Small Logo Navigation Theme Available

A second navigation theme is available for CRC faculty that has a smaller logo and course title and thereby makes more web browser space available for course materials and content. This theme can be applied to any customized navbar, so instructors who have not yet done so will need to make a copy of the default navbar to apply this theme. The demonstration video shows how.

Note that changing the theme will not change any of the links that are on the navbar.

Customize the Student Resources link group

The Student Resources link group can be customized. The navbar must be editable, which means the default navbar has already been copied and applied.

Edit the Navbar

The navbar for a course offering is how the instructor shows which tools will be used in a course offering. The default set of course tools may not be the same tools in use, and instructors are encouraged to make changes as appropriate. Links can be added to course tools, course resources, and external web sites.

Create Custom Link Groups

The default course offering navbar includes a link group called "Student Resources." It is possible for instructors to create their own custom link groups.

Add an External Link to the Navbar

On your navbar you can add a link to an external website, which will be visible to students from any page inside your course offering:

• Click on the pencil icon () in the upper-left corner of your course navbar to edit it.
• Click the Actions button of the navbar (Bottom Left, etc.) where you want to add the external link.
  
  
  
• Click on Add New Custom Link.
  
  
  
• Enter your link information.
• Type in the Name you want the navbar to display (this is what students will click on to activate the link).
• Include the full URL of the external link (i.e., include the http://).
• It is a good idea to force external links to open in a new window, else your students may lose your course offering page when they close that external web site.
  
  
  
• Choose your windows dimensions and options.
• Click the Save and Close button to close this window.
• Your new link will appear on the navbar.
  
  
  

This link will be copied as part of the navbar copy from one course account to another.

Link to a Course File from the Navbar

You can link to a course file directly from the navbar. This is a useful way to make an important file to students always available, no matter where they are inside your course offering.

The file must first be in your Manage Files area. If you uploaded it as a content topic, it is already there. If not, here are the steps:

1. Go to Edit Course and then the Manage Files page.
2. Click the upload button to select a file from your local computer to add to this page.

Once a file is in your Manage Files area, you can add a link to it on the navbar:

1. Go to Edit Course and then the Navigation page.
2. Click the name of the currently active navbar for your course. Note: The default active navbar for CRC courses is called "CRC_brand_NavShell (Go Hawks!)."
3. Click on the Links tab.
4. Click the Actions button of the navbar (Bottom Left, etc.) where you want to add the file link.

5. Click on Add New Custom Link.

6. Type in the Name you want the navbar to display (this is what students will click on to activate the link).
7. Click on the Insert Quicklink icon.

8. Choose the Category of where the particular file is located, then under Content select file and click the Insert button.
9. Select if you want the link to appear in the Same Window with Navbar, Entire Window or New Window then click the Save and Close button.
10. Refresh your page and the new link should appear in the navbar.

External Links on the Course Homepage

The bookmarks in D2L are generated by students as they opt to bookmark content topics. They are created individually, so each student can decide what to add to their Bookmark widget. Bookmarks cannot be links to outside web pages (though the content topic that they link to can be a quicklink). There are three ways to add a link yourself to the course homepage:

1. Create a News item and include a quicklink in the item's content. If you do not set any calendar restrictions on the item and keep it at the top of your news widget, it will always be visible.
2. Create a custom widget and add to your course homepage.
3. Create a custom navbar link. This has the advantage of always being visible, no matter where students are in your course.