Posting URL links in ICON

What is Possible with ICON’s URL Tool?

• Give your students convenient access to course-related web sites. 
• Post URL links in different areas your ICON course:
• Grouped together in a special Links area
• Alongside course file links in the Content area
• In content files, calendar entries, discussions topics and forums, quiz and survey questions, assignment dropbox instructions, personal homepage (MyPage) files, a widget on your homepage, and news articles
• Have the website open in a new browser window so students can navigate the external site without losing their place in ICON.
• Post links only you can see, alongside links visible to students, on a homepage widget

15 July 2008

Known Issues

22 May 2008

Posting a URL in the Links Area

1. Click Links in the NavBar (do not confuse the Links link in the NavBar Links with the User Links widget; any link you post from within that widget is visible only to the Instructor/Designer or TA/Designer.)
2. If you haven't yet created a category for the link, click New Category (top) , enter the Category name and optional description, and click Save.
3. To create a link, click New Link (top).
4. Choose the category and enter the link title, the URL, and a short description (optional) of the web site.
5. Click Save.

To preview how these links will appear to students, click Preview.

15 July 2008

Posting a URL in a Content Module

Note: Content Modules are folders (headings) in ICON’s Content area.

1. If you haven’t yet created a Content Module, do so now.  See Creating a Content Module.

Once you have your Content Module, you’re ready to post your URL:

2. From the course homepage, click Content in the menu bar at top.
3. Click New Topic (a URL is one kind of “Topic”).
4. Select QuickLink.
5. Select the Parent Module (the Content Module that will contain your URL link).
6. Enter a title to be displayed in the Content Table of Contents (e.g., J.S. Bach – Archive & Bibliography).
7. Enter a short title to be displayed in a menu bar at left (e.g., Bach Site).
8. Type or paste in the URL (web address).
9. Click Save.

2 May 2008

Posting a URL in a Content File or ICON Course Tool

ICON’s built-in HTML editor allows you to insert a link to an external website (URL) when you are creating a content file; a discussion forum, topic, or message; a quiz or survey question; an assignment dropbox instruction; a personal homepage (MyPage) file; a news article; or a calendar posting.

To insert a URL while creating the item:

1. From within the file, forum, quiz question, etc., click the icon to open the HTML editor, and click the Advanced tab (if necessary).
2. Inside the text box, place the cursor where you wish to insert the URL and click  Insert QuickLink.
3. From the Category droplist, select URL.
4. Enter the URL.
5. Enter the Link Caption (the words you want students to click on in order to access the URL).
6. Select a display mode:
• Whole Window – Other ICON Frames are no longer visible.  To get back to the ICON course, the student must continue clicking the browser’s back arrow.
• Same Frame – Other ICON frames and controls are still visible.
• New Window – A second browser window opens, displaying the external website.
7. Click Insert.
8. Enter the rest of your text and then click Save.

15 July 2008

Displaying Course and Personal Links in a Homepage Widget

All the links you have posted with the Links tool are also displayed (automatically) in the User Links widget. You can use this widget to post links that are visible only to you.