The Text Editor has many icons that assist with entering content into your course. Several of these icons and functions should be familiar to anyone who uses a word processor. This default text editor allows you to format your text easily without any knowledge of HTML.
NOTE: Hover your mouse over each icon to reveal a tool-tip that states what the button will do.
The first set of icons on the text editor are for formatting basic text. They are key to making content accessible to a screen reader and to ensure a consistent look throughout your course content. They can also be used to organize and identify information.
You should use these three buttons almost exclusively when creating content for your course.
The paragraph styles drop-down menu changes the format for a block of text. Paragraph is the default format, but headings and other format options can be applied to organize or identify specific content. This makes the text easier to follow and accessible.
The unordered list button creates a bulleted list. You can create an unordered list from scratch or apply the style to existing lines of selected text.
NOTE: You need to use the indent button to create a secondary list, and the outdent button to return to the top level.
The Ordered list button creates a numbered list. You can create a numbered list from scratch or apply the style to existing lines of selected text.
NOTE: You need to use the indent button to create a secondary list, and the outdent button to return to the top level.
The second set of icons on the text editor are for creating and deleting links to pages or files outside your Moodle course.
To auto-link to activities and resources within your own course, type the activity name exactly as it appears in Moodle and Moodle will auto-link to that item by default.
The Link button creates or modifies a link to an external webpage or file. Select the text you would like to make a link and click on the Link button to open the Create link pop-up.
By default, most links will appear blue-colored and may or may not also be underlined. Hovering over a link with your mouse will turn the arrow into a pointing hand to indicate interaction.
The Unlink button will remove a link or allow you to modify the linked content location.
The third set of icons on the text editor adds multimedia (like images, video, and interactive content) to your Moodle course.
The Insert or edit image allows you to insert a new image or edit an existing image in your content.
NOTE: Some images are large and may take a long time to upload.
If you need to modify the image alt-text, size, or alignment, select the image and click on the Insert or edit image button again.
The Embed Kaltura Media button embeds a video that has been uploaded or recorded using Kaltura.
NOTE: If you haven’t already added your video to Kaltura you can use +Add New button to upload or record your video first in the pop-up window.
Once you’ve found the desired video click the </> Embed button to the right of the video.
The Insert H5P button embeds preexisting H5P content, created by you or someone else, to your course. H5P is an open source interactive media tool.
NOTE: H5P content that is added through the text editor cannot be connected to the gradebook or created from scratch.
H5P content will vary drastically in appearance based on the type of content created/imported. The content can range from flash cards, interactive time-line, crossword and more.
The Manage embedded files button allows you to add, remove, and override files relevant to the resource or activity. A file that has been previously uploaded and removed from the activity or resource can still be found here to re-reference, remove or modify.
The Manage Embedded files pop-up window displays all files uploaded to this activity or resource under Manage Files. The Unused file section displays the files that Moodle does not detect as being currently used in the activity or resource. You can remove unused files to keep your course size smaller.
The fourth set of buttons on the Atto text editor are for Quick-recording audio or video responses (maximum length is 5 min).
The record audio button allows you to record and insert an audio recording (up to 5 minutes) using a computer’s microphone.
You will be able to preview your recording before you attach it to your content. When you attach it to the content an interactive player will appear inline with any other content.
The Record video button will allow you to record a video (up to 5 minutes) using a computer or phone webcam.
NOTE: If you need to do a screen recording or create a video longer than 5 minutes you can use Kaltura to create your video.
You will be able to preview your recording before you attach it to your content. When you attach it to the content an interactive player will appear inline with any other content.
The fifth set of buttons on the text editor can be used to help make your content more accessible.
The Screenreader helper button allows you to see the HTML tags (P for Paragraph, H3 for small Heading, OL for Ordered List, etc.) that are in the content you have highlighted with your cursor or the line you are actively on. It will also show the links and images in the text editor.
The Clear formatting button strips away styling formatting. This will clean your content leaving the basic formatting. This will make the content more accessible.
To use you will highlight the text and click the Clear formatting button.
Before:
After:
The HTML button shows you the HTML/source code. You will be able to see the markup code and tags that make the content look the way it does.
If you know HTML this would allow you to modify the content using this window. The text editor will attempt to color-code, indent, and number lines for HTML and CSS automatically for easier editing.
NOTE: If you are not familiar with HTML we do not recommend you edit your content here. You can use HTMLg to help you strip formatting and modify your content. You can then copy the modified HTML code back into Moodle.
