UBC BLOGS NSYNC PLUGIN THE NSYNC 1.1 PLUGIN IN UBC BLOGS ALLOWS YOU TO PERMIT OTHER SITES TO PUSH CONTENT FROM THEIR SITE TO YOUR SITE BY ASSIGNING POSTS TO PRE-DETERMINED CATEGORIES. As shwn belw, psts categrized as NSYNC and Grup 1 frm the students persnal blgs (Jenny Sandbx, Leanna s Sandbx) are fed int the Curse Blg/Main Hub (Arts Learning Centre). This allws the instructr t easily see an aggregate f the students psts withut having t click int each students persnal blgs. In additin, this is a great way fr students t share their wrk and see ther students wrk. The image part with relatinship ID rid9 was nt fund in the file.
STEP I: CREATE A UBC BLOG WITH LTI TOKEN PLUGIN The first step is t create a UBC Blg that will directly link t WrdPress using a BasicLTI integratin t a Cnnect curse s yur students will be autmatically ppulated int the UBC Blg site withut having t lg in again r create a UBC blg accunt. This will be yur Curse Blg, smetimes referred t as the main hub. 1. Lg int www.blgs.ubc.ca with yur UBC CWL t create a blg. 2. Activate the LTI Cnnectr Tken plugin 3. Add the Tl Link UBC Blgs iframe r UBC Blgs DO NOT click n the link nce created as it will aut-generate a blg with a URL based n the Cnnect curse name UBC Blgs: this will pen the Blg in a new tab nce users click n the link UBC Blgs iframe: this will pen the Blg within the Cnnect frame nce users click n the link 4. G t Curse Tls à BasicLTI Tls 5. Depending n yur chice in Step 3, select UBC Blgs r UBC Blgs iframe à Edit Settings 6. Under Custm Parameters, add: existingurlpath=yurubcblg i.e. blgs.ubc.ca/yurubcblg wplticnnectrtken=yurrandmtken i. In yur Wrdpress Dashbard, g t Tls à LTI Tken t grab yur LTI Tken key Blgtype=ubcBlgsTypeStudentSubscriber Yur UBC blg is nw set-up! Once students click n the link frm the left hand menu, they will be autmatically added inside yur blg as subscribers. Nte: T make changes t yur blg, please lg in at http://blgs.ubc.ca as it will be easier t navigate arund the Dashbard.
STEP II: ENABLE THE NSYNC PLUGIN 1. Access yur UBC Blg by ging t http://blgs.ubc.ca 2. Hver ver yur site title n the tp menu and chse DASHBOARD 3. On the left hand menu, click n PLUGINS 4. Find NSYNC 1.1 frm the list and click n ACTIVATE STEP III: CREATE YOUR CATEGORIES Determine the categries yu want students t use t categrize their psts. Fr example, yu can set-up the fllwing categries: All student psts, Sectin 001, Sectin 002, Sectin 003, etc. 5. On the left hand menu, hver ver POSTS and chse CATEGORIES 6. Under NAME, type in the categry name (e.g. All student psts). 7. Click ADD NEW CATEGORY 8. Repeat steps 6-7 fr all the categries yu wuld like t create
STEP IV: SELECT THE STUDENT BLOGS THAT CAN PUSH CONTENT TO THE MAIN HUB In this step, yu are checking ff the users blgs that can push cntent t the curse blg/main hub. 9. Click n SETTINGS frm the left hand menu and chse WRITING 10. Under NETWORK SITES PUBLISHERS, yu will see 3 main tabs: Current, Add Sites, and General. Under the Current tab, yu shuld see There are currently n external sites that are able t publish yur cntent t yur site. The reasn yu are receiving this message is because yu have nt chsen any sites t publish cntent. 11. Click n the Add Sites tab. Yu will see a list f users wh have access t yur Curse Blg/Main Hub. Yu will als see all the blgs the users have access t, and allw it t be published t yur netwrk. The users need t be added t yur UBC Blg site befre the List f sites by current users is ppulated. Students will need t lgin t yur Cnnect curse and click n the link fr the UBC Blg t be autmatically be ppulated as subscribers.
