The Profile course element allows participants of a course to introduce themselves to other course participants by providing basic personal information. The course author can adapt and thus personalise the profile with any number of freely definable text fields.

Content

Usage: Learners' View

Overview

If you open the Profile course element, you will see an overview of all previously created and approved profiles. The navigation bar facilitates orientation by arranging the profiles in alphabetical order. All profiles are sorted by last name.

Your own profile is always the first to be displayed. If you do not yet have a profile, you will see the Create entry.

Overview of the profile course element

Functions for users

As a user, you have access to the following functions in a Profile course element:

Create profile

Each participant can create exactly one profile per course element. 

  1. Open the Profile course element.
  2. Click on Create.
Create button

3. Enter the relevant information in the text fields configured by the author. In the case of free text fields, you can choose between different text formatting options. Further information can be found on the Text editor help page.

4. If enabled for your user type, you can optionally add a profile picture.

Please note that typing your personal information is optional. There are no mandatory fields that must be filled in to create a profile. It is up to you to decide which information you would like to share with others.  

Enter information

5. Then decide on the visibility of your profile. If you activate the checkbox at the bottom of the page, the profile will only be visible to other enrolled course members (i. e. it will not be public).

If you deactivate the checkbox, you agree to your course being published, which means that your profile content will also be visible to guests.

6. Click on Save to complete the creation process.

Save profile

View profile

In the Profile course element, you can view and read existing profiles.  

  1. Open the Profile course element.
  2. If at least one profile has already been created, an alphabetical navigation bar will appear below the element title. Each letter for which at least one profile has already been created is highlighted in colour. The alphabetical assignment is done based on the last name.
  3. Select the profile you want to view by clicking on it.
Click on the profile
4. The profile opens, and you can view this person's shared information.
Opened profile

Edit profile

You can edit and adapt your profile information as well as your profile picture at any time.  

  1. Open the Profile course element.
  2. Click on your profile to open it.
Open your profile

3. Click on the pencil icon.

Edit icon

4. The same window as for creating a new profile opens. Make your desired changes. You also have the option to change or delete your profile picture.

5. Click on Save to complete the editing process.

Complete the editing process

Delete profile

This option allows you to delete your profile. It will then be removed from the profile course element and can no longer be viewed by other users.

  1. Open the Profile course element.

  2. Click on the trash can icon in the upper right corner.

Delete icon

3. Confirm the deletion process with Yes.

If you delete your profile, all embedded information as well as your profile picture (if any) will be removed.  

You can create a new profile at any time, provided the course element is not subject to any other restrictions preventing it.

Confirm deletion process

Configuration: Authors' View

In the course editor

The following functions are available to you in the course editor:

Add a profile course element

To integrate a course element into your course, proceed as follows:

1

Open the course you want to edit.

Use the pencil icon at the top of the page to open the editing mode.

Switch from the course view to the editing mode

2

Select a course element from the menu on the right.

Select course element

3

In the new window, you can define the position of the new course element within your course structure (left navigation pane). The available positions are marked with an insert icon.

To insert the new course element into an existing substructure, you need to open the substructure by clicking on the small triangle symbol next to its title. The area will open and you will again see insert icons at the positions which are available.

Click on the insert icon at the desired position within the structure. The selected area will be highlighted.

Confirm your choice with Insert course element.

Insert course element into the course tree

4

The element will be inserted into the course structure at the selected position.

Depending on the course element, you have to make additional configurations or add content in order to complete the configuration.

For these changes to take effect, you must publish the course. The course element will then also become available in the course view.

Configure and publish course element



General configuration settings

Title and description

Course editor settings in the tab title and description

ElementsDescription
Title

You need to enter a title for the course element. The title can comprise a maximum of 100 characters. All special characters and numbers are permitted. The title will appear in the navigation menu of the course and also as a heading in the content area.

(warning)  If you change the title of the first course element, the new content will only be applied to the main course node and then displayed in the opened course. If you wish to edit the course title or description, you can do so using the more settings menu of the course.

SubtitleYou can enter a subtitle for the course element with a maximum of 255 characters. All special characters and numbers are permitted. The title will appear as a tooltip in the navigation menu and - if selected and configured accordingly - as a subtitle in the content area.
Description

Here you can describe the course element. The description will appear in the content area below the title.

Depending on the settings configured in the element Display, this additional text is displayed to the user when opening the course element. The user can expand or collapse the view of the text.


Display

Define which information about the course element should be displayed in the course view. In addition to the content, you can optionally display the title and description. All course elements are provided with a reasonable presetting, which mostly includes the setting Title, description and content. You can adjust this setting in accordance with the options available for each course element. For an example of the different setting options, refer to the help page Displaying information about the course element.