The Toggle full screen button expands the text editor to take up the entire browser window or tab. This will provide additional space to create or edit content.
To return to the normal editing page click the Toggle full screen button again.
The HTML Accessibility Report button reviews content in the text editor and identify issues such as:
A pop up window the the Accessibility Report provided by YuJa Panorama will appear to the right with an explanation of the issues it detects. It will also provide a button that will explains How To Fix the issue, and a button to help Fix issue.
The sixth set of buttons on the text editor are text formatting options (bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough) that can be used to emphasize text.
These tools only work for sighted users trying to quickly scan a document and should not be used in place of headings.
The Bold button makes the selected text bolded. This is meant to provide emphasis on text and can provide an easier visual when scanning for key words.
NOTE: Same as pressing Ctrl + b on your keyboard.
Bold text can help emphasize a remark, comment, or key words in text by darkening them and make them easier to spot.
The italics button makes the selected text italicized. This can have a specific meaning in addition to providing emphasis. According to Computer Hope some examples for when it’s appropriate to use italic text:
NOTE: Same as pressing Ctrl + i on your keyboard
Italic will change the appearance of text to appear gently slanted to the right.
The underline button makes the selected text underlined. This can be used to emphasize text but it is also common practice to use underlined text to indicate a link to another page or website. For this reason you should be cautious when choosing to use this text format for emphasis.
NOTE: Same as pressing Ctrl + u on your keyboard.
Text that has been underlined may be mistaken for links or hyperlinks to other parts of the internet but can add emphasis to text.
The strike through button makes the selected text appear to be crossed out. This is to indicate the suggested removal of the text without deleting the content.
Strike-Through text will appear with a horizontal line through the middle as if it’s been crossed out.
The seventh set of buttons on the text editor are for applying text color formats. Text color formats can be used to emphasize text, but it is important to consider a few things when using text color formatting to make your content accessible.
The Font Color button makes the selected text a different color.
Text color is the digital equivalent of selecting a different colored pen such as from black ink to red ink.
The Background color button adds a background color to the selected text.
Background color when applied to text is the digital equivalent of using a highlighter pen over your content.
Paragraph formatting controls the alignment and spacing of text, which can help ensure that the document is professional and easy to read.
The left align button aligns the text to the left side of the content area.
Text begins in the top-left corner of the page and will start new lines to the left.
The center align button aligns the text in the center of the content area.
Text begins in the center of the page and will start new lines while trying to keep the shape of the text centered and symmetrical.
The right align button aligns the text to the right side of the content area.
Text begins in the top-right corner of the page and will start new lines to the right.
The outdent button removes an existing indent. When text or a list is indented this will reduce the indent or move it to the left.
The indent button moves text or list item to the right. This is typically used to create hierarchy to a document or to create a secondary list in an ordered or unordered list.
This item is not indented.
This item is indented twice.
This item is indented once.
The Horizontal rule button adds a horizontal line that will span the entire content area. This is to provide a visual break in information.
To make your content accessible you should use this instead of multiple hyphen/dash (-), underscore (_), or other characters to create this break. This is because a screen reader will read the names of those characters one-at-a-time. (Example: “—–” would be read as “hyphen hyphen hyphen hyphen hyphen”)
These last set of buttons buttons are to perform some specialized formatting that is not used often. They will likely be used for some specialized fields like math, science, and some language courses.
The Subscript button adds smaller text below the baseline. This is commonly used for chemical formulas and some mathematics.
Subscript text appears smaller in size and below the baseline of the surrounding text.
The Superscript button adds smaller text above the baseline. This is commonly used to indicate exponents in math, the presence of footnotes in writing, and the charges of ions and subatomic particles in chemistry.
Superscript text appears smaller in size and above the baseline of the surrounding text.
The insert character button adds special characters to your text. This is commonly used for foreign languages or other symbols not included on a basic keyboard.
The Equation editor button inserts formatted math equations into your content. The Equation Editor will to convert TeX code to an image that is accessible to a number of screen readers.
The Table button adds a table to your content. Tables are built for displaying information in an organized way. If you have a graphical representation of data (i.e. a pie graph), consider also offering a table of the same data to help automated screen readers for ADA accessibility purposes.
A pop-up window will appear asking for basic table settings like Caption, where to define headers, and the number of rows and columns needed.
