Moodle Documentation for Students (v.3.4)

Moodle Documentation forStudents (v.3.4)

GSC STAFF

Moodle Documentation for Students (v.3.4) by GSC Staff is licensed under a Creative CommonsAttribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Introduction

Welcome to Moodle Documentation for Students. This handbook will provide you with thebasics of using Moodle (version 3.4), the online course system used at your college.

Navigating the Content

You can navigate the content of this handbook in several ways:

• Use the arrows to proceed to the next page or chapter or return to the previous page.• Use the CONTENTS link at the top of this handbook to display the table of contents.• Use the search feature at the top of the page. If you are using a mobile device, you

may need to open the options by clicking on the triple line icon at the top of thepage.

If you are experiencing technical issues with logging in or accessing any of the content oractivities, please contact Support via the link on your Moodle site.

1 | Introduction

1. Moodle TechnicalRequirements

Technical Requirements

• A computer running a current operating system that supports a recent browsers.• Access to the Internet. DSL or Broadband access is recommended.• An up-to-date browser with Cookies enabled. See Browsers & Settings for specific web

browser compatibility information.• Anti-virus software with current updates.• Word processing software is needed to complete and submit some assignments.• Some courses will require specific software, hardware, plugins or applications. See

course syllabus for details. If so, you will typically see a message asking if you want toinstall the needed software.

Basic Computer Skills Needed:

• Saving and finding files and folders on a computer;• Copying/cutting and pasting text;• Using a word processing application, such as Microsoft Word;• Attaching and uploading documents and assignments;• Sending and receiving email;• Using a supported web browser to access your course and other online resources on

the Web.

Moodle Technical Requirements | 2

2. Browsers and SettingsWhat is a Browser?

A web browser is software that allows you to access websites and resources on the WorldWide Web. Common browsers are Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer.Moodle is compatible with most current browsers.

It is highly recommended that you are using a current version of at least one (butrecommended 2) supported browsers on your computer/device. To check the version ofyour browser or to download an additional browser, see WhatBrowser.org

The following browsers are generally compatible with Moodle.

• Firefox• Chrome• Internet Explorer• Opera• Safari

Note:

• IE may cause problems with file downloads, running errors, assignment completion,levels of interactivity using discussion board forums, and creating and editing content.

• Older versions of Firefox may not display all PDFs or videos properly. We recommendthat you use the latest version of Adobe Flash Player and latest version of AdobeAcrobat Reader.

• Opera does not show built-in html editor (WYSIWYG) in Moodle.• Safari does not show built-in html editor (WYSIWYG) in Moodle. Chat tool does not

always work properly.

For Moodle to work properly, we recommend the following updates and settings sincesome of the Moodle courses use pop-up windows, therefore you will need to disable pop-upblockers in your browser or toolbar. (To make these updates in Firefox go to your navigationbar and click on Tools/Options or in IE go to Tools/Internet Options. In Safari click the AppleMenu/Software Update to update Java, to enable Cookies select Preferences/Privacy and forPop-ups select Safari).

For optimal performance, we recommend you select the following settings:

3 | Browsers and Settings

• Pop-ups: enabled• Cookies: enabled• Screen Refresh: set your browser to refresh on each visit to a Moodle site.

Alert: Internet Explorer Security

When using Internet Explorer to access Moodle, some users may get a pop-up messagethat says, “This page contains both secure and non-secure items. Do you want to displaythe non secure items” every time they click on a link. To stop this message from appearing,use the following steps:

1. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools and select Internet Options2. Click on the Security tab3. Click on Custom Level4. Scroll down to the section called Miscellaneous and change the setting called Display

Mixed Content to Enable5. Click Ok

Browsers and Settings | 4

3. Clearing Your Browser's Cache

Each time you access a file through your web browser, the browser caches (i.e., stores) it. Bydoing this, the browser doesn’t have to newly retrieve files (including any images) from theremote web site each time you click back or forward.

A cookie is a file created by a web browser, at the request of a web site, that is then storedon a computer. These files typically store user-specific information such as selections in aform, shopping cart contents, or authentication data. Browsers will normally clear cookiesthat reach a certain age, but clearing them manually may solve problems with web sites oryour browser.

A browser’s history is a log of sites that you visit. When you press a browser’s back button,you are moving back one entry in the history log. Browsers will normally clear the history atregular intervals, but you may want to clear it manually for privacy.

