Moodle FAQ

Here is a link to specific Faculty FAQs.

If you need further assistance, please contact the ITS Help Desk at helpdesk@marylhurst.edu or 503.699.6318.

 

 

General FAQs

 

How do I use email in Moodle?

There is a block called Quickmail. You can send email to your instructor or classmates there. The email goes directly to their inbox, but does not show up Moodle. There is no mailbox inside of Moodle to collect email. The email address Moodle uses comes from your email address at the Registrar (please contact the Registrar to change it).

 

Copy and Paste doesn't seem to work?

What are the keyboard shortcuts for Cut, Copy, and Paste?

	PC	Mac
Cut	Ctrl-X	Command-X
Copy	Ctrl-C	Command-C
Paste	Ctrl-V	Command-V

These keyboard shortcuts are the best way to cut, copy, and paste.  Right clicking does not work for copy and paste in Moodle.

 

Spell check does not seem to be working...

When you are ready to run spell check, click the spell check button, it will underline misspelled words. Click on the word to display suggested spelling (use the regular left mouse click). To select the correct spelling, click on it.  If you interrupt the spell check, you may have to click the spell check button a couple of times to resume.

 

When I submit a post, there is a little message that tells me I have 30 minutes to edit my message. What does that mean?

Posts are sometimes emailed, for example, if the participants are subscribed to the forum/discussion. You have 30 minutes to edit the post before it is sent.

 

How do I copy and paste from Word?

Use the paste from Word button in the editing toolbar.

 

When I copy and paste, I often get a lot of garbage, strange symbols. Why? How do I get rid of it?

This often happens when copying from a Word doc, we wind up capturing some of the hidden code in Word. Instead of pasting normally, use the paste from Word button in the editing toolbar.

 

I'm seeing every course I've ever had, can I just look at the courses I have now?

Yes, there's two ways. First, try the Navigation block, you will see courses sorted by Department...Term. Similarly, you can edit your My Page and add the Courses available to me block. It only shows current courses.

 

Can I get training on our Learning Management System (Moodle)?

Yes! Students can access a student tutorial in the LMS, simply log on and click on Moodle Student Tutorial. Faculty also have a self-guided tutorial in Moodle, Faculty Moodle Tutorial.  There may be other trainings available, check out our training page for information about group and 1to1 training.

Also, note that at the bottom of every page you can access context sensitive information. What that means is, if you are working on your quiz, you can click a small "i" in the bar at the very bottom of the web page and get information about Moodle quizzes, and so on.

 

 

Faculty FAQs

 

 

Are there alternatives to using Quickmail?

If you are looking for a way to keep the message you send out in Moodle, we suggest using a Course Announcements Forum. Anything you post there will be sent as an email directly to students, and will be posted within Moodle. This is a great way to see a history of course messages, but also get the word out quickly!

 

How do hide/show weeks or topics?

After you Turn editing on simply click on the eyeball icons. Note that you have to roll your mouse over the item (for example, the header for a whole week or the assignment) to see the eyeball. Also, use the Settings block to "Switch role to..." and choose student, then you will know exactly what your students see.

 

How do I upload a document (e.g., make a file, like a PDF, available to my students) to Moodle?

After you Turn editing on simply use the Add an activity or resource button, and choose File.

 

How do I grade an Advanced Forum?

The Joule Grader, under the Course Administration > Settings block provides an easy way to give comments and grades for advanced forums. Be sure, when you enter a comment, to press the Add button. When you go to the Gradebook, you will see these comments under the Joule Grader tab (you may have to click the Show uncategorized button to see all assignments), and if you click on a bubble in the comments column, the comments open up.

Students see these comments in their Joule Grader. The Grades link will show the summary of all grades, but not feedback from forums.

 

When I use the Joule Grader for an Advanced Forum, why do I see more than just the student I'm grading?

The Joule Grader always gives the student's post, and if there's a reply, it includes the original post the student replied to.  It provides the full context of a particular student's participation.

 

How do I check grades?

Grades for assignments can be entered directly by clicking on the assignment. If you want to see all grades, click the Grades item in the Site Admin panel.

 

How do I change a grade in the gradebook?

Click Turn editing on in the top right corner. A small window will appear in the gradebook fields.

 

How do I change the order of items in the gradebook?

It can be challenging to change the order of items in the gradebook when using the Express theme. Instead, switch to another theme, like Standard, change the order and switch the theme back. To switch themes, edit your profile, there's a setting for Themes.

 

I'm seeing every course I've ever had, can I just look at the courses I have now?

Yes, there's two ways. First, try the Navigation block, you will see courses sorted by Department...Term. Similarly, you can edit your My Page and add the Courses available to me block. It only shows current courses.

 

In a quiz, how do short answer questions work?

A short answer question can be a single word or multiple words. The student must enter their response in exactly the same way as the instructor entered the answer. For example, if the answer is "sugar", then the word must be spelled correctly. If the answer is "sugar beets" then both words must be entered correctly.

 

Are short answer questions case sensitive?

No. If an answer is A, it may be written as either "A" or "a".

 

When I submit a post, there is a little message that tells me I have 30 minutes to edit my message. What does that mean?

Posts are sometimes emailed, for example, if the participants are subscribed to the forum/discussion. You have 30 minutes to edit the post before it is sent.

 

What is "blocking" in a forum?

Blocking allows the instructor to limit the number of posts an individual can make. Let's say you limit their ability to start new discussion topics to 10 posts. As the student nears 10, they will receive a notice that they are nearing that threshold. Once they hit 10, they are blocked from adding more posts.   (You can set separate limits for starting discussions and replying.)

 

 

Is it possible to search for a specific term or word in a forum? i.e. I want to find a post on "crows"...can I search for it?

Use Command F on a Mac or Control F on a PC to open the Find function. Then type what you are searching for. Note this only searches the page you are looking at.

 

How do I find posts by a specific person?

Use the pop up menu in the top left corner. You can sort by many criteria including last name or number of replies.

 

In Forums, what is "tree" view? Why would I use it?

Tree view has several features, including:

Path lines to the right connecting replies to their corresponding post.

• A "Back To Thread" option when reading an individual reply or post that take you back to the place you left off in the conversation.
• A "Last Read" option that shows you the message you just read so you can find your place in a large forum discussion.

 

In discussion forums, is it possible to send a personal note to an author of one of the posts?

There are two methods. You can use the Quickmail block (if your instructor enabled it), this is just like sending an email. Or, send a Message by going to their profile (click their name in the People block).

 

When you are creating a course that will have similar resources, files, or activities from week to week, is there a way to copy these items into the new week and then modify them, or must they each be built from scratch?

There's a tiny icon, when you turn editing on and roll your mouse over an item, that looks like a double sheet of paper. Click this icon and you will duplicate that item.

 

I keep getting posts to forums in my email. How do I turn this function off?

Instructors have the option to Force subscribe participants, including the instructor, to the Forum. An instructor can change this to be optional, at which point the participants can alter the setting themselves.