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Create content guide

Overview of the popular resource types that you can create to present content to students.

About text editor

The text editor enables you to add content (eg text, weblinks, images and media), to your module. If you've used a word processor such as Microsoft Word™ or Open Office™, then most of the functionality will be familiar to you. You use the text editor to create content types including:

  • Upload image
  • Book
  • Page

You will also use the text editor when writing the Description for all the content types.

Text typed into the editor is automatically saved every 60 seconds. If your web browser crashes or you accidentally leave the edit screen, the text in the editor will be restored next time you open the page. Remember to Save on a regular basis so you do not get timed out of Moodle.

You can use Undo and Redo if you change your mind about any edit that you have made.

When developing your Moodle module, ensure the structure of your module and the design of your content is accessible. When using the text editor on Moodle, remember to add Alternative Text to your images and to use the accessibility checker within the editor before making your content live to students.

Avoid copy & paste

To paste your text into the text editor, you need to remove the formatting by copying the text into Notepad. Once copied into Notepad you can copy and paste the text into the text editor.

Format text overview

TinyMCE is the default text editor in Moodle. Seven menus are available in the top row. Starting from the left-hand side of the toolbar:

  1. Edit: Editing functions including undo and redo; cut, copy and paste; select all and find and replace.
  2. View: View source code, view fullscreen and view visual aids to help with editing.
  3. Insert: Insert content including images, tables, code samples, line breaks, date/time.
  4. Format: Formatting features including bold, italics, underline, paragraph styles and alignment.
  5. Tools: View source code, word count and accessibility checker. You can also access the media manager from this menu. This shows all media files that have been embedded in the text.
  6. Table: Create and manage tables.
  7. Help: Access handy shortcuts and keyboard navigation keys.

Frequently used functions and custom plugins are presented as a quick toolbar in the bottom rows. These will be presented as one row when working in full screen mode and as multiple rows when working on smaller screens or when you exit full screen mode. If you do not see all options select the three dot menu on the right of the quick toolbar to display all rows. The buttons are annotated in the image and explained further below.

Annotated TinyMCE editor

  1.  Undo or Redo.
  2. Bold or Italicise.
  3. Insert image or video.
  4. Record two minute audio or video.
    • These audio and video options do not generate a transcript or captions. You should use Kaltura MediaSpace instead to store and display your multimedia content.
  5. Insert Echo 360 Lecture Capture video, H5P resource or Kaltura MediaSpace multimedia content.
  6. Insert link or unlink.
  7. Open or close fullscreen mode.
  8. Alignment options.
  9. LTR (left-to-right) or RTL (right-to-left) directionality.
  10. Decrease or increase indent.
  11. Bullet or numbered list.
  12. MathType equation or Chemistry formula.

The first row of the text editor provides access to the following buttons:

  • styling icons
  • Undo and redo
  • Ordered and unordered lists
  • Link and unlink
  • Accessibility checker and screen reader
  • Add media and manage files 

Selecting the Show more icon - the first icon on the left of the toolbar - displays another row of functionality.

The second row of the text editor provides access to the following buttons: 

  • Add media and manage files
  • Add HTML and emojis
  • Underline, strike through, subscript and superscript
  • Alignment
  • Indent and outdent
  • Insert a math equation and chemistry formula, equation editor, insert character, insert table, and clear formatting. 

 

TeX or LaTeX is a way to display mathematical notation such as subscripts, superscripts, fractions, equations and more in Moodle. The use of TeX is particularly useful in Quiz, though TeX can be added to any text editor field in Moodle.

There’s are 3 ways you can add TeX Notation in Moodle.

  1.     MathType editor
  2.     Moodle's equation editor
  3.     Changing the filters

MathType editor

  1. From the text editor, select the Show more icons button.
  2. Press the 'MathType icon'  and the MathType editor should pop-up on your screen,
  3. You can use the tabs to add integrals, signs, fractions and more.
  4. When you're done, select OK and the string will display in the editor.
  5. To add more to your string, follow steps 3-4 as required.

Text equation editor

  1. From the text editor, select the 'show more buttons' icon.
  2. Select the equation editor icon.
  3. The equation editor will open in a pop-up and you can use the options to insert symbols, integrals and operators.
  4. Select Save equation and the expression will display in your Quiz question or Label.

You can also use an online TeX generator and copy the code from that into the equation editor.

Changing the filters

  1. Select Settings to open the menu.
  2. Choose Filters.
  3. On the filter settings page:
    • Disable TeX notation.
    • Enable MathJax.
    • Select Save changes.
  4. You can use an online TeX code generator such as CodeCogs to generate the TeX string.
  5. Copy the string inside the box into Moodle’s text box and put two dollar signs in front and at the back of the string.
  6. Select Save and the expression will display in your Quiz question or Label.

Moodle's legacy text editor - Atto can still be activated temporarily. If you need to switch it on:

  1. Open the User menu at the top-right of Moodle.
  2. Choose Preferences.
  3. In the Preferences User account section select Editor preferences.
  4. From the drop-down menu choose Atto HTML Editor.
  5. Select Save changes.
  6. If you want to revert back to Default editor (TinyMCE) then repeat the above steps selecting Default editor from the drop-down menu.
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