Adding a Link

CIT :: WebCT :: Info for Faculty/Designers :: Adding a Link

Linking to an Internet Resource

Your WebCT course can easily link to any publicly accessible content found on the World Wide Web.

The process of adding a link to your course can be broken down into several steps:

Find the URL of the Resource you want to link to

Every web page, image file, and media file placed on the internet has a unique address, also known as it's URL (Uniform Resource Locator). URL's for web pages generally (but not always) begin with "http://www"; for instance, the URL of the Google search engine is http://www.google.com.

Most web browsers display the URLs of internet resources in the Address bar or Navigation bar at the top of each browser window. Most web browsers also allow users to highlight, copy, and paste these URLs. Find the URL of the resource you want to link to, and copy it.
Use "Add Page or Tool" to add the URL tool

Log into WebCT and enter the course that you want to add the link to (you must be a designer for the course). You will be adding the link as an icon to either the course Homepage or any other Organizer page that you may have created.

With the Designer Options tab selected, click on Add Page or Tool in the right hand column.

Then, in the page that comes up, click on the URL tool at the bottom of the left-most column of WebCT tools.
Fill out the Add URL form

In the first part of the form, enter a title, which will become the text shown to students below the icon representing the link.

In the second part of the form, type or paste in the URL that you want to link to. This address needs to be exact; a single error may prevent the link from working.

You also have the option of having the linked resource open in the same browser window or a new browser window. In general, external web pages should open in a new browser window. You may want to test both options and see which you prefer.

In the third part of the form, check the second box labelled "On an Organizer Page" and choose either the Homepage or another Organizer page.

Lastly, click the Add button at the bottom of the form.
Verify that the link works as you expect

An icon should appear on your course Homepage or the Organizer page that you specified.

Click on the View tab to switch from the Designer view to the Student view.

Clicking on this icon should load the link, which will display either in the same browser window or a new browser window, depending on what you specified.
Edit the link to make corrections or change settings

Switch to the Designer Options view and click on the link icon (or select the icon and click on the Edit button) to bring up the Update Link to URL form.

Make any changes to the title, corrections to the URL, or change the setting between opening in the same browser window or a new browser window.

Then click the Update button to save your changes, and test the Link again.