1.9.1. General Configuration of Course Elements

Opening the Course Editor

The course editor is there to modify your course. You open it by clicking on the course's title in «My entries» in learning resources before selecting «Edit content» in the «Learning resource» tool box on your right. If the course view is already opened just select the link «Course editor» in the tool box «Course tools» on your right. You will recognize the activated course editor by the watermark «edit» in the background.

On your right in the tool box «Editor tools» you will find the link to three editor tools as well as the possibility to close the editor and get back to the detailed view or the course view, resp. The tool box «Insert course elements» provides a list of all available course elements. The third tool box «Modify course elements» contains further actions regarding course elements (e.g. delete).

Adding Course Elements

A course can comprise any number of course elements. In a course you can use several course elements of the same type; they can be nested as well.

Click on the course element of your choice in the tool box «Add course element» on your right and select the position where you want your element to be inserted. Now you can configure your new course element.

In the course navigation you will see most of the time a symbol next to each course element indicating its characteristics or pointing out any missing or wrong settings. In the bottom part of the screen you will see the corresponding explanations to those symbols.

Configuration of Title and Description

Each course element always comprises the tabs «Title and description,» «Visibility,» and «Access.» In addition there are one or more tabs to configure your course element individually.

In the tab «Title and description» you can describe your course element further. The field «Short title» is mandatory. This short title serves as labeling of your course element in the course navigation and is restricted to 25 characters.

The content in the field «Title» serves as additional description of your course element and appears on the course's homepage as sub-title if you have selected «Automatic overview» in the tab «Overview.» This title will also be displayed when moving the cursor over the element's short title in the course navigation.

Avoid using slashes or full stops in the fields «Short title» and «Title.» These special characters can cause problems when archiving courses later on.

In the field «Description» you can provide detailed information on your course element. That description will appear on the course homepage if you have selected «Automatic overview» in the tab «Overview».

By means of «Display» you determine what course participants will see when clicking on a course element. A click on course elements such as «Single page,» «External page,» «CP learning content,» and «SCORM learning content» will result in displaying the default setting «Only content.» All other course elements will show «Title, description and content» by default.

There is the possibility to set links on each course element. Just click on «Set link for this course element» to have the external as well as the internal link of a course element on display.

In order to refer to a course element from outside your course you have to use an external link. In order to set links within a course you have to use internal links.

Configuration of the Tabs Visibility and Access

You can limit the access to course elements in two ways. If you want to limit a course element's visibility it will no longer appear in the course navigation. If you plan to limit its access it will still appear in the course navigation, however, when clicking on it your participants will get a message that this course element is not accessible.

In the tab «Visibility» there are four options: «Depending on date», «Depending on group», «Depending on assessment», and «Depending on attribute»; by means of these options you can determine who will see when and under which circumstances a certain course element in the course navigation. OLAT users excluded by those predefined rules will not be able to see certain course elements. You can e.g. determine that registration is only possible within one week (option «Depending on date») or you can grant access to a particular folder only to registered course participants (option «Depending on group»). You can provide a questionnaire only for those course participants who have passed a test (option «Dependening on assessment») or you can offer additional documents only for course participants of a certain field of study (option «Depending on attribute»). In order to exempt course authors and tutors from these rules you have to deactivate the option «Apply rules for owners and tutors».

In the tab «Access» there are the same four options mentioned above: «Dependening on date,» «Depending on group,» «Depending on assessment,» and «Depending on attribute;» by means of these options you determine who will be able to access when and under which circumstances a certain course element. OLAT users excluded by those predefined rules will see certain course elements but will not be able to open them. In order to exempt course authors and tutors from these rules you have to deactivate the option «Apply rules for owners and tutors».

If a course element is visible but not accessible you can provide an explanation for excluded users in the tab «Visibility» to clarify your reasons.

All restrictions on course elements will also apply to their sub-elements. This means that if you restrict the top course element's visibility that rule will also apply to your entire course elements.