Overview
The Announcements tool enables instructors and course administrators to broadcast important messages, updates, and reminders to all participants in a site. Announcements appear prominently on the home page and can be delivered via email notifications.Key Features
Creating Announcements
Share information quickly and effectively:- Rich text editor: Format announcements with headings, lists, links, and images
- Attachments: Include files, documents, or resources
- Email notification: Optionally send announcement to participants’ email
- Publication dates: Schedule announcements to appear at specific times
- Display duration: Set how long announcements remain visible
- Priority levels: Mark urgent announcements for special visibility
Announcement Display
Control how and when announcements appear:- Homepage widget: Recent announcements displayed on site overview page
- Chronological order: Newest announcements appear first
- Read/unread tracking: Visual indicators for new announcements
- Archive view: Access to older announcements
- Number of announcements: Configure how many display on homepage
Email Notifications
Reach participants directly via email:- Immediate delivery: Sends email as soon as announcement is posted
- Individual recipient preferences: Users can opt out of announcement emails
- Subject line: Email subject matches announcement subject
- Full content: Complete announcement text included in email
- Link to site: Email includes link back to the course site
Email notifications respect individual user preferences. Some participants may have disabled announcement emails in their account settings.
Scheduling Options
Publish announcements at optimal times:| Option | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Post Now | Immediately visible to all participants | Urgent updates or time-sensitive information |
| Schedule Release | Set future date/time for publication | Prepare announcements in advance for scheduled release |
| Hide Date | Remove announcement after specific date | Temporary information like event reminders |
| Beginning Date | Set when announcement becomes visible | Align with course modules or specific dates |
Managing Announcements
Keep your announcements organized:- Edit existing: Modify announcements after posting
- Delete: Remove outdated announcements
- Reorder: Change display order manually if needed
- Drafts: Save work in progress before publishing
- Merge: Combine announcement channels from multiple sites
Student Experience
Participants interact with announcements through:- Home page preview: See recent announcements when logging into site
- Full announcements view: Access complete list in Announcements tool
- Email delivery: Receive copies in email inbox (if enabled)
- RSS feeds: Subscribe to announcement feeds
- Mobile access: View announcements on mobile devices
- Print option: Print announcements for offline reference
Permissions
Control who can create and manage announcements:| Role | Create | Edit Own | Edit All | Delete | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teaching Assistant | Optional | Yes | Optional | Optional | Yes |
| Student | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Guest | No | No | No | No | Optional |
Announcement Channels
Organize announcements across sites:- Site-specific: Each site has its own announcement channel
- Merged channels: Display announcements from multiple sites together
- Cross-site posting: Share announcements to multiple sites simultaneously
- Channel management: Control which merged channels display in your site
Attachments and Resources
Enhance announcements with supplementary materials:- Upload files directly to announcements
- Link to Resources in the site
- Embed images within announcement text
- Attach multiple files per announcement
- Support for various file types (PDF, Word, images, etc.)
Best Practices
Writing Effective Announcements
- Clear subject lines: Make the topic immediately obvious
- Concise content: Keep announcements brief and scannable
- Action items: Clearly state what students need to do
- Deadlines: Include specific dates and times
- Formatting: Use headings and lists for easy reading
- Links: Provide direct links to related tools or resources
Frequency and Timing
- Post announcements at consistent times (e.g., Monday mornings)
- Avoid announcement fatigue by limiting frequency
- Don’t use announcements for routine information available elsewhere
- Schedule important announcements for when students are most likely to check
- Send reminders 1-2 days before deadlines, not just on due dates
Organization
- Delete or hide outdated announcements regularly
- Use consistent naming for recurring announcement types
- Group related information into single announcements rather than multiple posts
- Archive announcements from previous semesters rather than delete
- Maintain a clean, current announcement list
Email Usage
- Use email notification for urgent or critical information
- Don’t send email for minor updates or routine information
- Consider student email fatigue when deciding to send notifications
- Test email appearance by sending to yourself first
- Remember that subject line appears in email inbox
Common Use Cases
Weekly Updates
Send a regular announcement summarizing the week ahead:- Topics to be covered
- Assignments due
- Reminders about upcoming assessments
- Office hours or special sessions
Important Reminders
Use for time-sensitive information:- Exam date changes
- Guest speaker announcements
- Technical issues or outages
- Weather-related class cancellations
Course Policies
Post reference announcements that stay visible:- Grading policy clarifications
- Submission guidelines
- Communication expectations
- Resource links
For information that needs to remain permanently accessible, consider adding it to a course syllabus or using a Lessons page rather than an announcement.
Technical Details
The Announcements tool is built on:- Core Interface:
AnnouncementMessageandAnnouncementChannelAPIs (announcement/announcement-api/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/announcement/api/AnnouncementMessage.java:34) - Message System: Built on Sakai’s message framework
- Email Integration: Uses Kernel email service for notifications
- RSS Support: Generates RSS feeds for external aggregation
- Permissions: Integrated with Sakai’s role-based security