Adding Content to a Module

The content tool in VU Collaborate is an efficient method of adding material to a space. Upload with ease; documents, resources, video files, and many other types of files. The upload system has been designed to be user-friendly, so you can spend time developing quality content. There are many options available for adding content to space, including uploading from your computer or mobile device, adding hyperlinks, creating documents and efficiently re-using files within the space.

It is vital to note that only copyright-free materials such as creative commons licensed materials, OER or VU owned materials are uploaded. Check copyright terms and conditions before uploading anything, especially PDF files retrieved from VU licensed databases as there is an increased risk of copyright infringements occurring. For further support and information on your copyright responsibilities read through the Copyright for teaching at VU Library Help Guide.

Below are the steps to Adding Content to a Module:

• Access Your Module
• Upload Files
• Linking/Uploading Video or Audio Resources
• New Document
• New Link
• Shortcuts to embedding activities in the Learning Space
• Restricted file types in VU Collaborate

When you are adding content to a module in VU Collaborate, make sure you write a description to help students to navigate the site more efficiently. If you need more information about how to add descriptions, please visit the guide Make your VU Collaborate space more accessible. 

 

Access Your Module

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

2. From the list of modules under Table of Contents, select the module where you would like to add content. In this example, Session 1 is selected. 

3. Click the New,  then select the content to be added.

 

Upload Files

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You can select Upload Files to add a document, video, audio or other files to a module. If you have selected this content type, a pop-up window will appear where you can browse for the file, or drag and drop a file to upload.

You can select more than one document at the same time, and all the documents will be uploaded in the order chosen.

1. Click New, then select Upload Files.

2. Select the location where your files are stored. The most commonly used are either from your Computer (My Computer) or from the VU Collaborate Space (Space Files).

 

2.1 Uploading a file from Space Files

If you have selected to upload a file from space files, check the box beside the desired file(s) then click on Add.

 

2.2 Drag and drop files from your computer

You can also drag and drop content directly into modules in VU Collaborate from your computer.

1. Select the module where you would like to drag and drop a file or content too.  

2. Click on the title or icon of the file you want to insert then drag it to your VU Collaborate module and drop it where you would like it to appear. The lines between the topics will turn blue if you hover the file over it and you can drop it there.

3. Once you have done this VU Collaborate will automatically save the content in the selected module, and it will appear like all other topics in the module.

If you are not ready to publish the document to students, you can click on the eye symbol for Visibility to keep working on the document and students will not be able to see it. 

 

Linking/Uploading Video or Audio Resources

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Add Video or Audio is a better option for adding audiovisual resources than Upload Files, with the option to add subtitles to videos for greater accessibility. It also offers a link where you can find embedded videos from different sources and preview them.

If you have selected this content type, a pop-up window will appear where you can add a link to an external video or audio source.
 

1. To add video or audio from an external link, enter the URL or embed code of an external file to add it. For an in-depth explanation on how to retrieve an embed code from Youtube view this guide on Uploading and Embedding a YouTube Video.

2. If you wish to upload a file from your computer, select Upload from the tab. Choose Browse or Drop the video/audio file.

An upload file size limitation on VU Collaborate (2GB).

 

New Document

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1. Select New Document to create an HTML document within your space. The HTML document editor will open.

2. Give your document a title, and then add your content in the space provided. This could include media, interactive objects such as H5P, and rich text.

To get started, you might want to choose from one of the document templates. You can click on Select a Document Template to see a list of templates. These templates provide you with common page layouts that you can edit by adding your content. If you want to know how to use and select HTML templates, please visit the Templates & Copying Content guide. 

3. Once you have finished creating your document click Save and Close to make it accessible to students. 

 

New Link

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1. You can add links to online resources by selecting New Link, which will point students to an external resource without having to embed the hyperlink in a document or other text item. 

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2. Write a Title for the link
3. Paste or type the web address in the URL field.
4. Check the Open as External Resource option to ensure that the link is accessed by students in a new window or tab of the web browser. It is best practice to open links as external resources otherwise, the content of the link will open inside VU Collaborate, and it might not fit.
5. Click Create to add the link.

 

 Shortcuts to embedding activities in the Learning Space

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1. When you build activities or elements like Quizzes, Surveys, and Assessment Dropboxes, for instance, you are able to directly embed them into the learning space modules for quick access.

2. This is done by going to the module or sub-module you want to embed them in, and selecting Add Activities. The drop-down menu then will show you the options available to be embedded.

  

3. In this example, we will learn how to embed a Quiz in the module for quick access. When you click on Quiz, a new menu with options will be displayed where you can select the desired Quiz from.

 

You will have to create the activity first, for it to be displayed in the menu of options.

4. You will notice that the embedded Quiz also displays the relevant description and restrictions attached to it.

For more information please refer to this guide on Adding Activities to Module.

Restricted file types in VU Collaborate

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The following is a list of files types that are restricted in certain areas in VU Collaborate.

1. These file types are restricted from VU Collaborate.

ASA, ASAX, ASCX, ASHX, ASMX, ASP, ASPX, AXD, BAT, CDX, CER, CGI, CMD, COM, CONFIG, CSPROJ, DLL, EXE, HTA, IDC, INI, JAR, JSL, LIB, LICX, MSI, MSP, PL, PM, PS1, REM, RESOURCES, RESX, SCR, SCT, SH, SHTM, SHTML, SOAP, VB, VBE, VBPROJ, VBS, VBSCRIPT, VJSPROJ, VSDISCO, WEBINFO, WSC, WSF

2. These file types are restricted from HTML Editor.

DOC, MHT, MHTML, MUS, PDF, PPS, PPT, RTF, TXT, WPD, XLS, ZIP, CSS