6. Sharing and linking in CloudDeakin
There are many ways to share information in your unit site. This page covers:
- Sharing a reading list in CloudDeakin using the External Learning Tool
- Alternative sharing options
Share using the External Learning Tool
The External Learning Tool in CloudDeakin is the preferred method for sharing reading lists, because it uses the unit code and time period from your CloudDeakin site to search for a matching Reading List. This means that when the unit site is rolled over, the tool maps to the new Reading List (if available), so doesn't need to be manually edited.
Click on the plus icons below for steps on how to use the External Learning Tool to:
Link to a reading list in the site content area of CloudDeakin
- Log into CloudDeakin and select your unit site.
- Select Content from the CloudDeakin menu.
- Select Existing Activities to reveal a drop down menu and choose External Learning Tools.
- A list of applications will appear. Search or select Reading List.
- Click on the Reading List title to launch the Reading List platform interface inside your CloudDeakin site.
- CloudDeakin will automatically search for the reading list that is published and matches the title of your unit site. You can also use the search box to find a specific reading list.
- The reading list content will be displayed in the Preview area.
- Once you have found the correct list, click Save.
Caution
In the future if you ever want to fix the link to the reading list, click on the reading list title once again, this time a blue banner box will appear at the top of the list. Click Relink in the blue banner box to update the reading list in CloudDeakin to the correct list or section of a list.
Link out to a reading list/section within a CloudDeakin HTML page
This method is using the External Learning Tool functionality from within CloudDeakin, which means that when the unit site is rolled over for the next offering, the link should map to the new list.
- Open the Edit view of your content page.
- Locate where you want to add a link to your reading list or a specific section of the reading list, then click the Insert Quicklink option.
- Select External Learning Tools, then search for Reading List
This will insert a link into your content page, with the text "Reading List".
- Click the Reading List link you've just inserted and select the edit option. Ensure you have the link set to open in new window. This is so students can quickly return to your unit site.
- Click the Reading List link again, and this time click the button to open the link. This opens the link in a new window, and launches a search for a reading list that matches the unit code and time period of your unit site. When the tool finds:
- a list with the same unit code and time period as the unit site, it will present that list in preview. Go to step 6.
- one or more lists with the same unit code, but not the same time period, it offers a suggestions box featuring those near matches, or allows you to search for a different list.
- no matching lists, the tool then prompts you to search for a list.
- Once you've found the list you want to link to, you can select to link to the whole list, or to a specific section of the list using the sections dropdown menu (e.g. week 4).
- Now click Save to complete the link setup.
Repeat these steps anywhere you want to link to the list or a section of the list.
Note
We recommend you check all links in your unit site, including External Learning Tool links, ahead of each trimester/semester to confirm they are linking to the correct list or section.
Alternative sharing options
For the best student experience, and to reduce manual effort, we recommend using one of the above mentioned External Learning Tool integrations. However, there are a few other ways you can link to library resources or a reading list, which are outlined below.
Link directly to online resources
You can link directly to a resource or a resource record (e.g. e-book, article, streaming video). We do not recommend using the link to a resource from a reading list, as this will require manual updating every trimester. For information on how to link to library resources, visit our steps on linking directly to resources in CloudDeakin.
Link to a digitisation
If you have any digitised resources in your reading list (i.e. a scanned chapter, article or pages) you can follow the steps below to link directly to them.
- Locating the record with the digitisation in a Reading List.
- Access the digitisation by clicking the View Online button.
- Copy the URL from the web browser (this will start with https://content.talis....), to share with students.
Note: As long as the reading list and digitisation are rolled over each trimester the unit occurs, this link will continue to work.
Link to a reading list in a discussion board
You can follow the steps below to retrieve a static link to your reading list. Note: We do not recommend this link be used in other areas of your unit site, because it will need to be updated every trimester.
- Launch the Reading List platform and navigate to a specific reading list.
- Highlight and copy the resource address (ie: the link or URL) from the web browser address bar.
- Paste the link into your discussion topic.
Alert
Reading lists will be rolled over on the Reading List platform ahead of the teaching period. If you can't find your reading list, please contact the Course Resources and Access team.