Moodle 101 Find how-to tutorials online on Moodle.Org: https://docs.moodle.org

Basic Training in this Session

- Editing course settings: theme, format- Creating and editing topic sections- Editing a page- Embedding a Video or link- Embedding a picture- Adding files- Adding Labels- Adding assignments- Gradebook Set Up

EDITING COURSE SETTINGS: THEME

Turn on editing

Click on Course Administration > Edit Settings

Go to ‘Appearance’ and select a theme (force theme)

EDITING COURSE SETTINGS: FORMAT

Go to ‘Course Format’ and select the format

Recommended: Topics Format or Grid Format

Hidden sections can be collapsed or invisible

Course layout:

- Show one section per page allows sections to be displayed “accordion style’.- Show all sections on one page shows a scroll of all sections on the main page

TOPIC SECTIONS

To add a topic section:

At the bottom of the topic sections, click ‘Add topics’:

To edit a topic section:

Click edit on the right hand side of a topic section, then ‘edit topic’

Title your section by clicking on the ‘custom’ box beside Section name

Edit the section by using tools (click on the grid to expand the toolbar)

Make your edits (add text, titles, pictures, etc) and then click ‘Save Changes’

BASIC EDITING WITH TOOL BAR:

Whether you editing a topic section, page or other activity in Moodle the tool bar is essentially the same. Here are some things you can do:

Add headers and text: select from different options (drop down list). Choose from different sized headers for titles or ‘paragraph’ for regular text.

Select your font style and size:

Change alignment or indent text:

Change font colour, highlighting:

Insert a table:

Insert a picture:

Browse your saved pictures and select the picture you wish to insert (Note: you cannot copy images or pictures into Moodle, they will not stick).

- Select your file and click ‘Upload this file”

-- Your picture will preview, click ‘insert’

You can change alignment by using the alignment tool in the tool bar. You can resize your picture by right-clicking the image and dragging to size:

To add a video, click on the ‘insert Moodle media’ icon:

Click on ‘find or upload a sound, video or applet’

You can search or enter in the url for a YouTube Video:

Find your video of choice, and then click ‘select this file’. Then click ‘insert’.

The video will appear as an embedded video in Moodle:

Linking to text:

Select the text you want to hyperlink, then click on the ‘link’ tool:

You can enter a URL to link to an external link.

You can also select a file to link to by clicking the blue and red “browse” icon to the right of ‘Link URL’.

Target: select whether you want it to open in the same window or a new window.

Then click ‘Insert’ at bottom

ADDING ACTIVITIES & RESOURCES IN MOODLE

There are many different activities and resources that you can add to a section. Click ‘Add an activity or resource’ at the bottom right side of a topic section and choose from the drop down list.

Here, we will cover some basic ones to add.

Add a Page

The page module enables a teacher to create a web page resource using the text editor. A page can display text, images, sound, video, web links and embedded code, such as Google maps.

Advantages of using the page module rather than the file module include the resource being more accessible (for example to users of mobile devices) and easier to update.

For large amounts of content, it's recommended that a book is used rather than a page.

A page may be used

To present the terms and conditions of a course or a summary of the course syllabus

To embed several videos or sound files together with some explanatory text

Add a File

The file module enables a teacher to provide a file as a course resource. Where possible, the file will be displayed within the course interface; otherwise students will be prompted to download it.

Note that students need to have the appropriate software on their computers in order to open the file.

A file may be used

To share a powerpoint, word document or pdf (i.e: assignment instructions or a course outline)

To provide draft files of certain software programs (eg Photoshop .psd) so students can edit and submit them for

assessment

Add a Folder (for multiple files)

The folder module enables a teacher to display a number of related files inside a single folder, reducing scrolling on the course page. A zipped folder may be uploaded and unzipped for display, or an empty folder created and files uploaded into it.

A folder may be used

For a series of files on one topic, for example a set of past examination papers in pdf format or a collection of

image files for use in student projects

To provide a shared uploading space for teachers on the course page (keeping the folder hidden so that only

teachers can see it)

Name your folder and give it a brief description. Drag and drop files into the ‘Content’ area. If you want your folder hidden, you can hide it under ‘Common Module Settings’ in the folder settings:

Add a label:

Labels may be used

To split up a long list of activities with a subheading or an image

To display an embedded sound file or video directly on the course page

To add a short description to a course section

Labels are great for drawing attention to something or making a subheading between activities in a section. You can use different font colours or images in your label.

