Linking your Moodle course out to other web pages is the most common way to refer your users out to external information.
(A links is also known as a Hyperlink or a URL.)
How Your Link Should Open for Your User
Some links should open inside the same tab, and other times, it's better to open up hyperlinks to external sites in a separate browser window or tab.
- If the page or file you want to link to is located inside your VCC Moodle course, then it's okay to let that link open up inside the same browser tab/window.
- However, if it's an external site, or a file like a PDF, you should open the link into a new tab or window so that your students don't lose the location of your Moodle course if they close their browser window.
How to add a Hyperlink (URL) in Moodle
Here's how to add an Internet link (a.k.a. hyperlink or URL) to your Moodle course:
- From the topic where you wish to add the link, click on Add an Activity or Resource.
- Choose URL.
- On the page that appears, give your link a name in the Name field.
- Paste the URL of the external page into the External URL field.
- Click on Appearance, to open up the available options.
- If the link leads to an external website or opens a file like a PDF or something that will display in the browser, you should change the Display option from Automatic to New Window, so that it opens a new window and doesn't lead the student away from your course.
Note: Any link that opens a new tab/window should include the text "(opens in a new tab/window)" in the link, so that screen reader software for the visually impaired will recite it to their user.
- If the link leads to another page inside your Moodle course, then you can leave the Display option at its default ("Automatic").
- Click on Save and Return to Course.
- Check your new link to make sure it functions as expected.