If yu are a super admin yu will see a search mdule therwise skip this step. Type in a keywrd that wuld be included in the sites url yu are lking fr. Click n search and yu will see all the netwrk sites with that keywrd in the url. Yu can quickly select a grup f sites this way r click uncheck all and select manually. 12. Click n the students username under User List and select the students blg in which yu allw cntent t be pushed frm their blg t the curse blg. Tip: Ask yur students t title their blgs in a way that can be easily identifiable, such as including the curse cde in their titles. This will make it easier fr yu t identify which blgs (especially if a user has multiple blgs) that is created fr the purpse f yur class. 13. Click SAVE CHANGES. 14. After yu have checked ff all the apprpriate users blgs, head ver t the General tab. Under Categry fr Nsync, select the categry that yu want students psts t appear in (e.g. All Student Psts). Nte: If yu d nt see yur categries listed here, yu will need t create a pst and assign it t that categry first t trigger it t appear. Nte: If Restrict surce pst s categries t nes already n yur blg is checked ff, this means that yur students will have t create the exact same categry name as yurs. Otherwise, if left unchecked, it gives students the ptin t create their wn categries and push it t yur blg s main feed (i.e. the default categry that psts will appear in). 15. Click SAVE CHANGES.
STEP V: CREATE A PAGE FOR THE CATEGORY 16. On the left hand menu, hver ver APPEARANCE and chse MENUS 17. Click n CATEGORIES frm the left and check ff a categry (e.g. All student psts) 18. Click n ADD TO MENU. 19. Drag and drp the menu items n the right t rerganize the rder f yur menu. 20. Repeat steps 16-19 until yu have added all the categries yu wuld like t be displayed in yur menu 21. Click SAVE MENU
STEP VI: INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW STUDENTS PUSH THEIR POSTS TO THE COURSE BLOG After students have created their wn UBC blg, they will need t (1) set up the categries and (2) push their psts t the curse blg. The fllwing instructins are fr students: SET-UP CATEGORIES 1. On the left hand menu, hver ver POSTS and chse CATEGORIES 2. Under NAME, type in the categry name Nte: remember t let students knw hw yu named yur categries. The students categries must be exactly the same as the curse blg in rder fr the psts t push successfully. 3. Click ADD NEW CATEGORY Nte: students will nly need t create the categries that they need t assign their psts t (e.g. All Student psts, Sectin 001). They d nt have t create all the categries frm the curse blg. Students can assign a pst t multiple categries. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 fr all the categries that need t be created PUSH POST TO COURSE BLOG/MAIN HUB 1. On the left hand menu, click n POSTS 2. Click n ADD NEW 3. Type in the cntent fr the pst 4. Click PUBLISH when it is ready t be psted 5. On the right, hver ver Als publish t: [Curse Blg] and check ff the curse blg that appears belw it. This will push yur pst t the curse blg 6. Check t see if yur pst appears in the Curse Blg CHECKING YOUR STUDENTS BLOG POSTS All f the syndicated blg psts will be published as a pst n yur site. If yu dn t see students pst, duble check if yur students have published t the curse site in Step VI: Push Pst t Curse Blg/Main Hub. If yu want t display nly an excerpt f the students psts t make the reading easier, yu can insert a read mre ptin int their pst. Edit a student pst in yur blg site and in the text editr, paste the fllwing shrtcde in the Text field (nt Visual): <!--mre--> Here is hw it lks in the live view f yur blg site:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Yu can see what psts have been pushed t yur site by ging t the left menu and clicking n Psts. When yu hver ver the psts in the table, the nes that have been pushed t yur site will shw - Pst updated frm: sitename View Pst As a student yu can see what psts yu have pushed by ging t the left menu and clicking n Psts. When yu hver ver the psts in the table, the nes that have been pushed will shw - Als psted t: SITE 1 View pst When psts are cpied ver they keep their revisin histry. T see when a student has last edited and pushed their pst t yur site d the fllwing: In the left-hand menu click n Psts Click n the pst in the table yu want t check Under the psts text editr there shuld be a Revisins mdule. If nt, then at the tp f the screen click n Screen Optins and check the Revisins checkbx. All the revisin histry n the pushed pst can be seen. Click n a date listed in the revisin histry. Yu can nw cmpare the pst t the previus versin and check what was changed. Yu can als give students the ptins t create their wn categries and push it t yur blg s main feed (i.e. the default categry that psts will appear in).