Overview

This guide explains what the Learning Space text editor is and how to use each of its features.


Contents


What is the text editor?

You will use the text editor in Learning Space every time you interact with an activity. It has a lot of features which will help you display text, media and links. The functionality of each of the buttons in the text box editor is described in more detail within this guide.

Screenshot of the visual text box editor in Learning Space

Exclamation mark iconImportant: Atto is the default text editor in Learning Space. To ensure you have access to all the features listed in this guide, please do not enable any alternative text editors in the 'Preferences' settings of your Learning Space user account.


Show / hide advanced buttonsVisual Text Box Editor advanced options icon

Only the top row of buttons is shown by default. To show the advanced buttons, click the 'show/hide advanced buttons' icon / button.


Paragraph styles

Visual Text Box Editor paragraph styles iconUsing the 'Paragraph styles' button you can apply a number of different formatting styles to your text. Highlight the text you would like to format and choose one of the following options from the list:

  • Heading (large)
  • Heading (medium)
  • Heading (small)
  • Pre-formatted
  • Paragraph

Custom styles (date, info, warning and alerts)

Visual Text Box Editor custom styles iconUsing the 'Styles' button you can format the text to make them more visible, and contextual. Highlight the text you would like to format and choose one of the following options from the list:

  • No Style
  • Date time
  • Info
  • Warning
  • Alert

Each custom style will have a custom colour and styling associated with it. The 'Date time' style appears in green.  The 'Info' style will be styled as light blue. The 'Warning' style is a light yellow, and the 'Alert' style is in light red.

Custom Styles in Text editor for date and time, info, warning and alert 
Exclamation mark iconImportant: Once you have finished typing your message, ensure that you hit the styles button again to escape from the styling.


Bold & italics 

Visual Text Box Editor bold and italics icon Text can be Bold, italic or both bold and italic. Highlight the text you would like to format and click the relevant formatting choice(s) using the 'Bold' and 'Italic' button(s).


Panopto

Panopto icon in the text editor tool barPantopto will only appear in the text editor toolbar if your tutor is using Pantopto within your module.

To embed video or audio content from your Panopto account, click on the 'Panopto' button and then select 'Panopto content'.

From there you have three options to select 'Choose', 'Upload' and 'Record'.

Panopto pop up in the Text Editor

Choose will display existing video content in your account.

Upload enables you to embed video and audio content.  

Record allows you to record content via Panopto Capture (using your web browser) or via the Panopto for Mac or Windows App.

View the Panopto for Students guidance for further information on using Panopto.


Bullet points and numbered lists

Visual Text Box Editor ordered and unordered list iconText can be organised into bullet points (unordered) or numbered (ordered) lists. Highlight the text you would like to format and click the relevant formatting choice. Bullet points can be set using the 'Unordered list' button, whilst numbering can be set using the 'Ordered list' button.


Links

Visual Text Box Editor link / unlink iconYou can link to any URL by using the 'Link' button. To add a URL, highlight the text that you would like to link from and click the 'Link' button.

In the 'Enter a URL' box, type or paste the URL you wish to link to. Make sure you tick the option 'Open in new window' if the link you are creating will take the user away from Learning Space. Finally, click on 'Create link'

To remove a link which you have previously created, highlight the text in question and click the 'Unlink' button, or simply delete the text if it is no longer required.


Emoji picker

Emoji icon in text editor tool barThe Emoji button allows you to add emojis to your text.

Click on the face icon and you can scroll through the entire emoji list using the vertical sidebar in the Emoji picker’s pop up menu or you can jump to a category using the icons above the search bar.

Emoji picker panel in the text editor

Clicking on an emoji will embed it in the text editor. Emojis are embedded one at a time and can deleted like any other text.


Images

Visual Text Box Editor add image iconYou can insert images into your text using the 'Insert or edit image' button. The different options presented to you when adding an image in this way are covered in our guide on adding images, audio, video and links.

Alternatively, you can drag and drop the image on the text editor to insert it. To then enter a description and change the dimension you should click the image to highlight it, then click the "Image" button from which the image properties will pop-up


Insert or Edit Audio / Video File

Visual Text Box Editor edit audio / video iconIf this feature is enabled for your module or activity, you can insert media (videos, audio etc) into your text using the 'Insert or edit an audio/video file' button. The different options presented to you when adding media files in this way are covered in our guide on adding images, audio, video and links.

If you would like to embed media into your text, you can paste the embed code from the video (on YouTube or Vimeo etc) into the HTML, as with the 'Insert or edit audio/video file' button the feature must be enabled for your module or activity. See the HTML section for more information.


Record Audio

Visual Text Box Editor record audio icon The 'Record audio' button allows you to record an audio clip up to 2 minutes long directly to Learning Space from within your browser. Please note that this is only possible using a browser which supports WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) such as Chrome.

To record your audio clip, click on the 'Record audio' button and then click on 'Start recording'. The 'Start recording' button will turn into a 'Stop recording' button, which you should click once you have finished your recording. Note that in order to record, you will need a microphone, and you may need to allow access to your Microphone. If this is required, a message will appear in your browser window requesting this access.


