Course Management

Modify the Course Menu (sidebar)

The Course Menu is the top part of the navigation bar on the left side of your course. This is how students access the tools and the contents in your course. If an item is hidden, or made unavailable, it will not appear in this sidebar - and the students will not have access to that item.

the Course Menu

The following types of items can be found or added to the Course Menu:

• Content Area - used to organize your course content.
• Tool Link - a link to a specific tool or a tools area (a page that displays a group of tools).
• Web Link - a link that leads to another website.
• Course Link - a link to a specific section of the course.
• Subheaders and Dividers - these items are used to make the Course Menu look good, and don't link to anything.

Setting Up the Course Menu:

• Add Items to the Course Menu
• Modify the Course Menu (Rename, Hide, Delete)
• Reorder the Items in the Course Menu
• Hide the Sidebar while you Work

Add Items to the Course Menu

Add an item to the Course Menu

1. Make sure the Edit Mode view toggle is on at the top right corner of the page. (Turning the Edit Mode off shows a preview of how the students will see the page.)
2. At the top of the Course Menu, click the "plus sign" button. A dropdown list of items to add will appear. Select the item you want to add by clicking on it (Content Area, Tool Link, Web Link, etc.).
3. Each type is set up differently. The following settings may apply to the type you choose:
   • Name - Nearly all of the types require that you enter a short and meaningful name. We recommend that you use the actual name of the tool when adding a tool, to avoid any confusion. For example, please title the 'Disscussion Board' tool 'Discussion Board' and avoid making up a name.
   • Available to users - check this box if you would like the student users to be able to see the item you are adding.
   • Tool Type - When adding a tool or tools area, you will need to select the tool type from the dropdown list. Any tools listed with a (u) are not available in your course.
   • Location / URL - Course Link and Web Link require that you add a location or URL, as this item type creates a link to a resource that you specify. In the case of the Web Link URL, you will need to enter the ENTIRE address, including the htp://. You will also be able to set this link to open in a new window, in the Modify options below.
4. Click Submit to create the item. The new addition will appear at the bottom of the course menu, but you will be able to reorder the list.

Modify the Course Menu (Rename, Hide, Delete)

You may want to remove or modify certain Course Menu items. This is done using the contextual menus that are brought up by clicking the arrow-shaped icons to the right of a specific Course Menu item.

Modify a Course Menu item

For most of the Course Menu items, the options will be Rename Link, Hide Link and Delete Link. There may be additional options for some, including the Web Link, which also offers the option to edit the Web Link and Set Link to Open in a new Window.

*Important - Deletion is permanent!! Deletion will also remove the contents stored within that item. For example, if a Content Area is removed from the Course menu, all of its contents will be deleted forever. Please consider this carefully when choosing to delete items in your course.

Reorder the items in the Course Menu

There are two different methods you can use to change the order of the Course Menu items: the drag & drop reordering method; and the keyboard accessible reordering method.

Drag & Drop Reordering

1. Locate the Course Menu item whose position in the list you would like to change, and move your mouse on top of it.
2. A double-arrowed icon will appear to the left of this item - click it, and hold the mouse button down.
3. While holding, drag up or down, to the position where you would like the item to appear. As you drag, you will see the item move, and a dashed box will appear in the course menu at the position the item will be if you were to "drop" (let go of the mouse button) at that time.
4. Once you drop the item, it will be placed in that position and the other items will reorder accordingly.

Drag & Drop Reordering - use the double-arrowed icons

Keyboard Accessible Reordering

1. At the top of the Course Menu, there is a menu bar that offers a number of features. Click the icon on the very right, for Keyboard Accessible Reordering.
2. A small window will pop up, displaying a list of all Course Menu items. Select the item you wish to move, by clicking on it.
3. Use the up arrow or down arrow (found near the bottom of the popup window) to move the selected item up or down.
4. Click Submit to save the changes.

Keyboard Accessible Reordering - found in the Menu Bar

Hide the Sidebar while you Work

The entire sidebar can be hidden, to give the main window more screen space. Click the space between the Course menu (sidebar) and the main course window - this toggles to hide and reveal the sidebar.

Hide/Reveal the Sidebar - click to the left of the main content window