Using Widget Management

Widgets are sections of content that you add to your homepages to provide information and links to course and administrative activities and resources. There are two types of widgets: system widgets and custom widgets. System widgets are available as part of BeachBoard and cannot be edited or deleted. Custom widgets are created  using HTML and can be used to create a wide range of custom content for your homepage.

System widgets

System widgets are available as part of BeachBoard and cannot be edited or deleted, but you can remove them from a homepage or move them to a different section of a homepage using the Homepage Management tool. Additionally, you can change the appearance of system widgets using the same properties as custom widgets (i.e., border style, title bar color and more).

• Bookmarks widget
• Calendar widget
• Events widget
• Google Search widget
• My Admin Tools widget
• My Courses widget
• My Settings widget
• News widget
• Course Administration widget
• Picture Library widget
• Role Switch widget
• Updates widget
• User Links widget

Custom widgets

Custom widgets are widgets that you create within your course. You can add any custom HTML code and create a wide range of widgets to expand the functionality and available content in your homepage.

Creating and editing widgets

When you create or edit custom widgets there are four available tabs: Properties, Customize, Release Conditions, and Content. You must provide a name for your widget in the Properties tab prior to accessing any of the other tabs.

Create a custom widget

1. Click the Edit Course link in the navbar, then click Widgets.
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2. Click the New Widget button. The Manage Widgets page displays.
   
3. Type a Name for the widget and an optional associated Description.
4. Click Save.

Edit a custom widget

1. Click the Custom Widgets tab on the Manage Widgets page.
2. Click the  Edit icon for the widget that you want to edit.
   
3. Make your changes and click Save.

Properties

The Properties tab allows you to define or change the widget name and description.

Customize

The Customize tab enables you to change the following options:

• Display widget with a border - Select this check box if you want to display your widget in a box.
• Border Style - Sets the border’s thickness in pixels if you chose to display the widget in a box.
• Show a the title bar - Select this check box if you want to show the title bar.
• Title Bar Color - Choose a color for your Title Bar.
• Widget Title - Type a title for the box (e.g. Search Engines, Campus Info, etc).
• Title Color - Choose a color for your widget title.
• Title Alignment - Choose how you want the widget title aligned within its associated column.
• Prohibit minimizing widget - Select this check box if you want to prohibit the ability to minimize this widget.
  

Release conditions

The Release Conditions tab allows you to define a set of criteria that must be fulfilled (e.g. a user must be enrolled in the course as a specific role to be able to see the widget when it is added to a homepage). If a user hasn’t met the set release conditions, they won’t see this widget on their homepage. For example, you could create a widget with links visible only to users leading the course.

Add release conditions to a custom widget

1. Click Attach Existing or Create and Attach to add the applicable release conditions.
2. If you select Attach Existing:
   • Select a tool to View Conditions For from the drop-down list.
   • Check the applicable conditions
   • Click Add Selected.
3. If you select Create New Condition:
   • Select the applicable Condition Type from the drop-down list.
   • Depending on the tool you select, other drop-down lists appear below the Condition Type field. Select the applicable options.
4. Click Save.
   

The conditions most likely to apply to widgets are as follows:

• Group Enrollment  Users must belong to the selected group to see the widgets associated with the condition.
• Org Unit Enrollment  Users must belong to the selected org unit to see the widgets associated with the condition.
• Section Enrollment  Users must belong to the selected section within your course to see the widgets associated with the condition.
• Role in Current Org Unit  Users must be enrolled in your course as a certain role to see the widgets associated with the condition

Content

The Content tab allows you to add your own custom HTML (with the exception of ASP) code and incorporate your organization’s specific colors, logos, and other display techniques when creating widgets.

Use the default content window of the HTML Editor to add content to your widget and click the  Edit HTML Source icon in the bottom left corner to add HTML custom code.

Finalized Widget