Using Additional Course Features

In addition to the course editor and course tools there are other features at your disposal. A corresponding link to those course features - except for the resource folder - can be found in your course right in the middle of the course toolbar.

Not all course features are generally enabled. If you cannot see a certain link to such a course feature it has to be activated first (compare the descriptions in the following sub-chapters).

Course Calendar

Each course has its own course calendar to be able to administer course events. By default, only course owners have the write permission regarding that calendar. Course participants only have the permission to read; they cannot create new events or edit existing ones. If added as course element though, the write permission for learners can be assigned in the editor in the access tab.

You can also link events to a certain course element. Just select the corresponding course element in the tab "Link" when creating or editing an event.

An example for such a link is to combine a certain deadline with the relevant course element "Task."

An active course calendar will automatically be added to the calendar list of your personal calendar; course events will be displayed there for you.

In the course calendar there will also be events regarding groups if you are member of such a group. In the group management you can determine write permissions and visibility in group calendars.

If you do not want to use a course calendar you can deactivate it from either the info page or the course; just click on "Option" in the "Course" drop-down menu. The course toolbar will no longer display a link to the calendar.

Further information on calendar functions is available in the calendar chapter.

Course Chat

By default there is a chat room for each course, the so-called course chat. It can be used as informal platform to exchange information or as forum for experts; course authors can determine a certain time to answer questions of their course participants.

When entering the chat room your name will not be displayed. Only if you select your name in the "Participants" section will your real be on display.

If you do not want to offer a course chat you can deactivate it from either the info page or the course; just click on "Option" in the "Course" drop-down menu. The course toolbar will no longer display a link to the chat room.

The section "Using Course Tools" provides you with information on how to delete the chat history of a specific course.

Glossary

A glossary serves to explain terms to be found in your course. Texts of a course will be searched for glossary terms; results will be marked accordingly. When moving the cursor over such a term its definition will be displayed.

If you want to use such a glossary in your course you have to create one first in the authoring section. A corresponding link can be found in the drop-down menu "Create." In the tab "Term and synonyms" you can determine the technical terms to be explained as well as these terms' synonyms. In the tab "Flexions" you can also identify flexions of a term if a "Morphologic service" is available. Course participants will not only be able to see a term's definition when moving the cursor over that term (e.g. referendum) but also when moving it over that term's flexions (e.g. referendums, referendum's).

Flexions

Flexions in linguistics are forms of one single word expressing its grammatical function.

When clicking on the button "Query flections" a list with all flexions of one single glossary item will appear. Please select one of the available morphologic services (language dependent). You can choose your default within the glossary settings.

Morphologic services are programs to identify flexions of one single term.

When selecting the morphologic service before indicating e.g. the glossary entry "morpheme" you will also see its plural form "morphemes" or its genitive "morpheme's" highlighted in the running text. Users will be able to have its definition displayed in any case.

Morphology is a branch of linguistics dealing with the composition of words by morphemes. Morphemes are the smallest linguistic elements indicating meaning or grammatical function.

E.g. the noun "tables" consists of two morphemes: "table-s" indicating that "table" means a kind of "furniture" and "s" expresses its plural grammatically.

In the tab "Definition" you can finally comment on these technical terms.

After creating your glossary open the "Options" menu entry in the "Course" drop-down menu either on the info page or in the course. Select that glossary using the "Select glossary" button. In your course there will be a link to that glossary; course participants will be able to activate or deactivate it.

The alphabetical index of the glossary can be deactivated in the section "Alphabetical index" in the detailed view of your glossary. The section "Write permissions" allows you to activate write permissions for all system users, thus creating a collaborative glossary.

In order to allow only course participants to add or edit such glossary terms, disable the write persmissions for all users, create a corresponding right group and allow that group to use the glossary tool.

If you do not need a glossary anymore or if you want to use another one you can modify your settings either in the info page or the course; just click on "Option" in the "Course" drop-down menu. Per course only one glossary is allowed.