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Class Portal > Action Tags

Overview

This article focuses on the "Action Tags" tab within the Class Portal. This tab allows you to create action tags, which can be activated during live class sessions.

Below is a screenshot of the "Action Tags" tab:

What are Action Tags?

Action Tags are specialized QR codes designed to be "activated" during live class sessions, triggering specific functions within the classroom. While these images are technically QR codes, they do not contain URLs or serve the purpose of being scanned with a mobile device's camera. Instead, they hold data exclusively relevant to the Engageli system. To prevent users from attempting to scan them with their phones, they are called "action tags" rather than "QR codes," as the latter term may lead to confusion and improper use.

What Types of Functions Can I Trigger with Action Tags?

Action Tags provide an efficient way to activate various functions during live class sessions, such as:

  • Switching the classroom audio mode between Room Audio and Table Audio.
  • Starting a 15-minute class timer.
  • Initiating the recording of the class session.

Although many of these functions can be performed manually during a session, Action Tags allow you to seamlessly integrate these actions into a pre-designed presentation. By embedding these tags into your slides ahead of time, you can trigger specific functions effortlessly. For instance, if a 10-minute timer needs to be started for an activity on on slide 5 of your presentation, an Action Tag can be included to activate it, eliminating the need to navigate to the timer activity, setting it to 10 minutes, and starting it.

How Do I Use Action Tags?

Using Action Tags is straightforward but requires preparation before the live class session. Here's a concise guide to using them from start to finish:

  1. Determine where to place your Action Tags. For example, this could be within a Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow you'll present during class.
  2. Access the Action Tags tab, locate or generate the Action Tag image corresponding to the function you want to trigger, paste the image it into your slideshow.
  3. During the live class, share your slideshow.
  4. When you reach the slide containing the Action Tag, click the "Activate" button in the bottom panel to execute the desired function. A prompt will typically appear, asking you to confirm activation of the tag.

Important Notes

Key points about Action Tags:

  • Action Tags will only function when used within a File Share or a class Screen Share. They will not be recognized in other contexts, such as a table Screen Share, a Video Clip, or a Distributed Document.
  • For our system to detect Action Tags, they must be clearly visible. Ensure they are at least 75px by 75px in size and are not obscured, blurry, or cropped.
  • Only a single Action Tag type should appear on any one slide--do not add multiple tag types onto the same slide. For example, if you need to add an Action Tag to start a 10 minute timer and one to start recording the live session, add these to separate slides.
  • Although there is no dedicated sub-tab for it, action tags can be created to instantly begin playing videos previously saved to the classroom's Content area. You can review the Admin Portal > Classes > Content Manager article or the Class Portal > Content and look for mention of the "Get Slide" button, which appears for uploaded videos or saved links to YouTube videos. This button will generate an action tag for the corresponding video, which will in turn instantly open a "Video Clip" views tab or a "YouTube Player" views tab, respectively, when activated during the the class session.

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