See the instructions for clearing cache on computers using Windows and Mac operatingsystems and mobile devices:

How to refresh your browser’s cache

5 | Clearing Your Browser's Cache

4. Logging into Moodle

To access your college’s Moodle site, go to Online.Keene.edu and select the log in link.

Enter your assigned user name and password which was provided to you by the college.

If you are unable to log in, contact Support via the link available on the Moodle sitehomepage.

Logging into Moodle | 6

5. Moodle on Mobile Devices

Accessing your Moodle course using an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Android device doesnot require the use of any special app. Moodle courses will automatically display properlyusing your mobile device’s standard Web browser app. Once loaded, your course contentwill respond to your device’s display dimensions without the need for using a special app.

7 | Moodle on Mobile Devices

6. Moodle Overview

When you log into Moodle, you will land on the Dashboard which includes:

• Your Account: use the dropdown menu to access your profile, account settings &preferences, grades and more.

• Your Courses: courses in progress are listed. Access past or future courses via the tabs.• System Announcements: these announcements are posted by staff or support and are

intended for all users on the system• Site Navigation: to jump to specific courses or to sections of the Moodle site• Quick Links: to notifications, messages and social media sites.

Moodle Overview | 8

7. Customize Your Dashboard

When you first log into Moodle, you will land on the Dashboard page. You will find manythings on this page including your course list, system announcements, and links toresource blocks.

You can customize your Dashboard according to your preferences. Start by clicking on theCustomize this page button found under your profile:

Use the editing tools to customize the blocks, the number of courses to show, order ofcourses, etc. When you are done, click on the Stop customizing this page button to saveyour preferences.

9 | Customize Your Dashboard

8. Your Profile Page

Your profile contains personal information that other users in Moodle can view by clickingon your name. Standard profile information includes your name, location (City/Town/Country), email address (if you chose to make it accessible), the list of courses you areenrolled in, a picture (if you choose to insert one) and your interests.

First time users need to go into their profile page and fill out the required fields. When yourinformation changes please ensure your profile is updated as necessary.

To edit your Profile Page:

1) Go to the User Menu found next to your name in the upper right of the screen.Then, select Edit profile.

Your Profile Page | 10

2) In the Edit Profile screen, you can edit:

• Your first name, email display, city, country as well as a bio (brief description ofyour self.)

• Your profile picture and various personal information.

Please note that personal information that you add about yourself will be availableto all other users logged into Moodle site so limit it to only information that you wishto share with the community.

11 | Your Profile Page

The illustration below shows the editable fields of your profile.

Your Profile Page | 12

13 | Your Profile Page

3) You can also edit your Preferences for things like notifications of course activity.

Recommended Profile Page Settings:

• Edit Profile/First name*: You may edit this, but please use an actual name (suchas “Alex” instead of “Alexander”) but not a nickname.

• Edit Profile/Surname*: Your last name (family name) cannot be edited.• Edit Profile/Email address: The email address cannot be edited.• Edit Profile/Email display: Allow only other course members to see my email

address• Edit Profile/City, town, and Select a country*: Insert your location if you wish.

The Country should be entered automatically.• Forum Preferences:

◦ Email digest type: Complete (daily email with full posts)◦ Forum auto-subscribe: No: don’t automatically subscribe me to forums◦ Forum tracking: Yes: highlight new posts for me

Your Profile Page | 14

• Preferred Language: English – United States (en_us)

*Required fields.

Optional: There are other fields you may fill in on the bottom of the Profile page thatare optional, such as inserting a user picture, list of your interests, webpage, phone,etc. If you insert a picture, please use a portrait style image rather than a long shotfrom a distance. Use a picture of yourself that you would want classmates and yourinstructors to see. Please do not use pictures of just your pet or something otherthan yourself.

Be sure to use good judgment in sharing your personal information.

15 | Your Profile Page

9. Forum Subscription Settings

When you participate in a discussion forum, you have some options for how you would liketo be notified that there has been some interaction in forums where are a participants.Subscription Settings enable you to decide how you would like to be notified so that youcan jump back into the discussion in a timely way.

User subscription settings

When you are subscribed to a forum, it means that you will receive a notification of eachnew posting. By default, posts are permanently recorded 30 minutes after the post wasfirst saved. Once this happens, automated notifications are sent to all participants. Thefollowing options describe how you will receive those notifications.

Area 1: My Profile Settings:

You can set your global forum subscription settings within your Profile settings.

From your course home page select Administration > My profile settings > Edit profile andensure the Forum auto-subscribe feature is set the way you want.

