Getting Started with Moodle at Shasta College

Getting Started with Moodle at Shasta College Student Handbook

Welcome to Our Online "Moodle" Home Moodle is a program that universities, community colleges, and K 12 schools may use to add web technology to their courses. More than 30,000 educational organizations around the world currently use Moodle to deliver online courses and to supplement traditional face-to-face courses. The name Moodle has two meanings. First, it s an acronym (what isn t these days?) for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Moodle is also a verb that describes the process of lazily meandering through something, doing things as it occurs to you to do them, an enjoyable tinkering that often leads to insight and creativity. Special Features Used in This Manual: This book includes a variety of special features to help you learn Moodle's features and capabilities. Each feature is marked with an icon for easy identification. The following table describes these special features.

Shasta College Moodle Homepage The Shasta College Moodle homepage will be your primary starting point for each Moodle session. You will be able to log-in and access your classes from this page. The SC Moodle homepage can be found at the following URL: http://online.shastacollege.edu/ The image below shows what our SC Moodle home page should look like:

Logging in to Moodle Once you have accessed the Shasta College Moodle homepage, you may log on by completing the block in the upper left corner: Once you have logged in, you will see the My Courses and Online Resources blocks in the upper left corner of the screen.

Logging in to Moodle continued You may access your course(s) from the left My Courses block or alternatively from the center Course Categories area. Simply click on the title of the course to enter it. By clicking directly on the title, CIS-1 (Computer Literacy Workshop S7539) shown at left, I would be taken directly to the course home page. TIP -- It is important to use the resources available in the Online Resources block, as many of your questions will be answered when reviewing the items posted there.

Personal Moodle Homepage There are many important features you will need to know when on your personal Moodle homepage. Many of them are listed in the following diagram: There are many resources that are available on your personal homepage if you need help while using Moodle. These can be found in the "SC Online Resources" block: 1 -- This is where you will access the main Shasta College homepage. You will find various resources here such as the campus calendar, important dates, etc. 2 -- The library link directs you to the library homepage, which allows you access to various research databases, etc. 3 -- DSPS allows students with disabilities to receive academic accommodations based upon their specific disability, this is a link to their website. 4 -- The MyShasta portal is where you can go to register, add and drop classes, etc. 5 -- The Shasta College Online Help Portal contains a searchable knowledge base of resources for students using SC Online. 6 -- The Online Requirements link will review the minimum requirements for taking an online class. If you are having problems with your computer regarding access to your online class, reviewing this may be helpful. 7 -- The Browser checker link will determine if you have any items that you need to fix within your browser in order to use SC Online effectively. 8 -- The Browser Settings page will provide instructions on how to adjust your browser to work with SC Online. 9 -- Student Moodle FAQ s contains many different step-by-step instructions regarding how to perform particular tasks. 10 -- The Getting Started with Moodle pdf guide is a helpful document that introduces new users to the SC Online/Moodle system.

TIP -- It is important to use the resources available, as many of your questions will be found by following these various links. Profile & Preferences After you have logged in, it says You are logged in as and your name, which is highlighted as a clickable word. Click on your name and Moodle will direct you to your personal profile page. You will see your profile summary and the last time you logged in. Across the top of your profile summary you will see a number of tabs. If this is a new account, you ll see three tabs: Profile, Edit profile, and Blog. As you begin to participate in forums and other activities, other tabs will appear here that will give you access to your contributions in your course(s). TIP: If you need to change your password, this is the area where you can quickly change your password. You can also update your personal profile to include a picture from this screen by clicking the EDIT PROFILE tab, more instructions are below.

Profile & Preferences continued Your profile displays information about you that is visible to other Shasta College Moodle users in your class. Usernames (including your own) are all hyperlinked to that user s profile page. Click on any name to view their profile page. Moodle automatically displays a generic silhouette next to your name in the forums, but you can upload an avatar / picture of your own if you wish. (Everyone will see this image, so please choose an image that is appropriate.) Editing your profile may make it more productive for you: Step 1) - Select Edit Profile from the middle tab under your name. Step 2) - Click the Show Advanced button to view the hidden fields. Below we will go through those options and give advice on some field settings you will encounter on your profile page: Email address: Your Email Address is set to the email address you provided to Shasta College. If you update your email address, please remember to update this with Shasta College and within your course. Email display: It is up to you which of these options you select, please keep in mind though that the purpose of Moodle is collaboration and communication.

