Creating Your Course Menu

Overview Four Steps to Creating a Course Menu Plan your Links Add the Tools Create the Content Areas Organize the Links

Keep It Simple Possible Starting Points If you want to provide…Add… One click access to an often utilized tool, such as Discussions or Calendar A tool link to the specific tool Lecture notes or other reading materials One or more content areas to organize the material A link to a regularly used web siteAn External Link

Edit Mode

Adding Tools to the Course Menu Fast Steps In Edit Mode, click the Plus Sign (Create Item Icon) Select Create Tool Link

Adding Tools to the Course Menu Enter the name for the Link From the Type drop down list, select the tool to add Select whether the tool will be available to users Click Submit

Hands-on Activity Add Tools to Your Course

Create Content Areas Four Sub-Steps Determine how Content Areas will be organized Add the Content Areas Add items and tools to the Content Areas Edit the items in the Content Areas

Organization of Content Area Three approaches Chronologically By Content Type By Subject Area

Chronologically In this approach, each Content Area contains a week’s worth or a chapter’s worth of material

Type of Content Related types of content are grouped together in a Content Area Course MenuContent Area Begin Class Here Syllabus, Course Outline, Course Policies, Introduce Yourself Discussion Board Course Lectures Intro Lecture, Chapter 1 Lecture, Chapters 2,3, and 4 Lecture Course Assignments Assignment 1, Assignment 2, Lab Report 1

Subject Area Each Content Area contains materials on a particular subject. Course MenuContent Area Begin Class Here Syllabus, Course Outline, Course Policies, Introduce Yourself Discussion Board Solar Energy Lecture, Assignment, Chat, Quiz Wind Energy Lecture, Assignment, Discussion, Survey

Add The Content Area Steps In the Edit Mode, click the Plus sign above the Course Menu Select Create Content Area

Add The Content Area Enter a Name for the link Select whether it will be available to users Click Submit

Hands-on Activity Add Content Areas Plan Your Content Area Consider how you will organize your course Add Content Areas Create two or three Content Areas Title one of them Begin Class Here View Content Areas Note the Content Areas you created. Because the Content Areas created have no content in them, there is an icon of a dotted square. Access the Begin Class Here area and note that it is empty. Return to the Homepage using the breadcrumbs.

Add Items/Tools to Content Area The following are examples of items that can be added to a Content Area: Items that contain files, text, images Individual Tool links Folders Tests and surveys Assignments External Links Course Links Module Pages

To Add an Item Use the “Create Item” button on the Action Bar. Add other materials using the “Build”, “Evaluate”, and “Collaborate” buttons

Adding Items and Tools If You Want to Add:Click Folder, External Link, Course Link, Learning Module, Syllabus, Module Page, Link to a Tool Build Test, Survey, Assignment, Self or Peer Assignment Evaluate Discussion Board Link, Blog Link, Journal, Chat, Virtual Classroom Link, Group Link Collaborate

Adding an Item In Edit Mode, access the Content Area from the Course Menu On the Action Bar, click Create Item On the Add Item Page, enter the Item’s Name and text To add a file, click Browse and locate the file. To add multiple files, use the Text Editor’s Attach File function Under Options, click Yes to make the item available to students Click Submit

Adding a Tool to the Content Area In Edit, access the Content Area. From the Build Menu, select Link to Tools Area On the Link to Tools page, select the tool and click Next On the Add Link Page enter a link name or leave the default name In the Text box, enter the text to appear under the Link Name Under Options, select availability Click Submit

Adding Tools

Hands-on Activity Adding Materials to Begin Class Add an Item titled About This Course Use the Build Menu to Create Syllabus Select the option to Create New Syllabus Add a link to the Discussion Board Add an External Link Turn Edit Mode to OFF to preview your course as a Student

Editing the Items in a Content Area After items are added to a Content Area, you may edit the following: The Item’s Name The Item’s Availability The Order of the Items

Editing an Item In Edit Mode, in the Content Area, click the Item’s Action Link Select Edit Edit the item’s name and/or availability

Changing the Order of Items In Edit Mode, press the “Move” icon next to the item. The item is highlighted. Drag the item into the new location in the Content Area.

Hands-on Activity Organizing Content Items Change the order of the links in the Course Menu by using the drop and drag function. Change the name of one of the Links. (Please do not change the name of the Tools Link) Make one of the links unavailable to students Turn Edit Mode OFF to view as a student.

Congratulations!! You are well on your way to creating an engaging course for your students!