Set link for this course element

Each course element can be accessed via fixed link addresses. Therefore, an internal and an external URL is assigned to each course element. These direct links to concrete elements can be used within courses or provided to learners. The URLs are located below the title and description of the element and will appear upon selecting Set link for this course element.  

  • External link: To refer to this course element from outside of the course or learning platform, you can use the external link and insert it, for example as a href attribute, into the desired HTML page.
  • Internal link: To set a link to another course element within the same course, you can insert the internal link as a href attribute into the desired HTML page.
IDYou will need the ID number of the course element (on the bottom right), for example, if you wish to use the expert mode in the visibility or access tab.


Visibility

In the areas Visibility and Access, authors and course owners can individually determine the presentation of course elements. If no input is made in the access area, the content of a course element will by default be visible to all course participants after publishing the element. Apart from the general options listed below, additional configuration options are available depending on the course element.

The following general options are available for the configuration of visibility and access:

Course editor - Tab visibility and access


General configuration optionsDescription
Only blocked for guests

Ist diese Checkbox markiert, ist das Element oder die Funktion ausschließlich für angemeldete Lernende, Betreuer und Administratoren des Kurses verfügbar.

Diese Checkbox ist nur notwendig, wenn Sie in einem sonst öffentlichen Kurs (Publikationsstatus "Öffentlich - Für jeden sichtbar" bzw. BARG ) einzelne Kursbausteine oder Funktionsabschnitte dennoch für Gäste sperren und nur für angemeldete Nutzer zugänglich machen wollen.

Hat Ihr Kurs den Publikationsstatus "Öffentlich - für registrierte Nutzer" haben nicht angemeldete Nutzer (= Gäste) grundsätzlich keinen Zugang zum Kurs.

Blocked for learners

Wenn Sie die Checkbox markieren, ist der Bereich oder Funktionsabschnitt ausschließlich für Betreuer und Administratoren des Kurses sichtbar bzw zugänglich. Angemeldete Lernende und auch nicht registrierte Gäste sehen das Element nicht bzw. haben keinen Zugang zum Inhalt.

Block access or visibility for learners
Depending on dateMark this checkbox to specify a particular access time. You can set individual dates or date ranges by filling in only one or both input fields respectively. You can also create or delete dates via the + and - buttons.

Set access or visibility rights depending on dates

Depending on group

Select this checkbox to restrict the accessibility of the course element to learning groups or learning areas. You can then select existing groups and areas or create new ones.

If you set restrictions with the configuration option "depending on group", the corresponding course element will be restricted for all non-members of the group. This includes, for example, users who have not yet confirmed the group invitation or who are on the waiting list for a group. Such users cannot yet see or access the restricted course element.


Set access or visibility rights depending on groups

Depending on assessmentHere, you will find all assessable course elements. These include, for example, the elements test, assessment, task, or structure. 

If you select the option Check for "passed", you will be able to choose a course element from the input field Course element, which the user must have passed as a prerequisite to accessing this course element. 

If you select the option Check score, you can indicate a number of points in the input field "Passing score", which have to be achieved in order to be able to access the course element.

Set access or visibility rights depending on assessments

Depending on attribute

Whether or not this option is displayed is system-dependent. You can use it to set visibility or access privileges according to user attributes. Only users who meet the predefined conditions will see the course element or have access to its content. If you want to use several attributes, you need to link them with one of the operators (AND/OR) above the attribute list.

The following comparison operators can be used depending on the selected attribute:


  • "contains the value"
  • "does not contain value"
  • "has exactly the value"
  • "does not have value"
  • "starts with value"
  • "ends with value"
  • "greater than" (>)
  • "less than" (<)
  • "greater than/equals" (<=)
  • "less than/equals" (>=)

See the Overview of OPAL-Shibboleth attributes page for a list of attributes available for selected institutions.

OPAL School authors can use the Main school attribute to restrict course access to their own school. An example can be found on the Publish course only for users of one/my school help page.

The verification of the created attribute rules is not case-sensitive to the specified values. That means, for example, if your access rule reads "Study group" attribute contains the value "Law", the actual verification will be done with the word "law" in lowercase. As a result, the course element will be accessible both to users in the "Law" and to users in the "Family law" study group alike.



Set access or visibility rights depending on attributes

Apply rules also for author, owner and tutorThis option does not become visible until one of the other options has been selected. If you activate the checkbox, the same access rules which apply to users will also be valid for tutors and course administrators.