Profile & Preferences continued Email digest type: You may wish to change this to Subjects to ensure that you receive your course email in a condensed format. Forum auto-subscribe: To keep your inbox from filling up, you may choose to set the Forum auto-subscribe to "No: don't automatically subscribe me to forums. Keep in mind that if you do not automatically subscribe, you will have to manually check all the forums to assure you are staying current on your course content. Profile Picture: To insert a picture click the browse button and search your computer for a picture. The image file will be cropped to a square and resized down to 100 x 100 pixels. Other Options: There are fields available to enter other contact information such as Skype, ICQ, AIM, etc. Please be advised that this contact information is optional, and be sure you are aware that all enrolled members in the course will be able to view this information. A First Look at Your Moodle Course The Course page you see as a student has Blocks on both sides and the main content through the middle. The image below highlights some of the features. Your course will always be in a 3 column layout. The left and right columns will house the blocks for each course, and the center column will house the topic/weekly outline of activities/content. There are a number of blocks available for your instructor to include or leave out as they see appropriate. Blocks can also be customized (e.g. moved to a different location by your instructor). What this means is that each of your courses may all appear slightly different from each other, but you should soon become familiar with the important features that will be in all of your classes.

Modifying Page Layout You may modify your course's page layout (appearance) in your course homepage by minimizing the weeks/topics, or minimizing the various blocks within your course, as noted in the image above. Navigation Tools There are several ways to navigate within your Moodle course. Two of the main ways to navigate are using the breadcrumb trail and the drop down "Jump to..." menu. Breadcrumb trail The breadcrumb trail shows the pages you have passed through to get to your current location. The trail is shown in the top left corner of the page and clicking on an item listed will take you to that point in the course. The first link on the left will take you to your homepage. The second will take you to the current course homepage. You can also use the back button on your browser. "Jump to..." menu The Jump to menu is a simple way of getting to any point in the course. Click on the down arrow next to Jump to, to open the drop down menu. From here you will see the full list of all activities and resources in your course. Clicking on them will take you to that page. Alternatively, you can use the left and right arrows to move one step backwards and forwards through the course.

Moodle Course Resources Moodle offers a variety of resources to both students and instructors. Many of these resources will be found in the blocks within Moodle. The blocks reside in the left and right sides of each Moodle course. The fixed blocks inside every course include: imail topmost left side block: internal course mail more information about the imail block can be found later in this handbook. Online Users second left side block: shows online users within the last 90 minutes. If email envelope is shown, allows you to instant message the user, if the user happens to be offline a copy of the message will be sent automatically to their external email account outside of Moodle. People third left side block: will provide a listing of all users inside the course. More information about the People block can be found later in this handbook. Administration fourth left side block: will provide access to all posted course grades, and a quick link to your personal profile. Calendar topmost right side block: more information about the Calendar block can be found later in this handbook. Activities second right side block: more information about the activities in Moodle can be found later in this handbook.

Moodle Course Resources continued Note-- These are optional blocks that the instructor may make available inside each course, if your instructor chooses to add them. Familiarizing yourself with course blocks will be helpful when navigating your course. Messages optional block: access to the messaging tool inside of Moodle instant message if they are online. This is different than the imail tool. More information My Courses optional block: quick access to switching to your other SC Moodle Courses. More information Latest news optional block: will display the most recent news posted inside the course. Upcoming Events optional block: will display upcoming events from the calendar. More information Recent Activity optional block: will show recent activity inside the course. Quiz Results optional block: this block will display quiz results dependent on instructor settings. Search Forums optional block: this block will allow users to search forums for a particular subject, author or date range.

Moodle Course Resources continued There are also more specific course resources that your instructor may use during your course, some of them may be found in blocks, some within the content portion of your course(s). The following icon legend is provided to assist with navigating and understanding the different course tools/resources you will find in Moodle:

Using imail The imail is internal course specific mail messages where all messages are kept within the Moodle system, by giving students and teachers an inbox for each course. imail gives you the ability to create email like messages with drafts, attachments (single or multiple), contact lists, and all the usual features of a WebMail program. imail is found inside each of your courses but will only hold course specific mail messages. It will always be located in the topmost left block. When you have new messages in your imail your screen will look similar to the image shown at left, which states you have two (2) new messages in the course. When you click on the title of a course in the imail block, it will take you to the inbox for that course as shown below. When you select a message from the list it will open in the center frame, you can then read the message, reply, forward, delete or print it as well:

Using imail continued When composing a message, you will be shown an imail message screen similar to the one shown, to choose the recipients of your message click the Contacts button: After clicking the contacts button you will be given a list to select from. If you want to send to everyone in the class, be sure to click Show All Users link first, before you select your recipients! Once the users have been selected, choose close window button. Once you click the close window button you will return to the message screen, the system will have placed the users in the TO, CC or BCC fields. You can then finish composing and sending your message. If you want to attach a file to your message, click the Browse button and locate an select your file to include with your message. You can attach more than one file by choosing the Attach another file link.

