The Web Content Tool in Courses (Powered by Sakai)

 

The Web Content Tool in Courses (Powered by Sakai)

By John Buckingham

A critical component of setting up a course site in Courses (Powered by Sakai) is directing students to the proper resources and tools they will need throughout the class. One such resource is an external website(s) like Adobe Connect where synchronous class sessions will be held. Enter the Web Content tool in Courses.

To add it, simply click on the Site Info tool in the desired course site.

There, select Edit Tools.

Scroll down and check the box next to the “Web Content” tool and then select Continue.

  At this point, you will be prompted to title this web content resource. In this example, I’ll title it “Adobe Connect.”

In the source field, I can supply the URL link to my Adobe Connect classroom. 

NOTE

To access this resource through a new browser tab, It is highly recommended to supply the link with the prefix “HTTP” (and NOT “HTTPS”). So if you copy and paste your Adobe Connect link, be sure to remove that S, as this will force Courses (Powered by Sakai) to open the Adobe Connect classroom in a new web browser tab. Don’t worry, connecting to Adobe Connect in this way is still secure.

 After you have supplied the correct URL, click Continue.

Then followed by Finish.

Now, you’ll have the new tool in the side toolbar titled appropriately.

And for the grand finale, when I click the Adobe Connect Web Content Tool, it opens up in a new browser tab, just as I wanted it to. Highlighted in red below is the Courses Tab, where I can click to return at any time.

See? That wasn’t so bad. Now you can add whatever external URL resources you wish to your course site and make sure that students can stay on Courses (Powered by Sakai) in their web browser.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Technology & Learning for a consultation!

Best,

John C. Buckingham III





 

Learn How to Use the "Web Content" Tool in Sakai 2.9

Adding and Editing Website Links with the Web Content Tool

by Alan Regan

On August 13, 2013, Pepperdine University upgraded its learning management system, Courses (powered by Sakai), to the latest release.  Version 2.9 offers many enhancements, including a revision to the Web Content tool.

What is the Web Content tool?  With this feature, you can easily add website addresses into your class site's left menu. If there are select websites or web pages you want students to access regularly, placing them in the left menu can make it very obvious and convenient for them.  (You can also add web links into the Resources tool or use the rich text editor in several tools to add links, too.)

To help you understand how to add a website using Web Content and how to force the link to open in a new window, we created the following video:

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpGcjQHPpTc

TIP: If a website does not appear after you've added it, this may be because your web browser is blocking the content. Check the address you used. Does the address begin with HTTP?  If yes, then the web page will likely be blocked by Firefox 23+ and Internet Explorer 10+.  Consider editing the link to HTTPS or check the box to force the content to open in a new window. Watch the video above for more details.

Learn more:

• http://community.pepperdine.edu/techlearn/tools/courses/faculty/webcontent.htm
• http://community.pepperdine.edu/techlearn/tools/courses/faculty/resources.htm