Handouts

The Handouts portlet is used to provide syllabi or other handouts that can be uploaded by a faculty member and downloaded by students.  By default, this portlet is located on the Main page of all courses. Students may see the page labeled as a Downloadable Version page.

Handouts can be grouped according to similar characteristics and identified with a set.  Handouts that are identified with a particular set will appear within the same category when they are viewed.  If a handout is not associated with a specific set, it appears within the Ungrouped set that is automatically created.

The Main Page of the portlet displays the Header of a set along with maximize and minimize icons that allow you to expand (Show) or collapse (Hide) the list of handouts associated with that set. The listing for each handout in a set includes the file type, file size, and the number of times the handout has been downloaded.

Clicking a handout link opens the handout.  Right-clicking on the link gives other options, such as printing, copying, emailing, saving as, saving as a favorite, etc.

Preferences

There are three preferences:

• Order Handouts Alphabetically

• Order Sets Alphabetically

• Show Empty Sets

Order Handouts Alphabetically

From the Handouts portlet:

1. Click the Wrench icon to customize the portlet.

2. Click the Preferences tab.

3. Select the Order Handouts Alphabetically check box to always have handouts be displayed in alphabetical order.  However, you will not be able to manually order handouts if this preference is selected.

4. Click the Save button.

5. If this is the only setting you want to change, click the Exit button.

Order Sets Alphabetically

From the Handouts portlet:

1. Click the Wrench icon to customize the portlet.

2. Click the Preferences tab.

3. Select the Order Sets Alphabetically check box to always have sets be displayed in alphabetical order.  However, you will not be able to manually order sets if this preference is selected.

4. Click the Save button.

5. If this is the only setting you want to change, click the Exit button.

Show Empty Sets

From the Handouts portlet:

1. Click the Wrench icon to customize the portlet.

2. Click the Preferences tab.

3. Select the Show Empty Sets check box to display sets for which no handouts are available.  Also, if this preference is not selected, the default Ungrouped set will not display.

4. Click the Save button.

5. If this is the only setting you want to change, click the Exit button.

Settings (Faculty Only)

The Use Display Indicator setting is used to determine when and how long a handout will be active.  If you select this check box, Start and End fields are made available for you to enter when to start displaying the handout, when to stop displaying the handout, and what to do with the file when it is no longer displayed.  These fields are available when you add a handout.

From the Handouts portlet:

1. Click the Wrench icon to customize the portlet.

2. Click the Settings tab.

3. Select the Use Display Indicator check box to set when and how long a handout will be active. If you do not select this check box, all handouts will be displayed immediately and indefinitely.

4. Click the Save button.

5. Click the Exit button.

Security (Faculty Only)

By default, faculty have administrative rights to all functionality in a course context.  However, a faculty member can assign these rights to Students or to any other role that they create.  For example, you may want to create a Teaching Assistant role and assign certain security access to that role.

1. From the Handouts portlet, click the Wrench icon to customize the portlet.

2. Click the Security tab.

3. Clicking the All Operations check box automatically selects the Can Manage Handouts, Can Manage Sets, and Can View Reporting check boxes.  However, you can select check boxes for individual operations:

• Selecting the Can Manage Handouts security setting allows that role to have access to all operations in the portlet.

• Selecting the Can Manage Sets security setting for a role displays the Manage menu for the portlet.

• Selecting the Can View Reporting security setting for a role allows that role to view how many times the handout has been downloaded.

Functions (Faculty Only)

The Handouts portlet allows you to make handouts available to your students by using the Manage and File Tools menu options on the Main Page.

Manage

If you have been given the Can Admin security permission for a course, the Manage menu option appears and allows you to manage handouts for a course.

• Show/Hide Editing Tools

  1. On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet.

  2. Under the Manage menu, click either Show Editing Tools or Hide Editing Tools option, depending upon which one is available.

  3. The Show Editing Tools option displays icons and links for editing sets and handouts, adding sets and handouts, moving handouts from set to set, and importing handouts from File Cabinet.

  4. The Hide Editing Tools option hides icons and links for editing sets and handouts, adding sets and handouts, moving handouts from set to set, and importing handouts from File Cabinet.

• Add a Handout

  NOTE:  The editing tools will be available by default if you selected the Show Editing Tools by Default preference for this course.

  1. Click any Add a Handout link or icon.
     
     OR
     
     On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet and then click the Add a Handout option under the Manage menu.

  2. Enter the name of the handout in the Name field.

  3. Enter the URL or click the Browse button to navigate to the location of the handout.

  4. Select the set from the Set drop-down list box to which the handout is to be associated, or click the Add a Set link to add a new set.

