A TRICK to adding INTERACTIVE JavaScript activities to your content using JSFiddle

How to Create Interactive Content for Your Learning Management System with JSFiddle

For educators and developers who want to combine HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create engaging interactive content, one major question is: How can I get this interactive content into my Learning Management System (LMS) in a way that is easy to manage and useful for students?

A powerful and simple solution to this challenge is using tools like JSFiddle.net. This online editor allows you to write HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then embed your interactive content into your LMS with ease.

What is JSFiddle?

JSFiddle is an online code editor that lets you create, share, and test interactive web content. By combining HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in one environment, it offers a great platform for creating interactive activities that can enhance learning experiences. Whether you’re teaching a specific concept, like Ohm’s law, or creating an interactive quiz, JSFiddle simplifies the process of embedding your work into LMS platforms.

How Does It Work?

Let’s walk through how JSFiddle can be used to create an interactive activity, and how to embed it into your LMS for your students to use.

  1. Create the Interactive Content: First, write your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code in JSFiddle. For example, you can create an interactive activity where students calculate voltage, resistance, or current based on Ohm’s law. In the JSFiddle editor, you would add:
    • HTML to structure the page (e.g., input fields, buttons).
    • CSS to style the page (e.g., button colors, fonts).
    • JavaScript to handle the logic (e.g., randomly generating values and calculating results).
    In the example I created, when students hit “Run,” they are presented with a random problem involving current, voltage, and resistance. The student can then input their answer and check if it is correct or incorrect.
  2. Embed the Content into Your LMS: Once you’ve created your interactive content, JSFiddle makes it easy to embed it into your LMS. You can embed the activity in one of two ways:
    • Iframe Embed: JSFiddle provides an iframe embed code that allows you to place the activity within your LMS without showing the code. This is ideal if you want students to focus solely on the interactive content itself.
    • Code Embed: If you’re teaching HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, you can also embed the full code so students can view the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that powers the activity. This approach is great for explaining how the code works and for providing a learning resource.
  3. Update and Manage the Content: The best part of using JSFiddle is the ability to easily edit and manage your content. If there’s an error or if you want to update the activity, you don’t need to go into each individual course or module. Instead, you can simply go back to your JSFiddle, make the necessary edits, and save it. These changes will automatically be reflected in the content embedded within your LMS.

Example: Creating an Interactive Activity

Let’s say you want to create an interactive quiz where students calculate the current (I), voltage (V), or resistance (R) based on the values you provide. Here’s how you could do it:

  • HTML will contain the structure: a form with fields for input and a button to check the answer.
  • CSS will style the form and buttons to make them visually appealing.
  • JavaScript will handle the logic of generating random values for voltage, resistance, or current and calculating the correct answer based on user input.

After creating this content in JSFiddle, you can generate the embed code and insert it into your LMS platform.

Advantages of Using JSFiddle for Embedding Interactive Content

  • Ease of Use: Embedding interactive content in your LMS is simple with JSFiddle. All you need to do is copy and paste the embed code into your course content.
  • Quick Updates: If you need to adjust or fix any part of the interactive activity, you can do so on JSFiddle, and those changes will be reflected across all instances where the activity is embedded.
  • Customization: You can choose whether to display the code or just the interactive result. This is especially useful for courses where you’re teaching students how to code with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  • No Need for Hosting: JSFiddle hosts your code for you, so you don’t need to worry about managing external servers or hosting services.

Additional Tools

While JSFiddle is a great option, it’s not the only tool available. There are other products and platforms that offer similar functionality, allowing you to create and embed interactive content. Some other options include CodePen, JSBin, and Repl.it, each offering unique features for different use cases.

Wrapping Up

Creating interactive content using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is a great way to engage students and make learning more dynamic. With tools like JSFiddle, you can easily integrate this content into your LMS, making it more accessible and manageable for both you and your students. Plus, if you’re teaching web development or coding, this method gives your students an excellent chance to view the underlying code and better understand how the activity works.

If you’re interested in learning more about creating interactive content with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, check out the courses linked below. I’ve included some resources specifically on using JSFiddle and similar tools, which will help you get started in no time.

I hope this post helps you explore how to integrate interactive content into your LMS. Feel free to dive in and create something engaging for your students!