Forum Subscription Settings | 16

Area 2: Forums:

You can also choose how to subscribe to a forum within each individual forum. However,your instructor may configure the forum in a certain way that overrides whatever settingsyou may choose, such as if the subject matter is critically important.

To view all of your forum subscription settings, go to the Activities block and click on“Forums”.

17 | Forum Subscription Settings

10. Basic Navigation

Moodle courses use modules and blocks to organize the instructional resources andactivities.

The images below illustrate the layout of a typical online course. Though some courses maydiffer, they will all function similarly.

Top Section

The top section of a Moodle course (sometimes referred to as Topic 0) provides courseadministration information such as an Announcements forum, course syllabus, details oncourse major assignments and rubrics.

Blocks

Moodle uses Blocks to provide additionalcourse information, navigation andresources. Some instructors customizetheir Blocks, but every class will include theblocks listed below.

• Activities – Lists and allows navigationbetween the different activitiesavailable in your course (Forums,Quizzes, Assignments, Checklists andso forth).

• Instructor Details – Provides students with the instructor’s contact information.• Resources – Includes a link to Try Turnitin and another for Video Tutorials and Guides.

Basic Navigation | 18

Modules

19 | Basic Navigation

Moodle courses use Modules as a means of chunking course topics into individual sections.Generally, a Module corresponds to a week

of learning and engagement in your online course. Unless otherwise specified, Modulesbegin on Mondays and end on Sunday.

Each Module includes its start and end date along with:

• Overview – A description of the week’s topic and Learning Objectives.• Read, Review, Watch – A collection of instructional media such as reading

assignments, website links to review, videos to watch, downloadable documents, andother assets.

• Activities – Discussion forums, submissions assignments, quizzes, and other assessedactivities.

Navigation Bar

The Moodle navigation bar (also referred to sometimes as “breadcrumbs”) shows thecurrent content path. Some items in the path are clickable so that, for example, if you arein currently in a Forum activity, you can click on the course title in the path to return to themain course page. This can save you a few clicks!

Basic Navigation | 20

This image showsthe topnavigation foryour course. Onthe left end of themenu bar there isan image of threehorizontal lineswhich can beclicked on to openthe Navigationblock to the left ofthe window.

Navigation Block- (see image below) Includes My home, Site pages, Current Course andMy courses. The Navigation block has links which can be expanded or collapsed. To view allyour courses go to the Navigation block, click on the small triangle to the left of My courseswhich will open a drop-down menu. A list of all your active courses will be shown. Click onthe course you would like to open to view that course.

21 | Basic Navigation

This image showsthe contents ofthe NavigationBlock. To close theblock, select the“X” on the topnavigation bar.

Basic Navigation | 22

11. Submission Assignments

Moodle submission assignments are the digital equivalent of printing out your assignmentand handing it in to your instructor in a classroom.

Moodle submission assignments can accommodate uploading digital documents suchas word processor files (Microsoft Word), spreadsheets, and PDF files . Your instructorwill provide you with assignment details, requirements, expectations, and other specialprovisions for the assignment.

There are also Moodle submission assignments that require you to record and upload avideo. Video assignments are handled differently and would not use the standard Moodlesubmission assignment. To read more about submitting videos for a video assignment,please contact your instructor.

To submit an assignment using the Moodle submission assignment feature.

1. Click on the Moodle assignment link. Assignment links are denoted by the uniqueassignment link icon shown below:

2. Click on the “Add submission” button…

3. Click on the “Add (+)” button to browse and attach the assignment file or files. Theprocess is just like adding an attachment to an email. Select the “Save changes”button and your work will be submitted to the instructor for grading. The submissionswill also include a time stamp of your submission which is recorded in Moodle and canbe viewed by your instructor.

23 | Submission Assignments

Once your assignment has been graded, you will be able to view your grade and feedbackby navigating to the Administration block and selecting Grades.

Submission Assignments | 24

12. Quizzes and Exams

The Quiz activity enables the instructor to design and build quizzes, tests, and exams(assessments) consisting of a variety of question types including multiple choice, true/false,and short answer questions.

Most will have special conditions, requirements and expectations such as:

• Single or multiple attempts• Time restrictions• Availability restrictions• Questions delivered at one time or all at once

Therefore it is important that you carefully read and follow the instructor’s directionsbefore attempting the assessment activity.

Prior to Starting the Quiz:

• Review the instructions provided by the instructor. If the instructions are unclear,contact your instructor for clarification.