Apply rules also for author, owner and tutor

PasswordThis option is only available in the area Access and can either be applied to the whole course or a structural element of the course. Enter the desired password, which users will need to use in order to gain access to the course content, in the text field.

Set access or visibility rights depending on passwords

Display expert modeClick on the button Display expert mode to open an input field, which allows you to perform a more complex configuration according to your needs. For more detailed information about the expert mode, see the help page Publishing within courses (expert mode).
Set access or visibility rights in the expert mode
Advanced configuration optionsIn the case of individual course element types, there are further attributes to configure access to editing rights for course participants.

If various restrictive single options are set, they will be linked with AND, i.e. all conditions of the single options must be met for the user to see and have access to the course element. The only exceptions are the single options Attributes. In this case, various restrictive single options can also be linked with OR. The OR linking only requires the fulfilment of one condition in order to enable visibility or access, unless other restrictive single options prevent this.

All restrictions are also automatically valid for all subordinate course elements.

Note about hiding access restrictions

If a course element is visible, but there are

  • current or future access restrictions or
  • restricted rights for the course element,

the user will be informed accordingly when accessing the course element. This information helps the user to learn more about the functions available, e.g. which functions will be available at what time and under what conditions.

If required, however, you can hide this information text (from the user) for each course element individually.

Notification message about existing access and authorisation restrictions in the course view:

Course element with notification message about authorisation restrictions

1

To hide this message, open the course editor and switch to the Visibility tab of the respective course element.

In the section Information if course node is visible but not accessible (max. 248 characters), remove the check mark in front of the entry Show access restrictions below the text field.

Publish your changes.

Course editor setting to hide notification message

2

The note will no longer be visible in the course view.

Course element without notification message about authorisation restrictions


For individual course element types, there are further attributes which can be used to regulate access to editing rights for course participants.

The following editing rights can be restricted or extended using the general configuration attributes (depending on date, group, etc.):

Task
  • Assignment
  • Edit task folder  
  • Drop box - Delete own solutions
  • Drop box  
  • Return box
  • Assessment
  • Sample solution
Blog
  • Read  
  • Read and write
  • Moderate
File Dialogue
  • Only file download / read in the forum  
  • File up- and download/ read and write in the forum
  • Edit or delete files / Moderate in the forum
Forum
  • Read  
  • Read and write
  • Moderate
Calendar
  • Read  
  • Add and edit dates
Link List
  • Display  
  • Display and add
  • Display, edit, and delete
Bibliography
  • Display  
  • Display and edit
Messages
  • Read
  • Write
  • Manage
Folder
  • Download
  • Upload
  • Delete
Podcast
  • Read  
  • Read and write
  • Moderate
Page
  • Display  
  • Display and edit
Profile
  • Display
  • Add
Test

Configurable in the tab Visibility :

  • Conduct test
  • View assessment
  • View results
Wiki
  • Read  
  • Add and edit articles

Access
Configuration

This tab allows you to decide which user properties should be displayed in a profile. Detailed instructions are given in the Special configuration settings section below.

MultilingualismOn this tab, different translations can be added to individual course element areas.

Special configuration settings

To configure special settings, open the Profile course element and switch to the Configuration tab.

The following functions are available to you on the Configuration tab:

Selection of user properties:

  • By selecting the desired checkboxes, you can decide which user properties stored in the system should be listed in a profile.
  • If a user creates a profile, their personal data will be displayed in the selected property fields. However, the user can decide for themselves which content they would like to share and which information they would rather want to delete or change.
  • If you disable the Last name user property, all profiles will be displayed together in an overview as they cannot be sorted alphabetically anymore.

Add new fields:

  • This option allows you to add more user properties to a profile. Click the Add button and enter a title in the text field. Using the plus and minus symbols, you can create or remove fields.

Click on Save to confirm your settings.

You can also use the Profile course element to gather opinions or expectations from your course participants.

Configuration tab in the profile course element

Participants of the course can optionally limit the visibility of their own profile to "course participants". Course participants are all users who are enrolled in one of the course's learning groups. Therefore, make sure that the course has at least one learning group and that all users who are allowed to see such restricted profiles are enrolled in at least one learning group. 

In the course view

From the course view, you can access all functions available to users. For detailed instructions on all functions, see the Functions for users section. However, in addition to their own profile, course owners can also edit and delete the profiles of all course participants.

As a course supervisor, you can assign extended rights for a course element's additional editing functions to individual or even all course users. These rights can be configured in the tab Access. Further information can be found in the section General configuration settings on this page.