How to Customize the LATTE Shell

Beginning with the Fall 2024 semester, Brandeis will move from LATTE to Moodle 4. Please visit our Moodle 4 documentation. LATTE courses will be available through Fall 2024.

Before the semester begins, the ITS LATTE Team will create your course in LATTE, using the shell. Once you have been notified that the course is ready, you can begin uploading course content and materials. The banner is the top section of your LATTE shell that provides students essential information about your course, such as: 

• The course name 
• Class meeting times 
• Class Zoom link 
• Office hours information 
• Instructor name and email 

You will want to update the banner with information specific to your course. Please see the image below for the default banner: 

As soon as you have access to your course

Turn Editing On

1. Click the Turn editing on button in your LATTE course
2. Open the  Edit settings menu for the first label
   
3. Begin working in the Label editor.

Update Class Information

1. In the Label editor, delete the text “ABCD-##B.” Note: To preserve formatting, it’s best to delete only one phrase at a time.
2. Type or paste the correct course short name in the same space.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each text phrase in this label. Zoom links can be pasted in as plain text, which will automatically display as clickable links on the course page.

IMPORTANT Be careful when copying and pasting text into the banner! Text copied from other locations will almost always copy some of the underlying code and formatting from the original location in addition to the text. When you paste this text into your LATTE course, that code will be pasted as well. This code often causes issues with how your banner is formatted and displayed. To avoid these problems, you can:

1. Type directly into the text editor. This is the best way to ensure you don't add any unexpected code/formatting into your course. You can format your text directly in LATTE using the buttons above the text editor (e.g., bold text, hyperlinks).
2. Paste as plain text. This will strip all coding and formatting from the text. You can reapply the stripped formatting directly in LATTE using the buttons above the text editor (e.g., bold text, hyperlinks). To paste as plain text:
   • In Chrome, Edge, or Firefox: press Ctrl + Shift + V (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + V (Mac)
   • In Safari: press Cmd + Option + Shift + V
   • Alternative option in Windows: right click in the text editor then select Paste as plain text from the menu
3. Advanced option: Use the HTML editor. If you are comfortable modifying HTML code, you can (a) copy the fully formatted code from the original location and paste it into the HTML editor in LATTE or (b) paste just text into the HTML editor then apply your formatting through code or the WYSIWYG editor.

OPTIONAL You have the option to replace the Justice Louis Brandeis statue with a faculty photo.

1. Find the photo you would like to use online, such as on the instructor’s Brandeis faculty page or LinkedIn profile.
2. Right-click on the image, then click Copy Image Address from the menu.
3. In the Label editor, click the existing image to highlight it, then click the shaded image button in the toolbar. The Image Properties pop-up will open.
   
4. Paste the URL of your chosen photo into the Enter URL box.
5. Change the image description to something appropriate, such as "a headshot of [instructor’s name]".
6. Under Size, type 200 in the first blank, then check the Auto size box.
7. Click the Save image button to confirm your new photo and insert it into the Label.