People Block The People block contains a link to the list of the course participants. The participant s profiles are available by clicking on their name or picture. The list can be sorted by first name, surname, city, country and last access. Administration Block Most of the links in the administration block in your course(s) are only visible and available to your instructor, but there are a couple of important features you of which you should be aware. Students see a course administration block with just two links: Profile and Grades. By clicking on "Grades" you will bring up you gradebook, where you can verify that all your submitted assignments have been graded. By clicking on profile you will access your profile, where you can update, make changes and see additional information related to your profile.

My Courses Block The My Courses block is available to you after you log in. It will be located in the left column. You will see the courses that you are currently enrolled in, and be able to navigate to a specific course by clicking on its name. If you believe you are enrolled in a course, but it is not showing up, please verify your enrollment on MyShasta or contact the Admissions & Records Office. If you do show as officially registered (not waitlisted), but still do not see the course, please contact the help desk. The numbers for each are provided in the help section of this book. The Calendar Block The Calendar appears both on the course system login page, as well as on the course page(s) itself. After logging in, the calendar on your homepage shows due dates and other listed events from the course(s) you are enrolled in. The calendar on a course homepage usually lists only events relating to that course. Calendar entries can be generated automatically, for example, when the teacher specifies a due date for an assignment, this is automatically turned into a calendar entry that links to the assignment. It is also possible to create new events manually. All users can create user events (blue), teachers can create group events (yellow) and course events (white), while administrators can create global events (green). The global events are displayed in every course. Students may add "User events" to their personal Moodle calendars. A user event is a private event. Only the student can see it. More info can be found in the Student Moodle FAQ

Forums in Moodle = Forums - discussions that your instructors may ask you to engage in. Your instructor may ask you to participate in four different types of forums: A single, simple discussion - this just a single topic forum, all on one page. Useful for short, focused discussions. Standard forum for general use - this is an open forum where anyone can start a new topic at any time. This is more a general-purpose forum. Each person posts one discussion - Each person can post exactly one new discussion topic (everyone can reply to them though). This is useful when an instructor wants each student to start a discussion about something such as their reflections on a week's topic, and then have anyone else responds to that. Q And A Forum - The Q & A forum requires students to post their perspectives before viewing other students' postings. After the initial posting, students can view and respond to others' postings. This feature allows equal initial posting opportunity among all students, thus encouraging original and independent thinking. Posting in a Forum To post in a forum you can do the following: 1. Log into Moodle and enter any course in which you are enrolled. 2. Click on forum you wish to contribute to. 3. Read the directions and/or topic of the discussion. 4. Click on the Add a new discussion topic button.

Forums in Moodle continued 5. On the add a new discussion topic page, type a subject for your topic in the subject line. 6. Next, type a reply to the forum in the Message field. If you wish to attach a file to your post, you may do this by clicking the Browse button and selecting the file. IMPORTANT Tip: You may be able to choose whether to subscribe or unsubscribe from the forum you have posted in. If you choose to subscribe, be aware that all posts in the forum will be sent via email format to you, and you may need to delete these emails in order to not fill up your inbox. Note - The instructor may force subscription to particularly important forums, such as a "Course News" or an "Announcements" forum. 7. Lastly, click the Post to Forum button. 8. Once you have submitted your post you will see a page reminding you that you have time to edit the post before it is emailed to others if they have requested to have it. 9. Click the Continue link. Your returned to the Forum page where you will see your post.

Forums in Moodle continued Editing a Forum Post 1. To edit your post, click on your post link in the Discussion column. 2. Next, click the Edit link next to the post you wish to edit. IMPORTANT Tip - Most courses will have rules regarding the editing of posts. These can be modified by the instructor, but the default rules are that posts can be edited for 30 minutes, or until someone responds to the post.

Assignments in Moodle There are four different types of assignments in Moodle. Upload a Single File Advanced Uploading of Files Online Text Offline Activity You may be able to access your course assignments in the following ways: On the main course page: From the assignments page in the Activities Block: Or from the calendar:

Assignments in Moodle continued Upload a Single file This assignment requires you to upload a single file (or multiple files zipped). This could be a Word document, spreadsheet, or one of many other formats. You may zip multiple files and then submit them. After you upload your file(s), your instructor will be able to open your submission and use Moodle to assign a grade and offer feedback. You may submit a file as many times as you like up until the deadline. Only the latest file is retained, and this is the one your instructor grades. NOTE: Moodle may sometimes appear to NOT be uploading a resubmitted assignment - you may seem to be downloading the original assignment. This is a cache issue, to resolve go to "Tools > Clear Recent History" in Firefox or "Tools > Delete Browsing History > Delete Temporary Files" in Windows Explorer. The newer file will then appear.

