Adding Activities to a Module

This guide will explain how to add activities created in VU Collaborate to complement the content and facilitate blended learning. Learning activities can be added in content areas such as assessment dropboxes, quizzes, discussions and more. These activities can be added to engage students and complement the content and facilitate a blended learning experience. Make sure to clearly specify how the learning activity is related to the learning materials, what is expected from students and when this activity will occur (online, in-class or both).

To add some activities into a content area, they must first be created. Please refer to other guides to learn the process involved in Creating an Assessment Dropbox, Using Discussions, and Creating a Checklist.

Certain limitations may be in place depending on the permissions you have in a particular space. It is advisable to check the Roles and permissions in VU Collaborate guide to ensure the correct access and permissions have been provided.

This guide will show you how to:

• Access the Module
• Add Activities
• Manage Activity

 

Step One: Access the Module

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1. In the navbar at the top of the unit space, select Learning Space.

2. From the list of modules under Table of Contents select which module the activity will reside in.

 

Step Two: Add Activities

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1. In the module area, click the Add Activities button and select the type of activity you would like to input. In this example, FeedbackFruits is selected.

2. Usually a pop-up box for that activity type will appear, with all the previously created activities of that type. Select Create New [Activity] or select the dropdown arrow menu to switch to a different activity type.

3. In this example, however, we have selected a Feedback Fruits Interactive Document, this will open up the Feedback Fruits software for use.

4. Select a FeedbackFruits type to start using the tool, refer to the FeedbackFruits guide for more information.

 

Step Three: Manage Activity

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Once the activity has been added to the module it can then be edited. Edit Properties allows changes to the name of the activity, the addition of a description, incorporating restrictions, the visibility of the activity, the completion method and the deletion of the topic. To edit the activity follow the details presented in the instructions down below.

1. Click on the drop-down arrow to the right of the activity name to open the drop-down menu, then select Edit Properties.  

It's important to note that all activities placed within modules are automatically published and are ready to be used by students. Turning off the visibility or adding restrictions is possible to stop students from participating in the activity until necessary.

2. Edit the Title of the activity by clicking on the title of the activity and typing in the new title.

3. The Edit Properties settings allow for options to be selected for detail and control of usability.

Clicking Add Restrictions allows for the selection of start dates and times.

Underneath the Restrictions you can click Description, this allows for a short or long description to be added to describe the task or activity.

4. To the right of the title of the activity are three icons, these icons are more settings that can be edited.

5. The first icon is an eye, clicking this icon will activate a switch where the visibility of the activity can be switched on or off.

Leaving it on will showcase an open eye, allowing students to view and access the activity. Switching this setting off will showcase a closed eye, making the activity invisible to students. 

6. The second icon is a tick with a hand pointing towards the tick. This icon is the Completion setting.

Clicking the second icon will activate a dropdown of three completion settings, Automatic Completion will give students an automatic completion score for clicking the activity. Manual Completion which is automatically selected will only give a completed score once the activity is done by students. No Completion Tracking turns off Completion Scoring per student for this activity. 

7. The third icon is a bin. This icon will bring up deletion options regarding the activity and title. 

It's best to select the first radio option as it won't permanently delete the topic from your space. Once selected, press either Delete to delete the activity or Cancel to stop this deletion.

8. Clicking Add Restrictions allows for the selection of start dates and times.

Most activities don't require a Date or Time Restriction, they can be added if needed.

Once clicking Restrictions, Start Date, Due Date and End Date can be selected to place time frames when students will need to complete this activity.

9. Clicking each of the three Date options will activate each date and time setting. Pressing the date and time selections under each set will showcase a calendar for the date and a dropdown of times for the activity. 

Once all Restrictions are added they will automatically begin working once the Blue Update button is selected.

If you want to delete the Restrictions just press the  icon next to each date.

10. Adding a description to the activity is very similar to adding a title. Click the Description, this will open an HTML box where the description of the activity can be typed. Once complete, select Update.

11. Release Conditions are similar to Restrictions in the sense that the activity won't be available for students until stated otherwise. Release Conditions, however, are not related to dates or times, students will need to pass or complete another task or assessment to release this activity.

Select Create to open the Release Conditions settings.

12. Creating a Release Condition presents two critical options. The first dropdown allows for the Condition Type to be selected, in this example Completed Content Topic is chosen to notify the system that a topic needs to be completed first.

To do this, scroll down the list and click one of the Condition Types which suit your choice.

In this example, this Feedback Fruits activity will only be available to students if another completed content topic has been selected achieved.

13. The second dropdown allows for the Topic to be selected, in this example the Meet Your Unit Lecturer Page is chosen to notify the system that this topic needs to be completed first.

This means that students must read the Meet Your Unit Lecturer page within the space to activate this activity.

Quizzes or other modules and tasks can be used in this regard.

14. Press Create to add the release condition or Cancel to remove it from this activity.

 15. To move a learning activity, click on the six dots icon beside the learning activity title then drag it to the desired module location. When you see a blue line appear in the topics list, you are able to drop the learning activity there.