• Ensure you are using a Moodle supported browser.• If the assessment is only available during a specific period, do not wait until the last

minute to begin it. An Internet outage or some other interruption may occur thatinterrupts your attempt. In the event that you do experience any technical difficulties,it is recommended that you submit a Support ticket immediately and let yourinstructor know.

When you are ready:

1. Select the quiz, test or exam link denoted by the quiz icon:

2. Then select the “Attempt quiz now” button:

25 | Quizzes and Exams

The quiz questions will load into a new page, as illustrated below. You can track yourprogress using the quiz navigation feature on the upper left. Once you submit youranswers for grading, the results will be automatically graded and/or graded by theinstructor. The results will be recorded in the course grade book. Once the grade is madeavailable, you will be able to view your grade by selecting Administration > Grades.

Quizzes and Exams | 26

13. Grades

To access your grades go to the Administration blocklocated on the left side of your Moodle course and clickon the Grades item. Note: If you docked theAdministration block onto the left side of your screen,click on the tab to slide out the menu.

• Click on Course administration “triangle icon” andyou will see the Grades link.

• Click on Grades to view your report. The reportcollects items that have been graded from thevarious parts of your course.

• Below is a sample student User grade report.

If you have questions about your grades in thecourse, please contact your instructor.

27 | Grades

14. Messages

The Moodle Message system operates a little bit like Instant Messaging (IM) and a littlebit like email. The main thing to remember is that if the person you are messaging isnot logged in to Moodle at the same time you are, your message will automatically beforwarded to their email account. Depending on how you have your Profile preferences set,messages that are sent to you can also be sent to your email account when you are not inyour course.

When to use it: Messages are best used for short conversations and inquiries such asasking questions to your instructor or classmate. It is not recommended for lengthy

detailed conversations and messages do not allow formatting orattachments.

How it works: The Message tool link is located on the dropdown menu on the NavigationBar. Click on the Messages link and you will be taken to the Messages page. (This takes youout of your course, so you might want to right-click on the link and open it in a new tab orwindow instead.)

Once you are in the Messages page, Click into the Message Navigation menu to select thecourse where the recipient is located (see below).

Messages | 28

Once the course is selected, you will see a list of names associated with the course youhave selected. Locate the person you wish to send a message and click on their name. Thecontent window will appear for you to type in (see below). Click the Send Message buttonto send your message. Each message will include a timestamp denoting when it was sent.

If the recipient of your message is not online, your message will be sent to the emailaddress specified in the message settings when the user is offline for more than the timespecified.

29 | Messages

15. Discussion Forums

Discussion Forums are the online equivalent of a classroom discussion, but with a fewdifferences:

• Discussions happen across a period of time rather than all at once.• Posts to discussions are threaded so that all posts are listed chronologically.• You post links and videos along with your text.

A forum can contribute significantly to successful communication and communitybuilding in an online environment. There are several different types of discussion forums,though the most common forum used is the Standard forum.

In this forum type, students see the introduction text (or prompt) in a separate space abovethe discussion area. Also visible is the title of the discussion, who it was started by, thenumber of replies, and the date of the last post.

Follow your instructor’s instructions about whether you should select the “Add a newdiscussion topic” button or to reply to a specific thread.

IMPORTANT: Once you save your post in the Forum, you will have 30 minutes to editor delete your post (see below). After 30 minutes, you cannot edit or delete your post.If you think you may need to deliberate on your post before posting it, work it out in aseparate text editor (TextEdit [Mac]; Notepad [PC]) and then copy/paste your post into yourdiscussion thread.

Discussion Forums | 30

HTML Editor: If you know how to edit your post content in HTML, you can change the viewof your post content by clicking on the Show More button (below)…

… then clicking on the HTML view button (below).

Other types of Forums

On some occasions, you may encounter alternative forum formats that requireparticipating in slightly different ways. The following forum types describe how they differfrom the Standard forum.

A single simple discussion

This is similar to the standard forum except there is only one thread. Students will seethe first post placed in the Forum by the instructor. Students will post replies to theinstructor’s post.

Each person posts one discussion

Students are allowed to post only one discussion thread, but otherwise this forumformat works the same as the Standard forum.

Question and Answer forum

31 | Discussion Forums

In a Q and A forum, instructors post the question and students are required to postonce before viewing other students’ posts. After the initial post, students can view andrespond to others’ post. This feature encourages original and independent thinkingwithout the influence of a prior answer.

Discussion Forums | 32