Assignments in Moodle continued Advanced Uploading of Files The Advanced Uploading Assignment differs somewhat from the Single File Assignment. It allows for multiple file submissions without zipping, as well as allowing you to type a message alongside your submission. It also allows for your instructor to return a file as feedback. You need to browse to your file and then upload it into Moodle: IMPORTANT TIP -- After you have uploaded the file, make sure that you click "Send for marking". If you do not click on "Send for marking", your assignment will not be submitted.

Assignments in Moodle continued Online Text Assignment To submit an online text assignment you should: 1. Click on the assignment link from one of these locations: main course page, the assignments page or the calendar block. 2. Read the directions given by your instructor. 3. Click the Edit my submission button. 4. In the Submission text box, type the text requested by the directions. 5. Lastly, click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Submission page.

Assignments in Moodle continued Offline Assignments An offline assignment looks similar to the other types but you will not need to submit a file or type text into Moodle. An Offline assignment is just a set of directions given by your instructor for you to complete outside of Moodle. To view an offline assignment you should: 1. Click on the assignment link from one of these locations: main course page, the assignments page or the calendar block. 2. Read the directions given by your instructor. 3. Complete the assignment and submit to your instructor in class or via the method described in the assignment instructions. You will not submit anything online for this type of assignment activity. Taking Quizzes in Moodle The quiz module enables teachers to create online quizzes with a wide range of question types and overall options. Online quizzes can be designed to give students immediate feedback about their performance. Among other options, questions and/or multiple choice answers can be shuffled. Students can be restricted to one attempt at a quiz or given many opportunities. The final quiz score can then be based on an average of the scores over many attempts or the score can be based on the first attempt, last attempt, or best result. Teachers can also provide access to feedback immediately after the quiz or only after the quizzing window, set by the teacher, has closed. These options are set individually by the teacher. When your instructor is ready for you to take a test typically a link will appear. Be sure you've read any information provided by your instructor as to when you should take the test. Never enter a test unless you are prepared to complete it. When you are ready to access the quiz, click the Attempt quiz now button as shown below: If your quiz is timed, you will receive a pop-up message warning you that it is time limited, you will need to click OK to continue with the quiz.

Taking Quizzes in Moodle continued Once the quiz opens you will see a screen similar to the one below, you will notice that this particular exam is timed, so a timer is located in the top portion of the screen to let you know how much time you have left to submit. After selecting the response, I would choose either the (Next) link or the next number in the sequence to proceed to question 3. Once I have answered all the questions, as a safety precaution, I would first choose SAVE WITHOUT SUBMITTING button and then select the SUBMIT ALL AND FINISH button. 1 2 After choosing the Submit all and finish button you will receive another pop-up message telling you that you are about to close this attempt, choose the OK button to continue. Depending on the settings selected by your instructor, you might have immediate access to your quiz score/feedback, or you may have to wait for your results. It is best to check with your instructoron their policies for quiz review.

Taking Quizzes in Moodle continued Testing Tips: There are a few very important things you need to know before taking your first quiz in Moodle. Be sure you've read any information provided by your instructor as to when you should take the test. Never enter a test unless you are prepared to complete it. Preparedness includes reliable internet connection, approved browser with appropriate plugins enabled. It is important to plan the time you'll take your test. Once you start a test there is no "turning back". You should take your test at a time when you'll have few distractions. Occasionally your instructor may password a test. If you are asked for a password when trying to enter a test you'll need to obtain the password from the instructor. Be very careful of capitalization when keying passwords. Your test may be timed. If so, you'll see a timer appear at the top left of the screen when you enter your test. This timer will count down the time you have left to complete your test. In Moodle you will be kicked out when the time limit is up so please be sure to finish your test and submit it PRIOR to the time running out. You cannot leave a timed test and have the clock stop counting down. It's a good idea to save your answers frequently. You can click the Save button at any time to save you answers. You may still change these answers up until the time you submit them. When you've answered all questions scroll down to the bottom and click the "Submit All and Finish" button. If your test includes essay or short answer questions those must be graded individually by your instructor. You are not awarded any points for those questions until the instructor has graded them. To come back later and review your tests, simply click on the name of the test from your course page, then click your grade. Your instructor controls the review settings for each quiz, email/contact your instructor if you cannot review your quiz or if you have additional questions regarding your quiz. If at any time during your quiz you lose your internet connectivity, immediately log back into the system and continue taking the quiz. Remember if you are taking a timed quiz, every minute counts! If you lose your connectivity while taking a quiz and are unable to access it again to complete it, notify your instructor immediately via imail so they are aware that you encountered an issue while taking the quiz.

