1. Make sure that the Designer Options tab is selected.
   
   
   
   
2. Click on the small round button to the left of the item you wish to hide.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Actions > Options: Links, click Hide.
   
   
   
   
4. The item will now appear with the word "hidden" under its title. This means it is visible to you and other designers, but not to students.
   
   
   
   

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9. How do I reveal a hidden item?

1. Make sure that the Designer Options tab is selected.
   
   
   
   
2. Click on the small round button to the left of the item you wish to reveal. If the item is hidden, it will say "hidden" under the title of the icon, as in the picture below.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Actions > Options: Links, click Reveal.
   
   
   
   
4. The "hidden" label will disappear, and the item is now visible to students.

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10. How do I hide items on my pages so my students don't see them until I want them to?

You can use the "selective release" feature to control when items are available to students. You can make an item available after a certain date, for a specified period of time, or to a specific group of students. This is different than the "hide" feature, which simply hides the item from all students until you take the steps to reveal it. Follow these steps to specify a selective release:

1. Make sure that the Designer Options tab is selected.
   
   
   
   
2. Click on the small round button to the left of the item you wish to set conditions for.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Actions > Options: Links, click Specify selective release.
   
   
   
   
4. Under Selective Release, there are various criteria you can set to choose who can access your item and when. You can choose any or all of these criteria. The most commonly used settings are "Releasing after" a certain date, and/or "Releasing until" a certain date. Make the appropriate selections for your item, and click Update when you're done.
   
   
   
   
5. The item will now appear with the word "Conditional" underneath. This indicates to you that it has a selective release specified. Students will not see the word "Conditional," and they will not see the item at all until they meet the release criteria (e.g., the release date has passed, or the student is on your list of selected students with access).
   
   

To change the settings for the release criteria, follow the steps above and make your changes in step 4.

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