Moodle Monday: Embedding a Twitter Feed (Updated)

You might have noticed on the new template we have included a ‘HTML block’ that is configured to display Twitter, by default our @YSJTEL feed. We’re not trying to take over the campus, we added ours as a place holder! It’s probably not relevant to your Moodle course, so this ‘Moodle Monday’ post will tell you how to change the feed to display the feed of your choice.

Creating the embed code in TwitterEmbedded timeline

You will need to visit the Twitter embed a feed page at the following link: https://publish.twitter.com/#
In the box you need to copy and paste the URL of the feed you would like to display on your Moodle course (this is the entire web address, not just the @ name) then click on the arrow at the right hand side. Once you have done this you are then given some display options, you need to select the “Embedded Timeline”.

Next you will need to customise the feed using the “customization options”, this is to make sure that the feed doesn’t stretch on and make your Moodle course page really long.

Set customization options

From the customisation options screen you can edit the height (this is a must to change, we would recommend 600 or 800 px), width (leave this one as it is) and a couple of colour options (background colour and link colour which you can change if you wish).

Twitter display options

Once you click the ‘Update’ button Twitter will display the code for you, you need to copy this – just clicking on the text will copy it for you. Now go back to your Moodle course and turn editing on.

Putting the Twitter widget into Moodle

Click on the cog and select the “configure html block” from the drop down. From the configuring a block page you need to:

  1. Click on the ‘show more buttons’Configuring the block
  2. Click on ‘HTML’ (<>)
  3. Delete the code from the text editor and then paste in the code you just copied from Twitter.

Save changes and view your newly updated Twitter feed!

Alternatively you can embed a hashtag feed, to do this you need to visit a different link but you set it up in much the same way: https://twitter.com/settings/widgets/new

Finally, if you don’t use Twitter or don’t want to embed a feed then you can just delete the HTML block rather than include the TEL team feed. If you run into any problems you can contact us for help.

Emma

Emma Fletcher

Working to the Directorate’s annual objectives and the TEL Quality Framework, Emma’s role as a TEL Advisor is to proactively support and develop staff in using technology to enhance the student learning experience. Her main focus is to advise academic staff on effective use of learning technologies to develop innovative learning resources, processes and practices. Before joining YSJ Emma was a teacher of computing at Castleford Academy. Emma is interested in mobile learning / BYOD and open education.

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