- Enter the label text- Good idea to select ‘Do not indicate activity completion’ so that there is no “tick box” next

to the label. -

Add an assignment:

The assignment activity module enables a teacher to communicate tasks, collect work and provide grades and feedback.

Students can submit any digital content (files), such as word-processed documents, spreadsheets, images, or audio and video clips. 

Editing an assignment:

- Give your assignment a name- Description: information and instructions for students go here. You can include linked

files or videos in the description section- Additional files: you can drag and drop files for students to download in this area

In Availability, you can select when assignments are available to view and to complete. In an asynchronous course, it is best to deselect all of these options (unclick enable) so it is always available.

Under Submission types, you can allow students to type into a textbox (online text) and/or upload a file (file submissions). Tick the boxes to allow these options.

You can also put a limit on the number of files and the size.

By leaving ‘Accepted file types’ blank, all files will be accepted.

Under Feedback types, feedback comments allows you to give written feedback (this shows on their progress reports). Feedback files allows you to upload files to the student when you mark their assignment.

Under submission settings, you can control whether they can have drafts. By requiring students to click submit button, they can save a draft in Moodle and when ready, they will click submit.

Requiring that students accept the submission statement will make submitting a two-step process where they have to click “yes”.

Attempts re-opened allows them to go back in and submit again (even if marked)

Maximum attempts is how many times they can submit.

Under notifications, you generally want both ‘notify graders about submissions’ and ‘notify students” set to YES:

Under grading, there are a variety of options.

- TYPE: An assignment can be worth a point-value (such as 20 marks or out of 100 marks). It can also be marked on scale. Finally, it can be worth no marks (none).

- GRADING METHOD: allows you to choose between simple direct grading (you enter the grade); marking guide where you can set criteria worth points, or a rubric where you can use an existing rubric or create your own.

Under Common Module Settings, you can show or hide the assignment:

You can add restrictions to an assignment when needed. Examples include if you want students to complete something else first, or if you want the assignment to be available (or unavailable) to a particular group.

Click on add restriction and then ‘Restriction set’ to create a restriction (or a set of restrictions):

Ask for help or use Moodle.org if you are wishing to add restrictions in your courses.

Activity Completion settings allow you to decide if a tick box will appear beside the assignment. These help students track what they have done in the course.

- The most common setting is to “show activity as completed when conditions are met” and then select the condition as “student must receive a grade to complete this activity”. That means that the tick box will be checked when it has been marked.

- You can also indicate “no completion tracking” if the assignment is not required, for example.

When you are done, click one of the save options at the bottom of the settings. (You can always edit settings again later)

SETTING UP GRADEBOOK

Under Administration, go to Grades or Gradebook Setup:

Click on the tab titled “Set Up” in the next screen:

When setting up a gradebook, you want to create categories for grade items.

- For example, you can organize your gradebook by “units” and assign a weight to each unit. You could also create categories of similar items (i.e: assignments, tests, projects…)

- A gradebook that does not have categories may give you problems so even if you have to make just one category, do that.

Set up the weighting for the course:

Click on the folder with the course name at the top, and click edit > edit settings

Set the aggregation to “Weighted Mean of Grades”

- This means that each category that you create can be given a weight.

Now you can add a category:

For each category, give it a title and set the aggregation to either weighted mean of grades (which allows you to give each gradebook item in the category a weight) or simple weighted mean of grades (which equally weights all gradebook items in the category).

***simple weighted mean of grades is recommended

Once you have created the category, you can assign a weight in the main gradebook screen. All your category weights will need to add up to 100% in total, when you are done.

In the gradebook, you can:

- Hide items that you do not want to show in student’s grades (an example might be lessons). Hiding something in the gradebook does not hide it in the course.

- Select many items and move them into categories - Create a category that is “not for marks” and is worth 0% (this is helpful for things that

you want students to do but should not count towards their grade)

Save your ChangesAlways remember to SAVE your changes in the gradebook!