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Desire2Learn 8.3

Customizing the Navigation Bars

The Navigation bars provide quick links to different areas of the online course material. You can edit the Navigation bars by activating or deactivating links, creating new links, modifying or deleting custom links, and changing the toolbar's format.

return to topAccessing the Edit Navigation Bars Pane

The process of customizing the Navigation bars begins with the Edit Navigation Bars pane. From here you will select the template for the Navigation bar you would like to edit. There are four templates to choose from, and they control the base look of the Navigation bar.

  1. From the My Home page, in the My Eau Claire Courses widget, select the desired course
    The Course Home page appears.

  2. On the Navigation bar, click EDIT COURSE

  3. From the list of Course Admin Tools, click NAVBARSNavBars button
    The Manage Navigation Bars pane appears.
    Manage Navigation Bars page

  4. In the Name column, select the desired course navigation bar
    The Edit Navigation Bar pane appears.

  5. From the Template pull-down menu, select the template containing the Navigation bar you want to customize

  6. Select the tab representing the Navigation bar you want to customize: Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, or Bottom Right
    OR
    On the Navigation Bar Model, click the appropriate section
    NOTE: It is recommended that the Bottom Left region be used for the course tools.
    Link Positioning pane

return to topFormatting the Navigation Bars

You can change the spacing of the links on the Navigation bars. You can also select a specific character or HTML coding to appear between the links.

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. To change the spacing between links,
    1. Under Pixels Between Links, select Custom

    2. In the Custom text box, type the number of pixels to be placed between links

  3. To add a special character or other HTML coding between links,
    1. Under HTML Between Links, select Custom

    2. In the Custom text box, type the HTML code to be placed between links

  4. To preview your changes,
    1. From the Resolution pull-down menu, select your screen resolution
      HINT: Preview with 800x600 resolution to be sure that all links can be seen.
    2. Click PREVIEW
      The Preview window appears.

    3. When finished, close the Preview window

  5. To save your changes, click SAVE
    The Navigation bar format is modified.

return to topActivating and Deactivating Links

If a link is active, it will appear on the Navigation bar; if it is inactive, it will not appear on the Navigation bar.

Activating Links

NOTE: It is recommended that the Bottom Left region be used for the course tools.

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. In the Inactive Links scroll list, select the link you want to activate

  3. Click ACTIVATE LINKActivate Link button
    The link is moved to the Current Active Links scroll list.

  4. To preview your changes,
    1. From the Resolution pull-down menu, select your screen resolution
      HINT: Preview with 800x600 resolution to be sure that all links can be seen.
    2. Click PREVIEW
      The Preview window appears.

    3. When finished, close the Preview window

  5. To save your changes, click SAVE
    The link is activated.

Deactivating Links

It is recommended that the link to the Course Home and to the Course Content remain active. If these links are deactivated, students will be unable to access either area. All other links are optional. Links and tools that are not used in the course should be removed in order to avoid confusion.

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. In the Current Active Links scroll list, select the link you want to deactivate

  3. Click DEACTIVATE LINKDeactivatie Link button
    The link is moved to the Inactive Links scroll list.

  4. To preview your changes,
    1. From the Resolution pull-down menu, select your screen resolution
      HINT: Preview with 800x600 resolution to be sure that all links can be seen.
    2. Click PREVIEW
      The Preview window appears.

    3. When finished, close the Preview window

  5. To save your changes, click SAVE
    The link is deactivated.

return to topCreating New Links

You may want your Desire2Learn courses to host external links. You can accomplish this by adding new links to the Navigation bar.

NOTE: It is recommended that the Bottom Left region be used for the course tools.

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. Click NEW LINK
    The New Link dialog box appears.
    New Link dialog box

  3. In the Display Name text box, type the link name
    NOTE: This text will appear on the Navigation bar.

  4. In the Link URL text box, type the link URL
    OR
    To select a course file,
    1. Click BROWSE
      The Files Viewer dialog box appears.

    2. Navigate to and select the desired file

  5. OPTIONAL: To use an image for the link, in the Image URL text box, type the image URL
    OR
    To select a course file,
    1. Click BROWSE
      The Images Viewer dialog box appears.

    2. Navigate to and select the desired file

  6. To designate the target for the link, select Bottom Frame, Entire Window, or New Window
    NOTE: If you select New Window, you can specify the size of the window.

  7. To save your changes, click SAVE
    NOTES:
    The link is created. Custom links are denoted with a [C].
    The link appears in the Inactive Links scroll list. You must activate the link before it will appear on the Navigation bar.

return to topModifying Links

After you have created links, you may wish to change them. Desire2Learn allows you to edit your links as well as change their order and location.

NOTE: Custom links are denoted with a [C].

Modifying Links: Editing Links

You may modify the URL and target information only for existing custom links.

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. From the Inactive Links or Current Active Links section, select the custom link to be edited
    NOTE: Custom links are denoted with a [C].

  3. Click EDIT LINK
    The Edit Link dialog box appears.

  4. Make the desired changes

  5. To preview your changes,
    1. From the Resolution pull-down menu, select your screen resolution
      HINT: Preview with 800x600 resolution to be sure that all links can be seen.
    2. Click PREVIEW
      The Preview window appears.

    3. When finished, close the Preview window

  6. To save your changes, click SAVE
    The link is modified.

Modifying Links: Changing Link Order

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. In the Current Active Links section, select the link to move up or down

  3. To position the link in the desired location, click MOVE SELECTED LINKS UPMove Selected Links Up button or MOVE SELECTED LINKS DOWNMove Selected Links Down button

  4. To preview your changes,
    1. From the Resolution pull-down menu, select your screen resolution
      HINT: Preview with 800x600 resolution to be sure that all links can be seen.
    2. Click PREVIEW
      The Preview window appears.

    3. When finished, close the Preview window

  5. To save your changes, click SAVE
    The link order is modified.

Modifying Links: Changing Link Location

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. In the Current Active Links list, select the link whose location you want to change

  3. Click DEACTIVATE LINKDeactivate Link button

  4. Select the tab representing the area of the Navigation bar where you want the link to appear
    OR
    On the Navigation Bar Model, click the appropriate section

  5. In the Inactive Links list, select the link you chose in step 2

  6. Click ACTIVATE LINKActivate Link button

  7. To preview your changes,
    1. From the Resolution pull-down menu, select your screen resolution
      HINT: Preview with 800x600 resolution to be sure that all links can be seen.
    2. Click PREVIEW
      The Preview window appears.

    3. When finished, close the Preview window

  8. To save your changes, click SAVE
    The link is moved to the new location.

return to topDeleting Links

You may only delete the custom links you have created; the default Desire2Learn links can only be made active or inactive.

  1. Access the Edit Navigation Bars pane

  2. From the Inactive Links or Current Active Links list, select the custom link to be deleted

  3. Click DELETE LINK
    A confirmation dialog box appears.

  4. Click OK
    The link is permanently deleted from the Navigation bar and the Inactive Links or Current Active Links list.

  5. To save your changes, click SAVE

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