Using the Build & View Tabs

About the Build Tab

You will design and develop your course from the Build tab. With the Build tab, you can:

• create, manage, and present course content

• build assessments and assignments to evaluate students

• customize the Course Content Home by adding headers and footers, linking to content items, and modifying the look of a course.

Becoming Familiar with the Designer Interface

In Vista, the designer interface is on the Build tab. The Build tab contains tools and features that you use to design a course or template. On the left, there may be tools listed on the course menu, under the following headings:

o Course Tools: Course tools are all of the content, organizational, communication, and evaluation tools that you or another designer has added. You use these tools to create content and learning activities. Section Instructors use these tools to present content and learning activities to students. Students use these tools to view content and perform learning activities.

o Designer Tools: Designer tools include the following:

o Manage Course: You use the Manage Course area to add, hide, show, or remove tools. You can also manage the course menu, customize course appearance, and import content.

o File Manager: You use File Manager to upload and organize files that you want to use in a course.

o Selective Release: You use Selective Release to control the release of content and specific items in a course. For example, you can release an assignment to certain students only.

The Course menu is the primary navigation feature in a Vista course. You can use the Course menu to access all tools and content in a course. When you access a tool or content, it appears in the content display area in the center of the screen. You view and work with tools and content in this area.

Your current location in a course appears in the breadcrumbs at the top of the screen. Breadcrumbs also list the path of screens that you have visited. You can select a breadcrumb to return to a previous screen.

If you are a Section Designer, you use the Student View tab to preview and test a course. If you are a template designer, you use the View Template tab to preview and test a template.

You may also see a Teach tab. For more information, see information on the Instructor interface.

Working with Content Folders

In the Course Content tool, you can create content folders and use them to organize content. The Course Content Home screen is the first screen of the Course Content tool and also the top level where you can organize content. To further organize content, you use content folders.

Accessing Content on the Course Content Map

The Course Content Map contains a list of links to content in the Course Content tool, which is presented in outline format. If the map is available, you can access it from a drop-down list or from an icon next to the Course Content tool. You can use the map to access the following:

• Files: Files contain course content, such as lecture notes, reading lists, or lesson objectives.

• Content Links: Content links are links to items in other course tools. For example, if there are assignments in the Assignments tool and quizzes in the Assessments tool, you can access the assignments and quizzes by selecting content links to them. This allows you to access a variety of content from a central location. You are not required to go to each course tool to access different content items.

• Content Folders: Content folders are used to organize course material. For example, if course material is organized chronologically or by topic, you may see content folders that contain the appropriate material to be used at a specific time or for a certain subject area. A content folder can exist within another content folder.

Depending on how the Course Content Map appears, you can access content by doing one of the following:

• If the Course Content Map appears as a drop-down list, select the content item and click the Go icon. The item appears.

• If the Course Content Map appears as an icon:

a. Click the Expand Course Content Map icon. A list of links appears.

b. Click the link for the content item. The item appears.

Working with Content Links

In the Course Content tool you can add content links to different content items in course tools. For example, if there are assignments in the Assignments tool and quizzes in the Assessments tool, you can add content links to those assignments and quizzes. This allows users to access a variety of content from a central location.

Accessing Content on the Course Content Home

The Course Content Home screen is the first screen of the Course Content tool. Depending on how the course is designed, you can access the following from the Course Content Home screen:

• Files: Files contain course material, such as course requirements, lessons, or reading lists.

• Content Links: Content links are links to items in other course tools. For example, if there are assignments in the Assignments tool and quizzes in the Assessments tool, you can access the assignments and quizzes by selecting content links to them. This allows you to access a variety of content from a central location. You are not required to go to each course tool to access different content items.

• Content Folders: Content folders are used to further organize course material. For example, if course material is organized chronologically or by topic, you may see several content folders that contain the appropriate material to be used at a specific time or for a certain subject area. A content folder can exist within another content folder.

To access content, do one of the following:

• Click the content item. The item appears.

• Using the ActionLinks icon:

a. Locate the content item and click its ActionLinks icon. A menu appears.

b. Click the Go To option. The item appears.

Working with Files

In the Course Content tool, you can use files to present course content, such as lessons, reading lists, or lesson objectives. You can create files or browse for files in the Vista File Manager.

Using Page Options

In the Course Content tool, you can use page options to change the appearance of the Course Content Home screen or any content folder in the Course Content tool. You use page options for:

• selecting the Basic View or Power View;

• customizing the page display;

• adding or editing headers and footers;

• deleting headers and footers.

Using the Basic View or Power View

When you organize content in the Course Content tool, you can place content on a screen called Course Content Home or in content folders. The Course Content Home screen is the first screen of the Course Content tool and also the top level where you can organize content. To organize content further, you use content folders.

You can view content on the Course Content Home screen and in content folders in two ways: using the Basic View or Power View. If you want to view content the way students and Section Instructors will view it, you use the Basic View. If you want to view content in a tree-like structure that shows the hierarchy of items within the Course Content Home screen and in content folders, you use the Power View.

1. From either the Course Content Home screen or a content folder, select Page Options. A menu appears.

2. Select Go to Basic View or Go to Power View. The selected view appears.

Course Content

The Course Content tool is available in each Vista course. It is the first tool under Course Tools on the course menu. You can use the Course Content tool to create and organize content in logical units that are meaningful to students. To do this, you use the following:

• Files: You can create text or HTML files, or you can select files from File Manager.

• Content Links: You can add links to content in other course tools, allowing students to access different content without having to go to each course tool. For example, if there are assignments in the Assignments tool and quizzes in the Assessments tool, you can add content links to those assignments and quizzes from the Course Content tool. This allows students to access content items from a central location.

• Content Folders: You can create folders to further organize content within the Course Content tool.

Organizing content in the Course Content tool is effective because it can mirror the progression of a course. For example, you can organize content chronologically or by topic. If you want to organize content chronologically, you can create a different folder for each week. Students open the folder for the current week and access the content for that week. Or if you want to organize content by topic, you can create a different folder for each topic to be covered in the course. Students open the folder for a particular topic and access the content for that topic. If there is content that you do not want students to access yet, you can temporarily hide it.

Note: Links to tools may be listed under Course Tools on the course menu, which is visible throughout the course. If you want to organize content in the Course Content tool only, you must hide other tools listed under Course Tools on the course menu. If tools appear here, students can access still those tools and content in them. However, if you want to use the Announcements, Calendar, Mail or Who's Online tools in your course, links to those tools must remain on the course menu. You cannot organize content in these tools in the Course Content tool.

Section Instructors and students can access content in the Course Content tool from the following areas:

• On the Course Content Home screen, which is the first screen of the Course Content tool. The Course Content Home screen is also the top level where you can organize content.

• On the Course Content Map, if available. The Course Content Map can appear as either an icon next to the Course Content tool or as a drop-down list.

You cannot add or remove the Course Content tool.