Tick Mark iconTip: Panopto can also be used for recording audio content in Learning Space. Please view Panopto for Students guidance for further information.  


Record Video

Visual Text Box Editor record video iconThe 'Record video' button allows you to record a video clip up to 2 minutes long directly to Learning Space from within your browser. Please note that this is only possible using a browser which supports WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) such as Chrome.

To record your video clip, click on the 'Record video' button and then click on 'Start recording'. The 'Start recording' button will turn into a 'Stop recording' button, which you should click once you have finished your recording. Note that in order to record, you will need a webcam, and may need to allow access to your Webcam. If this is required, a message will appear in your browser window requesting this access.


Tick Mark iconTip: Panopto can also be used for recording video content in Learning Space. Please view Panopto for Students guidance for further information.  


Manage files

Visual Text Box Editor manage items iconClicking the 'Manage files' button will take you to the 'manage files' area where you can upload new files and remove old ones. (For instance, removing audio or video clips you have created using WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) and not Panopto). If you upload files here, you will be able to choose them from the "Embedded file" section of the File picker when inserting links, images and media.

Note that if you remove a WebRTC recording, you'll also need to delete the content from within the text box editor content pane before you click 'Save and return to module'.


Underline

Visual Text Box Editor underline iconText can be underlined using the 'Underline' button. Highlight the text you would like to format and click the relevant formatting choice.


Strikethrough

Visual Text Box Editor strikethrough iconYou can add a strike through effect to text using the 'Strikethrough' button. Highlight the text you would like to format and click the relevant formatting choice.


Subscript & superscript

Visual Text Box Editor superscript / subscript iconText can be of type subscript and superscript. Highlight the text you would like to format and click the relevant formatting choice, choosing either the 'Subscript' or 'Superscript' button.


Aligning Text

Visual Text Box Editor align text iconText can be aligned 'Left align', 'Centre' or 'Right align' buttons. Highlight the text you would like to format and click the relevant formatting choice.


Outdent & indent

Visual Text Box Editor outdent and indent iconText can be outdented & indented. Highlight the text you would like to format and click the relevant formatting choice, clicking on either the 'Outdent' or 'Indent' buttons.


Equation Editor

Visual Text Box Editor equation editor iconUse the 'Equation editor' button to insert mathematic and scientific notations and formulae.


Special Characters

Visual Text Box Editor special characters iconUse the 'Insert character' button to insert any special symbols and characters that you may not have access to via your keyboard.


Tables

Visual Text Box Editor tables iconUse the 'Table' button to insert a table into your text. A table can be edited in more detail by modifying its HTML, check the HTML section below for more details. For accessibility reasons, you should not use tables for layout based purposes and should make sure that your tables are correctly formatted with headings. the WebAIM website has more information on creating accessible tables.


Clear formatting

Visual Text Box Editor clear formatting iconUsing the 'Clear formatting' button will clear all text formatting for any selected text. This means that any text that is bold, underlined, subscript etc will be returned to a non-formatted style.


Undo / redo

Visual Text Box Editor undo / redo iconAs you would expect, the 'Undo' and 'Redo' buttons undo and redo recent actions. Click them to undo a change, or to redo one that you previously 'un-did'.


Accessibility checker

Visual Text Box Editor accessibility checker iconClicking the 'Accessibility checker' button will check the content of the text editor for any accessibility issues. It will identify things like images without descriptions, colours that don't have enough contrast between the text and the background and so on. Use this tool to check your content before saving it.


Screenreader helper

Visual Text Box Editor screenreader helper iconThe 'Screenreader helper' button helps you to determine if the content in the text editor will be easily read by a screen reader. A screen reader is a form of assistive technology that renders text and image content as speech or Braille output. Screen readers are essential to people who are blind and are useful to people who are visually impaired, illiterate, or have a learning disability.

The Screenreader helper points out the links that exist within the text so you can see what the screen reader will read out loud. Links like "click here" will often not make sense out of context of the rest of the sentence, so try to always make a link as descriptive as you can.


HTML

Visual Text Box Editor HTML iconClicking the 'HTML' button will take you into the HTML view of the text editor. Here you can add HTML code, for example some embed code for a video with an <iframe>. Locate the point at which you would like the video to display on the page, and paste the embed code that you have copied from the source. On YouTube and Vimeo you will find the code in the Share area.


Please note you may find some HTML code is forbidden and will be automatically removed from the text editor when you attempt to save your work. This can include embed media code and is removed from the text editor if this feature has not been enabled for a module or activity by your course tutor.  


Question mark iconFurther Support

For general queries about the Learning Space, students should first contact their module leader or personal tutor. For any other comments or issues within this guide, please contact the Digital Learning Team via dlsupport@falmouth.ac.uk. Alternatively, please refer to the numerous help guides found on our Knowledge Base


View the Accessibility Statement for all of our support guides.