Overview of Campus Pack (used for wikis, blogs, journals, and podcasts)
Campus Pack is a 3rd-party product that is used with D2L for creating wikis, blogs, journals and podcasts. There are two basic steps to adding a wiki, blog, journal, or podcast to a D2L course site:
1. Create a 'quicklink' between your course in D2L and the external Campus Pack environment. Instructors have two options in the way this link can be created:
- Option 1: Click the "Add Quicklink" button at the top of the page and select "External Learning Tools" from the drop-down menu. This will create a direct link to the wiki, blog, or journal on the content page.
- Option 2: Create a quicklink to a collaboration space in the content list and create a wiki, blog, or journal in that area.
2. Create the wiki, blog, journal or podcast space that students will work in.
NOTE: Mac > Safari users click here.
|
What are the differences between these tools and their instructional uses? |
||
|
Wikis |
A wiki is a collaborative Web site which allows members to edit, delete or modify content using a browser interface. In D2L, wikis can be restricted to members of a group or available to the entire class. |
Instructional uses: Group collaboration, asynchronous comunication, peer mentoring |
|
Blogs |
Blog is short for "Web log," and is Web space that allows users to publish their thoughts on a particular subject. Within D2L they are visible to instructors and other members of a course. Viewers can comment. |
Instructional uses: Express opinions, promote dialog. |
|
Journals |
Journals are similar to Blogs. However, in D2L they are private and visible only to the student and the instructor. |
Instructional uses: Express opinions, ideas, and concerns about the course materials or topics that would not be shared otherwise. |
|
Podcasts |
A Podcast is an audio recording that can be played through a browser interface. | Instructional uses: Short narrations, feedback, or student reflections. |
|
More on using Campus Pack WIKIS, BLOGS, JOURNALS, and PODCASTS |
||
1. Create the Quicklink from D2L to Campus Pack
Option 1. Create a Quicklink to Campus Pack "Collaboration Space"
1. Log into your D2L course and click on Content on the Navigation Bar.
2. Click on Add Quicklink and select External Learning Tools.
3. Select campus pack collaboration space from the bottom drop-down list. Click Insert
4. Select a module for the tool to fall under, title it, establish restrictions if desired. Click Save.
5. Use the drop-down category menu to select External Learning Tools. Under Link Details > External Learning Tools drop down menu, choose "Campus Pack Collaboration Space" if you want your students to choose from a list of external tools. This is useful if you are planning to use other Campus Pack tools and you only want to add the Campus Pack link to one Content module in your D2L course.
Students will be linked to the "Collaboration Space" and choose the collaborative tool as assigned by the instructor from a list of available tools.
| Back to top |
Option 2. Create a Quicklink Directly to a Campus Pack Tool
Another option is to create a quicklink directly from the course to the wiki, blog, journal or podcast space. This may be useful if you will be using a tool in a single module of a course, or will only be using one Campus Pack tool. The process is the same regardless of the Campus Pack tool being used. To create the Campus Pack tool quicklink:
1. Follow steps 1-4 above.
2. Use the drop-down category menu to select External Learning Tools just as in step 5 above. Under Link Details > External Learning Tools drop down menu, choose "Campus Pack Wiki" (or Blog, Journal, Podcast), instead of Campus Pack Collaboration Space.
3. Click Insert and then click Save.
| Back to top |
2. Create the Wiki, Blog, Journal or Podcast space
After creating the Campus Pack quicklink in your course content area, the next step will be to create the actual wiki, blog, journal, or podcast space.
1. To access Campus Pack, go to the content area in which you created the quicklink, then click on the topic name. NOTE: The Campus Pack area will open up in a new tab.
2. Give the wiki, blog, journal, or podcast a title and and enter any description text if desired. Deploy as "single copy" and click Add.
3. When students select the wiki (or journal, blog, or podcast) link in your course content area, the wiki (or journal, blog, or podcast) will open in a new tab.
Safari users note: When accessing Campus pack the first time, you may see a login screen similar to the image below. To avoid this, please access your Safari preferences menu and change the setting under Privacy > "Block cookies:" to "Never". Restart the browser and access the campus pack link again.