Viewing Your Gradebook In Moodle, students can view their grades at any time if your instructor has enabled this setting inside the course. To view your grades: 1. Log into Moodle and enter your course. 2. Click on the Grades link in the Administration Block 3. Your grades will be displayed. Note -- You may need to click the grade category headings to see your grades for individual assignments. These headings may vary from course to course. Why is my course average so low?? Don't panic! The Moodle grade book, depending on your instructor's settings, may take into account unmarked and unsubmitted work. In other words, you may start with zero and as you progress through the course and complete activities your percentage will rise. If this is the case, please look at all points earned versus all points available up to the current date in your class to determine your current grade.

Moodle Support and Help Resources SC Online Online Support Portal provides online course assistance (resetting of passwords, technical assistance): http://d2.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptid=8068 or via phone 24x7 at 866-213-7838. (you will need to know your student ID number to call in and submit a ticket link for instructions on how to look up ID) Many of the online access issues can be solved from within the SC help portal. There is a full knowledge base of material specifically for Moodle users at Shasta College. Once you create an account at the support portal, you can even submit tickets online and use the support chat tool. Enabling Pop-Ups for use with SC Online/Moodle In order to take some tests, and to make full use of the Moodle Messaging system, you must enable Pop-Ups for the Shasta College Moodle site. Most browsers will have an automatic Pop-Up blocker, and there may be additional ones built into add-ons you may have such as Google or Yahoo toolbars. You may need to enable Pop-Ups in more than one place to ensure you receive your messages instantly. Instructions for enabling pop-ups in Internet Explorer and Firefox with SC Online are provided at the following location: http://www.shastacollege.edu/cms.aspx?id=13672 Reminder: Firefox is the recommended browser by Shasta College. You may need to search the web for how-to instructions regarding Pop-Up controls for other browsers or add-ins, such as Google Chrome and Safari, though the process should be similar. Enabling Java for use with SC Online/Moodle JavaScript and Java are used in the Shasta College Online/Moodle system. JavaScript is a scripting language that is normally used in web pages and runs on your computer when your browser displays a page. The ability to run JavaScript is built in to almost all web browsers. To ensure that you have them enabled on your computer, please visit the following link: http://www.shastacollege.edu/cms.aspx?id=13671 Accepting Cookies for use with SC Online/Moodle You will need to set your browser to accept cookies from our Shasta College Online/Moodle site. The instructions for making this setting change for the Firefox and Internet Explorer can be found at the following location: http://www.shastacollege.edu/cms.aspx?id=14045

Additional Online Resources include: Student Moodle FAQ - in-depth questions and answers regarding the use of Moodle and its features SC Online Help support portal for our online courses at Shasta College. MyShasta search, register and pay for classes at Shasta College. SC Calendar - Shasta College Calendar, which includes important dates SC Library - To use the library to access online databases and resources, etc, please use this link: (Note-you must have a library card to access online resources) SC Bookstore - To purchase textbooks, as well as Shasta College merchandise, you may go to the Shasta College bookstore online SC Catalog/Class Schedule - To see degree requirements and college policies, please access the Shasta College catalog. You may also see the classes available for the upcoming term by looking at the class schedule SC Web Help - If you are having issues with the Shasta College website, please refer to the following: SC Financial Aid - The Financial Aid office is available to assist you through the process of applying for scholarships, grants, student loans, etc. There are many resources available to students, so please check with the Financial Aid office to see what you qualify for. SC Health & Wellness Office - There are many services available at the Shasta College Health & Wellness office offered free of charge, after you have paid the student health fee SC Graduation - You may access the following page to help in planning for your graduation The following is a list of important numbers you may need as a student of Shasta College: Admissions -- 530.242.7650 Counseling -- 530.242.7724 Financial Aid -- 530.242.7700 Library -- 530.242.7550 Math Lab (tutoring) -- 530.242.7785 Shasta College Online Help -- 866.213.7838 (you will need to know your student Id number to call in and submit a ticket) Writing Center (tutoring) -- 530.242.7589 For questions regarding your MyShasta account including payments/registering/adding/dropping sections and transcripts please visit the MyShasta website: http://www.shastacollege.edu/form.aspx?ekfrm=5217&menu_id=621 For questions regarding admission to Shasta College contact our Admissions and Records office at: 530-242-7650 (8am-7pm Mon-Thurs and 8am-3pm Friday) or visit the website at: http://www.shastacollege.edu/admissions