What is it?
Figure: An example of the Photo Banner widget.
Capture the attention of your learners by putting a gallery on your homepage. The Photo Banner widget allows admins and instructors to upload images in a customizable carousel with each photo linking to relevant information.
Use this widget when…
…you have image heavy content
If your course relies significantly on sharing image-based content, consider updating the photo banner to highlight scheduled content. For example, if this week’s History lesson is focused on the Tudors, you may want to include pictures of each of the monarchs. Or if this month’s content shares tips to feng shui your workspace, you can include images that capture those best practices.
…you ask your learners to collect images
When you have learners capturing images of their work or experiences, consider using the Photo Banner widget to curate the best examples, highlight learner contributions, and inspire peers.
...you have visuals to support learning
When learning materials can be presented visually, post a job aid, diagram, or infographic in the Photo Banner and link it to the relevant content in your course for more information.
…your in-class activities are photo-worthy
When moments of exploration, collaboration, and discovery are happening in person, consider capturing those learning experiences and sharing the photos.
Some more best practices…
- Add more than one image. The carousel feature lets users to scroll through a whole catalogue of images.
- No editing needed! Images are automatically resized and responsive to the user’s screen size.
- You can upload large files, but it’s best practice to reduce the image file size to less than 1Mb so performance isn’t affected. To reduce blurring, the minimum resolution (pixels) is 360px wide by 300px in height.
- Don’t forget, when adding an image, you can slide it around in the frame to make sure it’s showing the most important area in the image.
- Save the excitement for the photos. When it comes to backgrounds, whether you pick a solid color or use an image background, stick to neutral colors that won’t clash with your pics, or an image with minimal detail to avoid distracting learners from the photos.
Get the Widget
This widget is a system widget created by Learning Solutions. To make any of these widgets available on your homepage, browse the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack catalog options. Select the widget(s) that best meet your needs and contact your D2L representative to add a Homepage Widget Expansion Pack.
