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Xerte Online Toolkits & RSS

Ron Mitchell Pat Lockley

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Xerte Online Toolkits & RSS - Topics

• RSS definition• Using external RSS feeds with

a dynamically updated Xerte object

• Creating your own RSS feeds using the the RSS Feed template

• Using the feed template to make a course

• Using the feed template to distribute resources

• Automatic feeds on normal LO’s using the Properties panel

• Using the sitewide RSS feed• Using your own individual

feeds• Using your own folder feeds• Using XOT to display rss

feeds in Moodle topic area• Updating learners (or

colleagues) automatically via Outlook or any other RSS feed reader.

• Xpert• The Sitewide syndication feed• The Sitewide export feed

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RSS – A couple of definitions...

• RSS ("Really Simple Syndication") is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardised format. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

• Rich Site Summary; RDF Site Summary; Really Simple Syndication, a newsfeed technology that standardises the publication of regularly updated Web works, such as blogs and news articlesen.wiktionary.org/wiki/RSS

XOT & RSS: allows dynamic content to ‘feed’ into LO’s and provides automatic and manual ways of sharing LO’s via RSS and Syndication feeds.

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What is an RSS Feed

Think of it like a magazine subscription

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628494

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What does an RSS feed look like?

A list of links

http://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/rss.xml

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The links in an RSS Feed are clickable

Taking you to a resource

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11645950

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Adding an RSS Feed into Xerte Online Toolkits

A page that updates itself

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Adding an RSS Feed

InsertMiscRSS Feed

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How does an RSS Feed look

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Making an RSS Feed in Xerte Online Toolkits

Can be used to make a course

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Making an RSS Feed in Xerte Online Toolkits

Or to distribute links to people

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RSS Feeds in Xerte Online Toolkits

Highlight an itemThen click properties

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RSS Options

Lots to choose from – remember to make your item public – RSS feeds can’t be password protected.

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The Site Feed

All of the sites content

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Your Feed

All of your content

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A feed for a folder

Group your content together

Highlight a folderClick Properties

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A feed for a folder

Group your content together

Highlight a folderClick Properties

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Displaying RSS in Moodle topic areas

Embed an LO in a Label to display multi-page RSS in a topic area. Tip: change iframe dimensions e.g. 600 x 400 & include a link to view in a new window

Or of course just use the RSS block – but in my opinion this isn’t a great solution

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Displaying RSS in Moodle topic areas

This can include a feed from a Moodle forum

Note: The RSS pages in LO’s exported and imported to another online site (rather than linked or embedded from a Toolkits install) will not work*. This is a Flash Player security issue rather than specifically a Xerte issue. *(Can’t find rss_proxy.php)

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Displaying RSS in Moodle topic areas

Or custom page types like my Twitter page

http://xerte5.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/play_5499

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Displaying RSS in Moodle topic areas

Or custom page types like my textwall page

http://www.learningapps.co.uk/moodle/xertetoolkits/play.php?template_id=2

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Adding a XOT RSS feed to Outlook

1. Select Tools > Account Settings

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Adding a XOT RSS feed to Outlook

2. Select RSS Feeds > New and add your XOT feed

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Adding a XOT RSS feed to Outlook

3. Accept the defaults or click change folder & create or select a folder. You can also select inbox.

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Adding a XOT RSS to Outlook

4. Click Send/Receive – existing and new LO’s added to that RSS will appear in your inbox or selected folder.

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Regional use of XOT RSS

What if 8 institutions in the East Midlands shared their RSS feeds?...

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National use of XOT RSS

Better still - What if all the institutions with XOT installations shared their RSS feeds?...

Or indeed their syndication feeds!?...

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National use of XOT RSS

...and you automatically receive notification when new LO’s are added to any of those installation’s feeds!

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Other RSS readers e.g. Google Reader

Just select Add a subscription and add the feed link

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Other RSS readers

Even just the RSS feed viewed in the browser can be useful e.g. Saved as a favourite or added to delicious An organisations Site-wide feed can be used to easily share

cross-curriculum examples where the material might otherwise never bee seen by other areas/staff.

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Xpert

RSS Feeds of learning content

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/xpert/

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Syndication

Getting your content into Xpert

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Export and Reuse

Download ready made items

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Export and Reuse

Download ready made items

View/Consume/Link/Embed: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/play_1154

Download/Import/Repurpose as normal zip:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/export_1154

Download/Import as SCORM zip:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/scorm_1154

Syndication feed:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/syndicate.php

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What’s the URL of your installation?

Please add rss.php to the end and share in the text chat e.g.

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/rss.php

http://xerte5.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/rss.php

http://mitchellmedia.co.uk/moodle/xertetoolkits/rss.php

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Additional support/tutorials:

http://techdis.ac.uk/getxerte

Editing, managing and sharing learning objects (part 1)

Sharing LO part 1 Word (2.2MB)

Sharing LO part 1 PDF (874KB)

This tutorial basics of editing, managing and sharing Xerte objects including previewing and publishing changes, how to make learning objects public, creating folders and organising learning objects, etc.

Editing, managing and sharing learning objects (part 2)

Sharing LO part 2 Word (2.4MB)

Sharing LO part 2 PDF (1.1MB)

This tutorial features more advanced steps following on from Part 1 including using RSS feeds, adding notes, sharing learning objects for collaborative development, exporting learning objects from Xerte toolkits, amongst many others.

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Link to an LO about RSS:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/toolkits/play_1505

and a link to this presentation click here