Course activity types
  • 19 May 2023
  • 3 minutes to read

Course activity types


Article Summary

Activities

Activities are interactive items of content that you can add to a course. Unlike resources (which tend to be passive content items) activities encourage participation from learners and other course users - whether that be making a post, submitting an assignment, casting a vote, or another interaction. There is a wide range of different activity types available in Totara, from interactive SCORM e-learning modules through to glossaries, forums, seminars, quizzes and more.

Activity typeDescriptionRelated pages
CertificateProvides a certificate (e.g. a PDF document) to prove that the learner has completed the course.Certificate activity settings
View issued certificates
Customise certificates
ChatLive group discussions in a chat room.
Using the chat activity
Chat activity settings
ChoiceA poll consisting of a single question used to take a vote of enrolled users.
Choice activity settings
Choice activity results
DatabaseA space for users to collaboratively create with text and files.
Set up a database activity
Create database fields
What are database templates?
Edit a database template
Set up a database preset
Add a database entry
Grade database entries
Database capabilities
External toolThis activity allows you to incorporate content from external providers.
External tool activity settings
Add an external tool to a course
FeedbackA series of questions and text input fields allowing learners to provide feedback about the course.
Feedback activity settings
Feedback activity question types
Set up a feedback activity
Configure feedback question dependencies
Edit a feedback activity question
Map feedback activities
Create a feedback template
Use a feedback template
Delete a feedback template
Import and export feedback template questions
Analysing feedback activity responses
ForumA space for users to post comments and discuss topics relevant to the course. This is asynchronous communication, as opposed to the live discussions in the Chat room activity.
Create a forum activity
Forum activity settings
Configure forum preferences
Using the forum activity
Add and edit forum subscribers
Archive a forum thread
GlossaryA collection of searchable and browsable definitions of terms relevant to the learning.
Glossary resource settings
Add glossary entries
Create glossary categories
Import and export glossary entries
LessonA series of pages (or a single scrolling interface) presenting learning content and questions.Lesson activity settings
Designing lesson activities
Create a lesson activity
Import questions into a lesson activity
Add content pages to a lesson activity
Add a question to a lesson activity
Add a question cluster to a lesson activity
Manage lesson activity pages
Grade essay questions in a lesson
QuizA series of questions intended to test learners' knowledge of the course content. This can optionally be graded.Quiz activity settings
Quiz capabilities
Set up a quiz activity
Configure quiz feedback
Using quizzes
Adding quiz questions
Import and export quiz questions
Quiz import and export settings
Quiz activity results
Setting up question banks
Configuring quiz question behaviours

See the Quiz activity questions section for more information on using the different question types.
SCORM packageE-learning modules following the SCORM standard.Add a SCORM activity
Update a SCORM activity
SCORM troubleshooting
SCORM reports
SCORM activity settings
SeminarFace-to-face or virtual training events managed via a Totara course.
What are seminars?
Enable seminars
Set up a seminar

See the Seminar activity section for the full list of seminar documentation.
SurveyPremade surveys to help creators and trainers to understand the effectiveness of the course.
Set up a survey activity
Survey activity settings
Survey activity types
Survey activity response reports
WikiAn informative page (or set of pages) that learners can edit and contribute to.
Setting up a wiki activity
Wiki activity settings
Using the wiki activity
WorkshopAn activity for learners to submit work and peer review others' work.Using the workshop activity
Workshop activity settings

Resources

Resources tend to be passive content items that are useful for distributing information. They are normally added to the course by a Trainer or Customer Admin and then accessed by Learners (or other Trainers). There is a wide range of different resource types available in Totara, which can add depth to your courses.

Resource type
Description
Related pages
Book
Multi-page resources divided into sections and chapters.
Book activity settings
Add chapters to a book activity
Embedded mediaAudio or video resources shown within the course page.
-
FolderA selection of related files displayed in one folder.
Folder settings
IMS content packageA collection of files following the IMS standard.
Add an IMS content package
IMS content package settings
LabelLabels allow you to add additional text or multimedia assets to the course page.
Add course content as a label
Label settings
PageAccessible and updatable web pages.
Create a page resource
Page resource settings
URLAllows you to add hyperlinks to other web pages and useful resources.
URL resource settings

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