About Content Module

Index for Content Module


WebCT course content consists of a series of pages of content such as lecture notes, multimedia presentations, assignments, and quizzes. You create a Content Module by organizing the content pages into a Table of Contents. This provides students with a guide to the sequence of study for the course content. The hierarchical structure also makes it easier for students to find specific course content.

You create the Table of Contents by adding headings and subheadings. You can then add content within this hierarchy by adding files of content. These files appear as links in the Table of Contents, which provides students with easy access. When a student clicks a link, WebCT displays the content pages that you have created.

Your course files can be in any file format including: .txt, .doc, .htm, .html, .xls, .ppt, .pdf, .jpg. and .gif.

To create a Table of Contents, see Adding Course Content.

For users who are new to WebCT, we recommend that you use the Content Module Wizard. The wizard guides you, step-by-step, through the following options:

  • add files to the table of contents
  • create a new HTML file
  • edit a file in the table of contents
  • delete a file
  • preview the table of contents

To access the wizard, click Use Content Module Wizard. For more information about wizards, see Course Design Center. Note: Depending on administrator settings, this feature may not be available to you.

What do you want to do?

Organizing the Table of Contents | Top

Students access content pages through the Table of Contents, which is structured as a hierarchy of hyperlinked headings and subheadings. You create subheadings by indenting headings. The Table of Contents below illustrates a hierarchy of content pages.


What do the triangles mean?

A right-pointing triangle next to a heading indicates that there are subheadings which are not displayed. Click the right-pointing triangle to make the subheadings visible.
A downward-pointing triangle next to a heading indicates that subheadings are displayed. Click the downward-pointing triangle to hide the subheadings.

You can change the hierarchy and sequence of your course content.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Content Module. The Content Module screen appears.
  2. Under Table of Contents, select the heading that you want to move.
  3. Select how you want to move the heading.
    • To indent or outdent an item:
      1. Under Organize, from the Indent item drop-down list, select Less or More.
      2. Click Go. The updated Table of Contents appears.
    • To move an item up or down:
      1. Under Organize, select the direction and distance you want to move the heading.
      2. Click Go. The updated Table of Contents appears.

Customizing Page Colors | Top

You can choose the colors background, text, links, and visited links for the Table of Contents. The default colors are set to the Content Module setting, as specified in Edit Content Module Settings. If you have not set colors for the Content Module, the default colors are set to the Course Default setting. You can either choose from predefined color schemes or create a custom color scheme. Note: Depending on administrator settings, the high contrast color scheme may be the default and you will not be able to change page colors.

Choosing a predefined color scheme | Top

  1. From the Course Menu, click Content Module. The Content Module screen appears.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Customize page colors. The Customize Page Colors screen appears displaying the predefined color schemes.
  3. In the Color Set column, choose one of the predefined color schemes by selecting the radio button for the appropriate set.
  4. Click Update. The chosen color scheme is applied.

Choosing the high contrast color scheme | Top

In compliance with the US Rehabilitation Act, Section 508, WebCT offers a color scheme that provides high contrast between background and foreground elements. This high contrast color scheme allows users who have difficulty distinguishing colors to use WebCT. Note: Depending on administrator settings, this may be the default color scheme.

  1. From the Table of Contents screen of the Content Module, click the Designer Options tab if it is not already selected.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Customize page colors. The Customize Page Colors screen appears displaying the predefined color schemes.
  3. In the Color Set column, select High Contrast.
  4. Click Update. The high contrast color scheme is applied.

Creating a custom color scheme | Top

You can create custom color scheme for the Table of Contents by selecting the colors for text, links, visited links, and background. Note: Depending on administrator settings, this feature may not be available. The high contrast color scheme may be the default.

  1. From the Table of Contents screen of the Content Module, scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Customize page colors. The Customize Page Colors screen appears displaying the predefined color schemes.
  2. In the Color Set column, select Custom.
  3. In the Colors column, click one of the following:
    • Set text color
    • Set link color
    • Set visited link color
    • Set background color
    A color palette appears.
  4. To preview a color, click one of the colored squares and click Preview. The color appears in the frame to the right of the color palette. Tip: In the Color Value text box, you can also type an HTML hexadecimal color code and click Preview.
  5. To choose the color, click Update. The Customize Page Colors screen appears.
  6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 to select a custom color for another screen element.
  7. Click Update. The custom color scheme is applied.

Choosing the Content Module default color scheme | Top

You can choose the color scheme as specified in Edit Content Module Settings.

  1. From the Table of Contents screen of the Content Module, scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Customize page colors. The Customize Page Colors screen appears.

  2. Click Content Module default. The color scheme that is specified in the Content Module is applied.

Adding or Modifying a Background Image | Top

Note: Images must be saved as .gif or .jpg format.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Content Module. The Content Module screen appears.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Modify/Add background image. The Modify/Add Background Image for Table of Contents screen appears.
  3. Select or modify the background image.
    • To select a background image:
      1. Select Use file.
      2. In the Filename text box, enter the filename, or to select the file, click Browse. For more information, see WebCT Browser.
    • To use the Content Module default background image, as specified in Edit Content Module Settings, select Use Content Module default. If you have not set a background image for the Content Module, the default image is set to the Course default setting. For more information, see Course Settings.
    • To use no background image, select None.
  4. Click Update. The Content Module screen appears displaying the new background image.

Adding or Modifying a Banner | Top

You can add a banner with text and an image on the Table of Contents. Images must be saved as .gif or .jpg format. Note: The banner is not displayed if you set the Table of Contents to display on the left of the page.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Content Module. The Content Module screen appears.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Modify/Add banner image. The Modify/Add Banner Image for Table of Contents screen appears.
  3. Select or modify the banner option.
    • To select a banner image:
      1. Select Use file.
      2. In the Filename text box, enter the path and filename of the banner image, or to select the file, click Browse. For more information, see WebCT Browser.
    • To use the WebCT banner with personalized text:
      1. Select Use text.
      2. In the Text box, enter the text to appear in the banner.
    • To use the WebCT banner image with the content module title as the text, select Use default text.
    • To use no banner, select None.
  4. Click Update. The Content Module screen appears displaying the new banner image.

Adding or Editing an Upper Textblock | Top

You can add a textblock as a page header on the Table of Contents. Note: The textblock is not displayed if you set the Table of Contents to display on the left of the page.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Content Module. The Content Module screen appears.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Edit/Add upper textblock. The Edit/Add Upper Textblock screen appears.
  3. In the Edit textblock text box, enter or modify the text. Note: You can use HTML tags to format the text, or click HTML editor to format the text using the HTML Editor.
  4. Click Update. The Content Module screen appears displaying the new upper textblock.

Adding or Editing a Lower Textblock | Top

You can add a textblock as a page footer on the Table of Contents. Note: The textblock is not displayed if you set the Table of Contents to display on the left of the page.

  1. From the Course Menu, click Content Module. The Content Module screen appears.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and under Customize, click Edit/Add lower textblock. The Edit/Add Lower Textblock screen appears.
  3. In the Edit textblock text box, enter or modify the text. Note: You can use HTML tags to format the text, or click HTML editor to format the text using the HTML Editor.
  4. Click Update. The Content Module screen appears displaying the new lower textblock.


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