---
title: "Glossary"
canonical: "https://helpcentre.macewan.ca/space/ETS/2624783140/Glossary"
format: markdown
---
**AUDIENCE: ****FACULTY**** | ****STAFF**
The Glossary activity is used to create a course-specific glossary. It can be entirely teacher-created, or students can contribute. It is relatively easy to transfer a glossary from one course to another, which replaces the need to rebuild a new glossary every term.
## Creating a Glossary
Turn **Edit mode** on in the top-right corner of the main mêskanâs page.
Find the section where you want to add the book and click **+ Activity or resource**.
Click on **Glossary** to open a new Glossary activity.
## General
On the page that opens, enter the **Name** and, if desired, a **Description** for the glossary.
**Glossary type **includes Main or Secondary glossary. The default glossary type is the** Secondary glossary**, which allows the glossary to be shared with other glossaries in the course or exported to other courses. If glossaries are not combined, then all glossaries can be secondary glossaries. A **Main glossary** is a glossary that can allow items to be imported from secondary glossaries. There can only be one Main glossary in a particular course.
## Entries> Macro (anchor)
The options in the Entries menu allow entries to be approved, edited, and commented upon. The **Automatically link glossary entries** option lets you set whether the explanations in the glossary will be automatically linked to the terms every time the terms appear in the course. (For this to work, the setting must also be changed elsewhere. These settings are described in the **[How to enable glossary auto-linking](#enable-glossary)** section.) For specific information on each option in the menu below, click the question marks in blue circles.
## Appearance
Several settings allow for the customization of how entries appear. For specific information on each option, click the question marks in blue circles.
## Ratings
If students are helping to build the glossary and are assigning a grade to the students’ work in the glossary activity, make a selection in the **Aggregate type** menu. By default, only Teachers and Non-editing teachers may rate glossary entries. Choose how the grade will be determined, and the type of grading (most likely Point), the Maximum grade, the Grade category to use in the gradebook, and the Grade to pass. If not using **Course completion**, there is no need to designate a **Grade to pass**.
## Common Module Settings
Consider using the **Availability** (i.e., Show/Hide setting) to control access to the glossary.
## Restrict Access
**Restrict access** can be set for the glossary activity. For example, allows students to complete a reading before they contribute to the glossary.
## Activity Completion
Completion tracking allows you to set specific conditions for students to complete before the activity can be marked as completed, or you can allow students to mark the activity as completed manually.
## Tags
**Tags** options are available. When finished, click on **Save and return to course** to return to the main mêskanâs page.
## Glossary Auto-Linking
Glossary auto-linking highlights terms that are in the glossary every time the terms appear in the course. In the example below, the term *midnight sun* has been added to the glossary. When the term appears in Robert Service’s poem, it is highlighted.
When the term is clicked on, the link will go to the glossary entry.
## How to enable glossary auto-linking> Macro (anchor)
To enable automatic glossary linking, three settings must be correctly aligned.
1. The first setting described in the **[Entries](#entries)** section of this tutorial, under the **Automatically link glossary entries** menu item. Beside Automatically link glossary entries, choose “Yes.”
2. The second setting that must be aligned is in the **Auto-linking** menu when adding a new term to the glossary. **This entry should be automatically linked **and must be selected.
3. The third setting is in a different part of the mêskanâs site. On the main mêskanâs page, click on the **Gear menu** in the top-right corner of the screen and select **Filters**. As shown below, **Glossary auto-linking** should be turned on and remember to save changes.
A*ll three* of the above settings must be turned on for the glossary auto-linking feature to work.
## Glossary Export / Import Entries in a mêskanâs course
If reusing a previously created glossary, it is recommended to download the glossary file and upload it to the new course.
> ℹ️ **Note**: Glossaries will *not* copy in a course copy using the Faculty Centre Self-Service application.
Glossary entries are data files that need to be imported or exported as XML files first (see next section for detailed instructions).
## Export Entries to XML File
If you need to export entries for use in another course, locate the glossary that was created. In the top-right corner, select the more arrow in the far-right corner (as shown). From the drop-down menu, choose **Export**.
Then click **Export Entries to File**. The XML file will download to the computer.
## Import Entries from XML File
Once the glossary tool is created (or copied from a previous course), choose **Import entries **from the top-right corner.
Drag and drop the XML file to **file to import **or choose a file to locate the file to import.
From the **Destination of imported entries** option, select to keep the Current glossary or a New glossary. You may also click “**Import Categories**” to import the previous category structure.
Click **SUBMIT**. The imported entries will now appear in the glossary.
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