Glossaries

What & Why

Glossaries are basically a collection of terms relating to a specific topic. In Moodle, they can be either instructor created or student created, but in both instances, they are considered to be user content.

Glossaries can include text, images, links to additional information, files, audio, and video.

For students, glossaries are most useful in helping to learn appropriate terminology for a topic.

Creating from Scratch

If you as an instructor is creating the glossary, make sure you export a copy for use in future offerings of the course.

If students are creating, then determine how they will be graded and set up; accordingly, one option, particularly if the overall value of the glossary is low, is to use the Completion Criteria and enter a semester mark directly into the grade book.

On the course home page, click Turn editing on. In the appropriate section, click Add an activity or resource, select Glossary from the pop-up list and click Add.

On the Adding a new Glossary page, enter the Name and Description for the glossary, and tick the check box if you want to Display description on course page.

Select the Glossary type. A Main glossary is a glossary into which entries from a Secondary glossary can be imported.

There can only be one main glossary in a course. If you will not be needing the glossary entry import function, you can make all the course glossaries secondary glossaries.

Under Entries, select whether you want:

• Entries to be Approved by default, that is, there will be no requirement for the instructor to approve them before users can view.
• To Always allow editing of entries, or to limit editing to a nominated editing time
• Duplicate entries allowed, that is, multiple entries can have the same concept name
• To Allow comments on entries by participants with the right permissions
• To Automatically link glossary entries wherever the concept word/phrase is used throughout the course.
  
  

Under Appearance:

• Select the most appropriate Display format.
• At Approval display format, select the most appropriate display format for entries to be presented for approval.
• Change the number of Entries show per page, if you want to.
• Select Yes for Show alphabet links if you want users to be able to browse the glossary in alphabetical order.
• Select Yes for Show 'ALL' link if you want users to be able to browse all glossary entries at once.
• Select Yes for Show 'Special' link if you want users to be able to browse using special characters, such as @ or #
• Select Yes for Allow print view if you want to provide students with a link to a printer-friendly version of the glossary—this is always provided for teachers, as shown below:
  
  

Similarly, you can expand and undrstand other settings, such as Rating, Common module settings Restrict access, Activity completion, and competencies.

Complete the remaining page sections as relevant and click Save and display.

Export a copy of the glossary for use with future offerings of the course.

Importing an Existing Glossary

Start in the Administration block > Glossary Administration > Import Entries

Drag the appropriate file into the Choose File box or use the Choose a File to search for a file

Tick the Import Categories box > click Submit

Number of entries imported will show; click Continue

If the glossary import was successful, it will look like this. 

If you do not already have a copy of the glossary, make sure you Export Entries to create a file.

Exporting Entries

Start in the Administration block > Glossary Administration > Export Entries > Export Entries to File

Save the resulting file for future use