  5. Enter a Description (maximum number of characters is 2,000).

  6. If available (you selected the Use Display Indicator setting), select one of three Start radio buttons:  Display now, Display later manually, or Display on.  If you select the Display on radio button, enter or select from the calendar the appropriate date and then select the appropriate time for display.

  7. If available (you selected the Use Display Indicator setting), select one of three End radio buttons:  No end date, End now, or End on.  If you select the End on radio button, enter or select from the calendar the appropriate date and then select the appropriate time to end the display.

  8. If available (you selected the Use Display Indicator setting), select Delete or Make Inactive from the After End drop-down.

  9. Click the Save or the Save and Add Another button.

• Add a Set

  NOTE:  The editing tools will be available by default if you selected the Show Editing Tools by Default preference for this course.

  1. On the Handouts portlet, click any Add a Set link or icon.
     
     OR
     
     On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet and then click the Add a Set option under the Manage menu.

  2. Enter the name of the set in the Name field.

  3. Enter a Description (maximum number of characters is 2,000).

  4. Select the placement of the new set from the Position drop-down.

  5. Click the Save or the Save and Add Another button.

• Edit a Set

  NOTE:  The editing tools will be available by default if you selected the Show Editing Tools by Default preference for this course.

  1. On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet, click the Edit a Set option under the Manage menu, and then select the set.
     
     OR
     
     Click the Edit icon beside the set name.

  2. Edit the name of the set in the Name field.

  3. Edit the Description (maximum number of characters is 2,000).

  4. Select the placement of the set from the Position drop-down.

  5. Re-order the handouts in the set by entering the appropriate numerical value in the text box beside the handout.

  6. If you want to move handouts to another set, select the check box beside the handout(s) and then select the Move option from the drop-down and then select the set to which it is to be moved.  Click the Submit button.

  7. If you want to copy handouts to another set, select the check box beside the handout(s), select the Copy option from the drop-down, and then select the set to which it is to be copied.  Click the Submit button.

  8. If you want to save handouts to File Cabinet, select the check box beside the handout(s) and then select the Save to File Cabinet option from the drop-down.  Click the Submit button.

  9. If you want to delete handouts from the set, click the Delete icon beside the handout you want to delete or select the check box beside the handout(s) and then select the Delete option from the drop-down.  Click the Submit button.  The following message appears:  "Are you sure you want to delete this item?"  Click the OK button to complete the deletion process.

• Order Sets

  NOTE:  The editing tools will be available by default if you selected the Show Editing Tools by Default preference for this course.

  This option allows you to place sets in a specific order.

  1. On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet, click the Order Sets option under the Manage menu.
      

  2. Edit the name of the set in the Name field.

  3. The numerical value in the text box beside each set indicates its present display position on the Handouts portlet.

  4. To change the order of the handouts, enter the appropriate numbers in the text boxes beside the handouts.

  5. Click the Save button.

• Edit a Handout

  NOTE:  The editing tools will be available by default if you selected the Show Editing Tools by Default preference for this course.

  1. On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet, click the Edit a Set option under the Manage menu, and select the appropriate set.

  2. Click the Edit icon beside the handout you want to edit.

  3. You can edit all fields.

  4. Click the Save button.

• Delete a Handout

  NOTE:  The editing tools will be available by default if you selected the Show Editing Tools by Default preference for this course.

  1. On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet, click the Edit a Set option under the Manage menu, and select the appropriate set.

  2. Select the check box beside the handout you want to delete and click the Delete Selected button.
     
     OR
     
     Click the Delete icon beside the handout you want to delete.

  3. The following message appears:  "Are you sure you want to delete this item?"

  4. Click the Yes button to complete the deletion process.

• Import Handouts from File Cabinet

  NOTE:  The editing tools will be available by default if you selected the Show Editing Tools by Default preference for this course.

  1. On the Main Page of the course context, click the Go to Main Screen link on the Handouts portlet, and click the Show Editing Tools option under the Manage menu,.

  2. Click the Import Handouts from File Cabinet link.

  3. Select the check box beside the handout you want to import.

  4. Click the Import Selected button.

  5. The handout is imported into the Ungrouped set; however, you can move it to another set if you wish.

File Tools

The File Tools menu option provides default links to the following software for easy downloading:

• Adobe Reader

• Excel Viewer

• PowerPoint Viewer for Mac

• PowerPoint Viewer for PC

• Quick Time

• Real Player

• Windows Media Player

• WinZip

• Word Viewer