Blog Configuration

You configure a blog in two places: in the course element and in the learning resource. In the course element you define which blog appears in the course and who moderates it and creates posts. In the learning resource you define what applies to the blog in all courses.

Configuration in the "Blog" course element

After you have inserted a course element "Blog" in the course editor, you will find the configurations for the learning resource and user rights in the tab "Blog learning content" of the course element.

You define the display of the course element in the tab "Layout". Who sees and can open the course element when is controlled, depending on the course type, in the tabs "Visibility" and "Access" (conventional courses) or in the tab "Learning path" (learning path courses).

Default values of a new course element: no information of the learning resource shown, coaches moderate, coaches and participants create posts

Select blog

If no blog is assigned to the course element yet, you choose one of four ways:

Select: You select an existing blog learning resource from the authoring area.
Create: You create a new blog learning resource.
Import: You import a blog that is available as a file.
Embed via URL: You embed an external blog.

You embed an external blog with "Embed via URL" through the address of its feed. The feed must be reachable via the public internet, because OpenOlat retrieves it from the server. If the "SSRF mitigation" protection is switched on in the system administration under Administration > Login > Security, OpenOlat does not retrieve a feed from the local network, for example from a server in the network of your organisation, see Security.

Once a blog is assigned, you exchange it for another blog learning resource with "Replace". With "Preview" you look at the blog, with "Edit learning resource" you open the blog learning resource directly. With the arrow next to "Replace" you put a newly created, imported or via URL embedded blog in place of the blog.

The box of the assigned blog shows the number of posts, for an external blog the URL, and whether "Posts are rateable" and "Posts are commentable" are switched on. You define these options in the learning resource in the tab "Options".

Assigned blog with posts and options, buttons Preview and Replace, menu with Create, Import and Embed via URL, link Edit learning resource

Important

You embed an external blog if you already run a blog independently of OpenOlat or if you want to bring a well-known blog into your course as content or a basis for discussion. The posts are then created in the external blog. In OpenOlat you rate them with stars and comment on them.

A blog learning resource contains either its own posts or an external blog. You set the type when you create the learning resource and cannot change it afterwards. To switch, replace the learning resource in the course element with "Replace".

Metadata configuration

With "Show description", "Show title" and "Show image" you define which information of the blog learning resource the course element shows. You maintain the information itself in the learning resource under Blog > Administration > Settings > Info.

User rights

In the section "User rights" you define who moderates the blog and who creates posts. This way you use the blog to inform the participants, or you open it as a shared blog in which the participants write themselves. Owners of the course always have all rights in the blog. Guests only read the blog.

Because the same blog learning resource can be embedded in several courses and course elements, the user rights apply per course element. In one course, for example, the coaches moderate, in the other they do not.

Moderator

Moderators edit and delete all posts of the blog and create posts themselves, see Blogging. All authors edit and delete their own posts themselves.

With the checkbox "Coach" you grant the right to the coaches of the course. For a new course element the checkbox is switched on. Owners of the course always moderate, regardless of the checkbox.

With "Show advanced configuration" you grant the right specifically. With "Add roles", "Add users" and "Add groups" you add a role, individual persons regardless of their role, or groups of the course. With "Start date" and "End date" you limit the right per entry to a period, with "Delete" you remove an entry. "Add groups" appears as soon as the course has groups.

Advanced configuration of the moderator with the buttons Add roles and Add users, below it the role Coach with empty fields Start date and End date

Create items

You define who creates posts in the blog with the checkboxes "Coach" and "Participant". For a new course element both are switched on. Owners of the course and moderators always create posts.

"Create items" appears as soon as a blog is assigned to the course element.

Important

If an external blog is embedded, its posts are created outside of OpenOlat. "Create items" is therefore not displayed in this case.

With "Show advanced configuration" you also add roles, individual persons or groups here and limit the right per entry with "Start date" and "End date" to a period.

Advanced configuration for Create items with the roles Coach and Participant, each with fields for Start date and End date

Important

In older course elements, access rules still control the rights. Then the section "User rights" is missing, and the course element shows the tab "Access" with "Moderate", "Read and write" and "Read only". With "Delete" you remove the access rules and continue with the user rights in this section.

Configuration of the "Blog" learning resource

To configure the blog learning resource, you can

select the learning resource in the authoring area or
click on "Edit learning resource" directly from the blog course element in the "Blog learning content" tab.

Then select Blog > Administration > Settings. Configure the blog learning resource in the tabs displayed here. These settings apply in all courses and course elements in which you embed the blog learning resource.

Tabs Metadata, Info, Share, Quota and Options in the settings of the blog learning resource, in which you define what applies to the blog in all courses

Metadata

Here you define the title, reference, subjects or catalog and license of the blog learning resource. For an external blog, the tab also shows the URL of the feed.

Info

Here you enter information such as cover image, teaser, description, authors, main language and expenditure of work.

Share

The share settings correspond to those of other learning resources:

Usage (default: embedding in the course, alternative: standalone learning resource)
Direct link (for direct access to the learning resource)
Administrative access (in which organizational units is the resource available)
Usage rights for other authors (embed, copy, export content)
Indexing for OER catalogs and search engines
Access for participants and offer (for standalone use)
as well as a share overview (who has which rights to this learning resource)

Quota

Here you define how much storage space the learning resource may use at most. Only administrators, system administrators, learning resource managers, user managers and roles managers see the tab "Quota".

Options

With "Posts are rateable" and "Posts are commentable" you define whether the posts of the blog can be rated and commented on. With "Push E-mail by comments" the owners of the blog and of the courses that embed it receive an e-mail for each new comment. For standalone use, you also define the access for participants in status "Finished" in the section "Access".

Further information

Mentioned on this page
Security >
Blogging >

Further
Create a blog >
How do I create a blog? >
Course Element "Blog" >
Blog: Overview >
Access configuration >
Members management >

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