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Links

Have you clicked on a link in your eLearning course, but nothing happened? Check to see if either of these common reasons is causing the problem.

Your browser may have anti-flash blocker or ad-blocking settings, or an extension installed which is stopping eLearning pop-up windows. If you have one or more of these blockers, you may not be able to open links or videos that pop-up in new windows. Links that open in new windows or tabs in your browser could be:

  • Lectopia videos or lecture recordings
  • Opening the WYSIWYG editor to compose a discussion or blog response
  • Quizzes or Surveys will often pop-up in a new window
  • Announcements
  • External URLs to websites
  • Word or PDF files will often open in a new browser window or tab in your browser

Broken or dead links

Sometimes the URL or link may simply be broken or moved locations, or the file no longer exists. Sometimes it can be a typo. e.g: .htm instead of .html. If you come across a link that is inactive, returns a Page 404 error, or is 'dead', or 'broken' you can:

  • contact your lecturer - notifying them of the problem, and ask for the correct link/file.
  • Google the link URL/name and see if you can find the site independently - be sure to let the UoS coordinator know that the link is not working as expected.
  • contact Helpdesk and choose the 'Broken' link option from the dropdown menu. Remember to explain where the link is, and in which UoS course.

Plug-ins

Learning resources in your eLearning course may be presented in many different formats and you will need the appropriate software to view each one.

To view some files you will need a plug-in for your browser, such as Acrobat Reader for PDF files or QuickTime for video. Browsers often download the plug-in automatically, but if this does not happen, you can download the plug-ins you need manually from 3rd party sites.

A full list of plug-ins can be found here

Software Updates

If you have the appropriate software, yet still cannot open some files, you may also need to update the software in question. To do this, you will need to identify the software (such as Adobe Acrobat or Macromedia Flash) and go to the supplier’s website to find an update.

For example, you may get a blank screen after opening a PowerPoint file within My eLearning. This is most likely due to a software bug and can be overcome by installing a patch or Service Pack for MS-Office. If you are on an older version of Office and download a .docx file, you can download a free file converter from Microsoft.