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Course Element "Page"

Profile

Name Page
Icon
Available since Release 18
Functional group Knowledge Transfer
Purpose Display of different content in a block-based layout
Assessable no
Specialty / Note Besides the course element Page, the block-based Content Editor is also available in the learning resource Form and in portfolio entries.

Example

With the course element Page you put texts, images, tables, videos and other content elements together on one page in the course. Layouts arrange the content in columns and rows.

Example page with title, text, table, image, citation and code example in three layouts, as participants see it in the course

In edit mode you already see the page almost the way participants see it. This sets the Content Editor apart from the HTML editor of the course element "HTML page".

Same example page in edit mode: each layout has its toolbar, each field the link Add content, below Add a new layout and Import

Create page content

You build the content of the page in the Content Editor. You open it in the course editor via the tab "Page content" of the course element:
Course > Administration > Course editor > Course element "Page" > Tab "Page content" > Edit page

Tab Page content in the course editor with the button Edit page, which opens the Content Editor, below the user right for coaches

In the Content Editor you first create a layout: click "Add a new layout" and select one of the nine layout templates. A layout divides the page into fields, for example into three columns. You add further layouts below in the same way.

Add a new layout opens the selection with nine layout variants, next to it the Import button

You fill the page in two ways: you add content elements individually, or you import existing content in markdown or Word format in one step.

Adding content elements individually

Each field of a layout holds one or more content elements, for example a title, a text and an image. The link "Add content" in the field opens the dialog of the same name. It sorts the content elements under four headings: "Text", "Media", "Knowledge" and "Other & design" .

Dialog Add content with the content elements under the headings Text, Media, Knowledge and Other & design and the buttons Media Center and Import

In the course element Page the following content elements are available, ordered as in the dialog.

Under "Text":

  • Title: A heading in one of the predefined sizes h1 to h6.
  • Text: Running text that you design with a small HTML editor.
  • Table: Content in rows and columns. You set the number of rows and columns in the inspector.
  • Math formula: Mathematical formulas, created with the MathJax formula editor.
  • Code example: Program code that the page displays without running it. In the inspector you select one of 28 programming languages under "Code language", or "Automatic" and "Plain text" . Code example with line numbers, in the inspector the selection Code language with Python
  • Citation: A citation with source. Stored in the Media Center, it can be reused as a standalone content element.

Under "Media":

  • Image: An image from the Media Center or a newly uploaded image.
  • Gallery: Several images as a slideshow, in a grid or with small thumbnails
  • Image comparison: Two superimposed images that a slider blends into each other
  • Video: A video file from the Media Center, newly uploaded or newly recorded.
  • Audio: Select audio from the Media Center, record it or add it as an MP3 or M4A file
  • Document: You upload Word, PowerPoint or Excel documents or create them directly. You upload PDF and other files or take them from the Media Center.
  • Diagram: Create a new draw.io diagram or select one from the list

Under "Knowledge":

  • Quiz: Embeds quiz questions into the page, newly created or imported from the question bank . For essay questions, learners receive AI feedback on their answer here

Under "Other & design":

  • Separator: A line that visually separates content.
  • Table of contents: Lists the titles of the page as clickable jump marks
  • HTML text code: Text that you design with the larger HTML editor, with more options than in the content element "Text".

At the bottom of the dialog there are two buttons. "Media Center" adds an element from your Media Center to the page; there you can also create new elements for the Media Center. "Import" takes over existing content, as described in the next section.

Importing existing content from markdown or Word

If content already exists in markdown format or as a Word document (.docx), you import it directly instead of building the page element by element : as a file upload or as pasted text, e.g. from the clipboard. OpenOlat automatically converts the content into the matching content elements (Title, Text, Table, Code example, Image, etc.) and stores referenced images in the Media Center.

This allows content from external tools, plain text files or AI applications to be adopted as a page in the course without manual reformatting.

Details on the import >

Edit page (Edit mode)

Edit layout

If the arrangement of the fields no longer fits, you change the layout template without creating the content again. To do so, click into the layout. OpenOlat shows a frame around the layout and, in the upper right corner, its toolbar: gear icon ("Edit settings"), "Duplicate", 3 dots ("More actions") and the arrows "Move down" and "Move up".

The gear icon opens the inspector "Layout", where you select a different layout template. As long as the inspector is open, it covers the toolbar of the layout. With the X ("Close inspector") you hide it again.

Existing content elements are preserved and can be moved to the new fields.

Selected layout with three fields, on the right the inspector Layout with the layout templates, the selected one is marked

Edit content elements

To change, copy or move a content element, click it. Its toolbar with four icons appears in the upper left corner of the element.

Cogwheel, Duplicate, 3 points and arrow cross on the selected content element Title, on the right the inspector of the title

  • Gear icon ("Edit settings"): shows and hides the inspector with the settings of the element.
  • Duplicate: copies the element .
  • 3 dots ("More actions"): opens a menu with "Add before", "Add after", "Duplicate" and "Delete".
  • Arrow cross ("Drag content"): moves the element by drag & drop to another position, also to another field or layout.

Media storage

Images, videos, documents and other media that you insert into a page are stored by OpenOlat in the Media Center, not, as with the course element "HTML page", in the storage folder of the course. In the Media Center you find all inserted media again and manage and share them there.

You upload media to the Media Center in the personal menu or directly in the Content Editor when you create a new content element.

Differences: Page - HTML-Page

Page HTML page
Content creation in Content Editor in HTML Editor
Layout block-based approach HTML Page
Creation effort lower, since pre-structured possibly higher
Preview directly in editor separate tab "Display content"
Media in Media Center in storage folder
Editing by coaches possible
Extended authorizations
Integration pdf
Integration Office-Documents
Integration draw.io Diagrams

Tip

If you only want to include Office documents, the course elements "Document" or "Folder" are also suitable.

Important

Course owners can always edit the page. Coaches can edit it if the checkbox "Coach" is selected for "Edit page" under "Rights" in the tab "Page content".

Further information

Mentioned on this page
Content Editor >
User tools: Media Center >
Course Element "HTML page" >
Storage folder >

Further reading
Course elements at a glance >
Course Element "Portfolio task" >

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