6.3. General

The artefacts in this tab are of a general nature or do not fit into any other category and can be used around the site.

When you create a page in a group, you do not have the plans block available as you cannot create plans in groups. Additionally, you can choose the following blocks when you edit the group homepage:

• Group information
• Group members
• Group pages

6.3.1. Creative Commons license

Add a block to your page which lets users know under which Creative Commons license your page is published.

Configure the Creative Commons license block

1. Block title: Choose a title for your block.
2. Allow commercial uses of your work? Decide whether users can re-use your work for commercial purposes.
3. Allow modifications of your work? Decide whether others can remix your work and create something new and if so under which conditions.
4. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

See also

For more information about the licenses and their terms, visit the Creative Commons web site.

6.3.2. Navigation

Add a navigation block to display links to pages in a collection.

Note

You must create at least one collection in order to use this block.

Configure the Navigation block

1. Block title: The title of the collection is chosen automatically unless you provide a different one.
2. Collection: Choose the collection from the drop-down menu for which you wish to display links in the block.
3. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

6.3.3. Plans

Display one of your plans in a block.

Note

You must create at least one plan in order to use this block.

Configure the Plans block

1. Block title: The title of the plan is chosen automatically unless you provide a different one.
2. Plan to show: Choose the plan which you want to display in your page.
3. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

Result of an embedded plan in a portfolio page. By clicking on the linked titles, you can show the descriptions of the individual tasks.

6.3.4. Recent forum posts

Display a specified number of recent forum posts from one group on a page.

Note

You must be a member of at least one group in order to use this block.

Configure the Recent forum posts block

1. Block title: The title of the block is generated automatically unless you provide a different one. The default title is “Recent forum posts”.
2. Group: Choose the group whose forum posts you wish to display.
3. Maximum number of posts to show: Decide how many of the latest forum posts you wish to show. The default value is 5. You can show up to 100 posts.
4. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

6.3.5. Text box

Add text to your page. This feature is used when you do not want to keep the text in a journal, e.g. just for small snippets of text.

6.3.5.1. Add a new text box

Configure the Text box block

1. Block title: Provide a title for your text.
2. Block content: Write your text. You can include formatting, external images etc.
3. Alternatively, you can also use text from another note that you have already written.
4. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

Note

We recommend you do not include images that you have uploaded to Mahara in a text box. It cannot be guaranteed that they are displayed for other users if they do not have access to the image via another portfolio page. All access in Mahara is granted to pages and through them to the artefact blocks. An image in a text box is not recognized as artefact and can therefore not receive its proper permissions.

6.3.5.2. Re-use text from an existing text box

You can re-use text from other text boxes (a.k.a. Notes) from one page in another.

Warning

If you do not make a copy of a text box content and change it, the text is changed in all other instances where this text box is used.

Configure the Text box block by copying text

1. Block title: Provide a title for your text. You should only enter it after you selected the text box to re-use as the title of the original text box will be entered.
2. Click the link Use content from another text box to view all the text boxes to which you have access. These can be:
   • your own notes
   • text boxes from group pages that you can copy
   • text boxes from institution or site pages to which you have access
3. Click Browse or Search to find the text box that you want to re-use.
4. All text boxes are listed with their title and the first line. Click the radio button next to the text box that you want to use again.
5. If a text box does not belong to you but a group for example, you see the author next to the text box title.
6. The content of the text box that you have selected is displayed in the Block content box. You can now make changes. The text will be changed in all other instances where this text box appears.
7. If you wish to make changes to the text but not want to change it everywhere else, click the Make a copy link above the Block content. The text is then retained, but is treated like a new text box.
8. Click the Manage all text box content link to be taken to your personal Notes to make changes there instead of in an existing text box from this popup window here.
9. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

See also

You can watch a demo of this feature in action.

6.3.6. Inbox

The Inbox block displays the latest messages that you have received.

Note

This block can only be used on your dashboard.

Configure the Inbox block

1. Block title: The automatic title for this block is “Inbox”. You can set another one if you wish.
2. Message types to display: Place a check mark for each message type that you want to display in this block.
3. Maximum number of items to display: Decide how many messages shall be shown on your dashboard. You can choose between 5 and 100.
4. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

6.3.7. Latest pages

The Latest pages block displays the latest pages to which you have access across Mahara.

Note

This block can only be used on your dashboard.

Configure the Latest pages block

1. Block title: The automatic title for this block is “Latest pages”. You can set another one if you wish.
2. Maximum number of pages to show: Decide how many pages shall be shown on your dashboard. You can choose between 5 and 100.
3. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

6.3.8. Watched pages

The Watched pages block displays the pages that are on your watchlist.

Note

This block can only be used on your dashboard.

Configure the Watched pages block

1. Block title: The automatic title for this block is “Watched pages”. You can set another one if you wish.
2. Items to show: Decide how many pages shall be shown on your dashboard.
3. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

6.3.9. Group info

This block is a default block on the group homepage. There is no configuration possible.

Items in the group info block

The block contains information about:

1. group characteristics
2. group administrator
3. group creation date
4. dates between which regular group members can participate in group activities
5. group statistics
   • number of group members
   • number of pages created in the group
   • number of files uploaded to the group
   • number of folders created in the group
   • number of forums created in the group
   • number of forum topics created in the group
   • number of posts in forum topics in the group

6.3.10. Group members

This block is a default block on the group homepage. You can display member profile pictures and their names.

Configure the Group members block

1. Block title: The automatic title for this block is “Members”. You can set another one if you wish.
2. Shown members: Choose how many members (between 1 and 20) are shown on the group homepage. All others are accessible via the Members tab in the group.
3. Order: Choose the order in which members are displayed. Options are
   • latest: display members according to their group joining date in reverse chronological order
   • random: let Mahara decide which members to display
4. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.

6.3.11. Group pages

This block is a default block on the group homepage. You can display pages created in and / or shared with the group in this block.

Configure the Group pages block

1. Block title: The automatic title for this block is “Group pages”. You can set another one if you wish.
2. Display group pages: Decide whether to display pages that were created in the group. “Yes” is the default option.
3. Display shared pages: Decide whether to display pages that users shared with the group. “No” is the default option.
4. Click the Save button to accept your changes, or click the Cancel button to leave the block’s content as it is. The Remove button is shown only when you place the block into the page and have not yet added any artefacts.