Moodle-Learning-Management-System/C2/Blocks-in-Admin-Dashboard/English

From Script | Spoken-Tutorial
Revision as of 12:41, 31 July 2017 by Itspriyanka (Talk | contribs)

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search
Visual Cue Narration
Show Slide 1:

Blocks in Admin's Dashboard

Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on Blocks in Admin's Dashboard
Show Slide 2:

Learning Objectives:

In this tutorial, we will learn how to:
  • Add and delete blocks and
  • Set the Front page
Show Slide 3:


OS, Web Server and Moodle Versions

To record this tutorial I am using:


  • Ubuntu Linux OS 16.04
  • Apache, MariaDB and PHP obtained through XAMPP 5.6.30
  • Moodle 3.3 and
  • And Firefox web browser

You may use any web browser of your choice.

However, Internet Explorer should be avoided, as it causes some display inconsistencies.

Show Slide 4:

Prerequisites

* Learners of this tutorial should have basic knowledge of the Admin’s dashboard
  • If not, please refer to the relevant Moodle tutorials on this website.
Switch to the browser.

Enter http://127.0.0.1/moodle/

Switch to the browser and open your Moodle site.

Make sure that the XAMPP service is running.

Login Login with your admin username and password details.
We are now in the Admin’s dashboard.
Show Slide 5:


Blocks in Moodle

Recall that:
  • Blocks serve a specific purpose or information.
  • And are found on all pages of Moodle.
Highlight the blocks on the right. Let us understand how we can work with Moodle Blocks now.

Depending on the theme used, blocks can be on the right side or on both sides.


Blocks contain information we want people to see whenever they log in.


There are many types of blocks available in Moodle.


And they can be moved or arranged easily as per our preferences.

We will now add a few blocks to our dashboard.
Click on the navigation menu. Click on the navigation menu on the left of the page.
Click on Customise this page button. Click on Customise this page button on the right hand side of the dashboard.
Click on Add a block Notice that a new menu item Add a block is visible now.

Click on Add a block.

A new pop-up window opens.

We need to select the type of block that we want to add.

Click on Messages For example, click on Messages.


You can see that the Messages block now appears in the dashboard.

Currently there are no messages.

Point to the rightmost column. By default, all new blocks get added to the right-most column.
Click on Add a block Let us add one more block.

Click on Add a block menu on the left.

Select HTML Select HTML from the list of menu types.


HTML block is a block where one can write custom HTML.

Using this, we can embed widgets, such as Library widgets, News feeds, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Point to HTML block Notice now that a new HTML block has been added below the Messages block.
Click on the gear icon >> then click on Configure (new HTML block) block.


Click on the gear icon in the HTML block.

Then click on Configure (new HTML block) block.

Highlight the 3 sections. Configure HTML block has 3 sections:


  1. Block settings
  2. Where this block appears and
  3. On this page
Point to the first section. By default, the first section is expanded.
Click on Expand all. Click on Expand all to expand all the sections.
Type Things to do in the block title field. In the block title, let’s type “Things to do”.
Point to the Content area Let us add some tasks for this admin user in the Content area.
Type in the content field:
  • Create a new course
  • Create new users
  • Add users to the course
Type the following:
  • Create a new course
  • Create new users
  • Add users to the course
Point to the HTML editor The editor is an HTML editor and can be used like any other word processor or editor.
Scroll down to Where this block appears.


Scroll down to see the options under Where this block appears.
Select Content from the Default region dropdown.


Select -10 in the Default weight dropdown.

Under Default region, select Content.


In Default weight, select -10.

The lower the weight of a block, the higher it will appear in that region.

-10 is the lowest.

By selecting -10, I am ensuring that it is at the top of the content region.

This block will appear on the Admin’s dashboard.
Point to “On this page” section Now comes the “On this page” section.


This is where you can define the configuration for the page where this block was added.

In our case, this is the dashboard.

This configuration will override the default configuration defined in the above section.

That is the Where this block appears section.

Let us select Content in Region and -10 in Weight in this section.

Please note that depending on the type of the block, configuration settings will vary.
Click on Save changes Click Save Changes to save the changes and go back to the dashboard.
Point to the HTML block See that the new HTML block with the title Things to do is now visible.

And it is the topmost block in the content region.

Demo using the Move icon We can also change the position of a block by dragging it using the Move icon.
Drag Things to do block and place it below Course Overview block. Let us move Things to do block below the Course Overview block by dragging and dropping it.
Click on the gear icon.

Click on Configure Things to do block.

Click on Expand All.

Let us see how this changes the configuration we set a few minutes back.

Click on the gear icon and then on Configure Things to do block.


Then click on Expand All.

Highlight the value in weight field


Click Cancel

Scroll down to see “On this page” section. The weight has changed to -2.

The default weight, however remains the same.


Click Cancel to go back to the dashboard.

Click on the gear icon.


Click on Delete Learning plans block


Click on Yes in the pop-up window.

We do not need this Learning Plans block. So let us delete it.


Click on the gear icon and then on Delete Learning plans block.


Confirm pop up window appears and prompts us to make sure about this deletion.


Click on Yes button here.


Notice that the Learning Plans block is no longer available.


We can always add this block later if required.

Let us now customize the front page of our Moodle installation.
Click on Site Administration.


Click on Front Page.

Click on Site Administration link on the left menu.


Scroll down to locate Front Page settings in the Front page section. Click on it.

Full Site Name-> Digital India Learning Management System.


Point to the top of breadcrumbs.

Let us change the Full Site Name to Digital India Learning Management System.


This is the text that appears at the top of every page above the breadcrumbs.

Highlight Short name


Hover over the title.


Point to the logo text.

Short name is the text that appears in the title of the page.

Notice that the title of this page is Digital India LMS followed by the name of the page we are in.


Short name is also used as a logo text if we do not provide any logo image.


We will leave it as it is.

Click on Front page items dropdown. Scroll down to see dropdowns for Front page items.


These are the list of items that can be shown on the front page.


All visitors, whether they are logged in or not, can see these items.


The order is determined by a combination box.

We will leave this as it is.

So all users will be able to see the list of courses (if available) and nothing else.


Click on Front page items when logged in dropdown Next is the Front page items when logged in.

This is the list of items that can be shown to the users who are logged in.

Select Enrolled courses Let us select Enrolled courses in the first drop-down.
We will leave the rest of the options with their default values.
Scroll down and click on Save Changes.
Show Slide 6:

Summary

<PAUSE>


Let us now summarize.

Change add to Add on the slide In this tutorial, we learnt to:


  • Add an HTML block called “Things to do” and specified where it should appear on the page.
  • We also set up the frontpage for guests and logged-in users.
Show Slide 7:


Assignment

Here is an assignment for you:


  • Delete the Private files block
  • Add a new HTML block using the guidelines given in the assignment-text file
  • This file has been provided in the Code files link.


Show Slide 8:


(About Spoken Tutorial Project)

The video at the following link, summarizes the Spoken Tutorial project.

Please download and watch it.

Show Slide 9:


(About Spoken Tutorial Project)

The Spoken Tutorial Project Team conducts workshops and gives certificates.

For more details, please write to us.

Show Slide 10:

Forum for Specific Questions

Please post your timed queries in this forum.
Show Slide 11:


(Acknowledgement)

Spoken Tutorial Project is funded by NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.. More information on this mission is available at the link shown.
This script has been contributed by Priyanka.

This is Nancy Varkey along with the spoken tutorial team signing off. Thank you for joining.


Contributors and Content Editors

Itspriyanka, Nancyvarkey, Nirmala Venkat