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Modifying the course menu and homepage

The first page of your subject in UTSOnline contains two areas which you can modify:

  1. the Course menu and
  2. the Homepage module

Note: The homepage module will be automatically available in all new UTSOnline subjects from 2011.
For subjects created prior to 2011, the homepage module can be added manually by the subject instructor.

UTSOnline homepage image

The course menu

To help students access materials, you can add frequently used items to the course menu and group related materials into content folders. Items you can add to the course menu include:

  • Content folders/areas - such as subject documents, readings and assessments. See an example.
  • New content pages - which include information, instructions or summaries for students with important files attached.
  • Links to UTSOnline tools - such as announcements, blogs, journals, calendar, collaboration (chat rooms), contacts, discussion board, email, glossary, groups, my grades and wikis
  • Links to other pages within the subject site
  • Links to UTS webpages and to external web pages

Adding an item to the course menu

add menu item

  1. Select the + button at the top of the course menu. (If you don't see the button, check that the Edit Mode button is switched to On)
  2. Select Create Content Area, Blank Page or Tool Link
  3. Complete the required information and select Submit
  4. The folder will appear at the end of the course menu
  5. To move the folder - click, hold, and drag it up or down the course menu. To check that students will see this change as you see it, slide the Edit Mode button to Off or login to UTSOnline using your Student view account.

Help with modifying the course menu

The following step-by-step videos from Blackboard will help you modify the course menu:

The homepage module

Back to top

The homepage module contains areas (or modules) which display announcements, what is new in the site (what's new includes new content, assignments, discussion board and blog postings), tasks, to-do items and new calendar entries for the subject. These modules help to keep students up to date in your subject by notifying them of news, new materials and due dates in your subject.

The homepage module will be automatically available in all new UTSOnline subjects from 2011. For existing subjects created prior to 2011, the homepage module can be added manually by the subject instructor.

Help with adding the homepage module to an existing subject

Subjects created prior to 2011 usually display the Announcements tool as the subject entry point. To change this to the new homepage module follow this three-step process:

  1. Add the module tool to your course menu:
    • Select the + button at the top of the course menu. (See also the Help with modifying the course menu section above).
    • Select Create Module Page.
    • Type in Homepage as the page name and select the option to make it available to users.
    • The homepage module will now display at the end of your course menu. Drag it up to the top of the course menu.
  2. Add your preferred modules to this new homepage:
    • Click on the homepage link which you just added.
    • Select Add course module and select which modules you would like make available to students on this homepage. We recommend you add at least the Announcements and What's New modules and the Tasks, To Do and Calendar modules are also very useful.
    • Select Go when you are finished and the Homepage module will display with the added modules.
  3. Make the homepage the entry page for your subject:

Help with modifying the homepage

The following step-by-step videos from Blackboard will help you modify the main elements of your subject homepage:

Related topics

 

Contact: Simon Housego or Jenny Pizzica in IML to discuss ideas relating to the use of UTSOnline for learning (including the design of learning tasks).