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Moodle FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

These questions have been posed and are shared here to further your knowledge of using Moodle and Moofolio. Most recent questions posted at top.

Q. What's the easiest way to login? We currently have to go through mutiple steps.

A: The easiest way is to go to the Moodle site and click on the login link at the top right. Once the user is logged in, they only see their courses. Then click on the course name and you're into it.

Q. Can I disable the blogs?

No. It is a server-wide setting and some teachers use them so we can't turn them off. If they're presenting a problem, tell your students they cannot use them. It's a good opportunity to teach students responsible internet behavior. If you want to view them, from the People block, click on Participants. Then if you click on the student's name it will take you to their profile and there's a blog tab. After you read it, click on Participants in the breadcrumbs and you can click on another student's name.

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Q. Why can't students reply to my postings on the News Forum?

A: The News Forum is different from the other forums. Only teachers can post and the info. will show up in the news block also.

Q: How do I get access to the File Cabinet so students can transfer files between home and school?

A: The file cabinet is a "block" that you need to add to your course. Turn editing on and the bottom right block should allow you to add it. (The Portfolio system must be installed on your server.) Instructions (pdf)

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Q: Do I need to post all the student audio files to the podcast server for portfolio work?

A: The podcast server has the advantage of RSS subscription so that anyone who is subscribing can automatically hear your student work. The students should load the audio files into their portfolios if they want them as artifacts. They are separate processes.

Q: Why do my students not see a reply button on the discussion forum posting?

A: It has something to do with a bug surrounding the use of groups. If group mode is set to: Separate Groups then it doesn't work predictably. Change it to: No Groups and create separate forums for separate student groups.

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Q: Why does my screen not scroll properly in the portfolio?

A: You MUST use Firefox as a browser program. Internet Explorer and Safari do NOT function. Firefox is a free download from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Q: Can you change my course theme to the primary template?

A: Teachers can change their own under Settings in the Admin block. It's called Force Theme: and select the one you want from the list and save changes. Themes must be installed by the Admin.

Q: Can I upload video files to my Moodle course?

A: Yes - it's just another type of file. Maximum file size is set to 10MB on the server and each course teacher can set it lower. We recommend you organize your files into folders as you upload them and use common file types - we recommend .wmv or .mov

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Q: Why does the text page resource not have fonts and other enhancement features?

A: The primary difference between adding a text page and adding a web page is the editing features on a web one. Why use text?

Q: How can I put my email as a link in my Moodle course?

A: You make a link and instead of http://  (erase that) you put: "mailto:youremail@sau16.org".
So type the words of the link, highlight them and then type the above in place of "http://".

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Q: Can I make a graphic a clickable object for a link?

A: There isn't a way to do this in Moodle currently - just put the link right underneath the graphic. <Shift> + <Enter> enters a CR.

Q: Can anyone on the internet see student profiles?

A: If somebody has opened their course to allow guest access without an enrolment key, then there are ways to access student profile information - particularly if the participants block is showing. This level of access is not recommended.

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Q: Can I set up my course so it can be accessed without a password?

A: Moodle allows you to set the course settings to allow guest access without an enrolment key but it isn't recommended (see above). You also must abide by all website policies and copyright and ensure that students have permission to post to the internet.

Q: How can I review how much my students are using my Moodle course or activities in it?

A: Under the Administration block is "Reports". Go into that and run some reports. It's easiest to scroll through several days first and then you can select specific resources on the bottom section.

Q: I have students enrolled in my course that do not belong there. How did this happen?

A: Under the Administration block in Settings there is a section on Course enrollable. If set to yes, students can enroll themselves if they know your enrolment key or if you don't have one. You can set this to No if you manage students yourself or once you have all students enrolled. You should change your enrolment key each year.

Q: How do I clean out my course for next year?

A: At the end of the year you should do a "Reset" under the Administration block. You should do a backup of your course first. You have options as to which resources you want to reset - usually you'll want to remove students, course events, logs and groups and clean out your forums but each teacher/course may be different.

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