Category: Moodle

Posted on by

Moodle Assignment: Moodle 4.5 Updates

Greetings all! Moodle has been updated to Moodle 4.5, and with this come a few shifts to Moodle Assignment which hopefully support the marking workflow a little more effectively. Below are directions to View All Assignments, Filter by Marking State, Lock Submissions and Release marks. If you have any issues, please contact me abigail.shaw@ucl.ac.uk sooner rather than later!

DigiEd Update: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/digital-education/2024/12/19/moodle-4-5-update/
________

To View All Submissions: Go into the Assignment link on your Moodle page, and click on the Submissions tab.

_________

To filter papers by Marking Workflow status: In the Submissions tab, on the right hand side, click Advanced and use the Marking Workflow status dropdown to select the status you wish to view.

_______

To lock all submissions: Click the tick box either on the top of left submissions to Select All (and deselect any you do not wish to include) or individually select the papers you wish to lock. The toolbar at the bottom of the page appears with the Lock option. Click this and confirm in the resulting dialogue box that you wish to lock these papers.

________

To change Marking Workflow status: Select the papers you wish to change the status of. From the toolbar that appears at the bottom of the page, select More > Change Marking State. Confirm that you wish to change Marking State in the resulting dialogue box. Select Release, and tick Notify Student. Save changes.

________

Full UCL Moodle Assignment Guidance: https://ucldata.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MoodleResourceCentre/pages/31864956/M09a+-+Moodle+Assignment

Posted on by

Releasing Marks in Moodle Assignment

Quick steps to release marked work and grades in Moodle Assignment. If you have any issues, please contact me abigail.shaw@ucl.ac.uk sooner rather than later!

1. In View All Submissions, select the assignments that are ready for release.

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and, from the “With Selected…” menu, choose Set Marking Workflow State, and click OK to move through the popup.

3. Tick Notify Students to email students a notification that their marks have been released once you’ve completed this process.

4. From the options, choose Released. Save Changes.

5. Grades and feedback should now be released. Using this method, anonymity will be retained for all students.

UCL Moodle Guide: https://ucldata.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MoodleResourceCentre/pages/31870870/M09a1+-+Marking+and+Giving+Feedback+in+Moodle+Assignment#M09a1-MarkingandGivingFeedbackinMoodleAssignment-Step4:Returnmarkstostudents

Posted on by

Term 2 modules: Checklist

Essential things for all those teaching and supporting modules in Term 2: all module leads must ensure they’ve engaged with all the steps below.

1. Ensure you are working in the correct, 2024/25 version of the module. This means that the previous instance of the module has been “rolled over” (copied into a fresh instance). Do NOT overwrite previous versions of a module – we are legally obliged to keep them intact. If you cannot see the 2024/25 instance of your module, in the first instance you should contact your departmental office for advice, as processes vary.

If your office instructs you to create your own rolled-over instance of the module, advice and support for this is available here: https://ucldata.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MoodleResourceCentre/pages/31863953/M30+-+Preparing+your+Moodle+course+for+the+next+Academic+Year

2. Check that all the dates are correct in your course. You can use Date Manager (located under Reports > Date Manager on every Moodle page) to support this, but don’t forget section headings, on-page text, and any module or programme handbooks. Students find it extremely useful if you use actual dates as well as “Week 1” or “Reading Week”.

3. All resources / readings should be located in a Reading List (which can be structured either for the whole module, or week-by-week. Use should be made of the ability to tag readings as Core / Optional wherever possible. Engaging in the Reading List process will also ensure that your readings are fully accessible, which is a legal requirement. For support with Reading List, and with managing readings/course content which has been inherited in outdated photographs/documents, please contact your Liaison Librarian: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/learning-teaching-support/teaching-learning-services-tls/readinglistsucl

4. All assessments, if already present in the module, should be located in a prominent Assessment section, should have their correct dates, a clear assessment brief, and a statement about the assessment’s AI category, and the permitted levels of use of GenAI for this specific assignment.

PLEASE consult the updated GenAI categories page to ensure this information is accurate – the categories have been updated for Term 2 2024/25. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/generative-ai-hub/three-categories-genai-use-assessment

5. Finally, check that your module page is visible to students. If it is not, it will say “Hidden from students” at at the top of the page. To change, go to Settings > Course Visibility and change from Hide to Show; scroll to the bottom and select Save and Display.

As ever, any issues, grab me on Teams, or email abigail.shaw@ucl.ac.uk 😀

Posted on by

Moodle Feedback Tracker – demo and resources

Video of A&H Feedback Tracker demo with Eliot Hoving, UCL DigiEd Senior Learning Technologist.

UCL Feedback Tracker – Guidance

Link to A&H Faculty Research Survey on Feedback and Assessment: https://www.menti.com/alrb7gdvwhs4

For clarity, some FAQs:

Feedback Tracker automatically pulls in Moodle Assignment, Turnitin, Moodle Quiz and other items where they have a Grade added.

Feedback Tracker mirrors students’ individual SoRA, EC and DAPs deadlines where they have been manually updated in the assignment.

The default date for feedback release is 20 working days after the deadline. This excludes college closure days.

Future views are coming, including administrative reporting views (see video for a draft demo).

Feedback is welcome; the tracker is available now to all staff and students but continues to be iterated.

Posted on by

Moodle Assignment Support Resources

Resources for using Moodle Assignment for assessment. If in doubt at any point, please contact me abigail.shaw@ucl.ac.uk for advice: there are settings which cannot be changed after setup, so it is better it’s done correctly the first time around!

Full UCL guidance on using Moodle Assignment: https://ucldata.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MoodleResourceCentre/pages/31864956/M09a+-+Moodle+Assignment.

Creating a Moodle Assignment:

PDF with instructions:Creating a Moodle Assignment – step-by-step guidance.

Creating a Moodle Assignment – Video: Naomi Weir runs through the process and key considerations.

Marking Moodle Assignment:

Full UCL information around marking Moodle Assignment: https://ucldata.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MoodleResourceCentre/pages/31870870/M09a1+-+Marking+and+Giving+Feedback+in+Moodle+Assignment.

A video overview of the Marking process:

Student Submission support and resources:

UCL written guidance and support for students: https://ucldata.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ELearningStudentSupport/pages/64847891/Moodle+Assignment+for+submission+and+feedback

Video walkthrough link: student submissions to Moodle Assignment. Please use this link if you wish to share this video with students.

Posted on by

Start of Term checks: Moodle 2024/25

Five vital checks for Arts & Humanities Module Leads at the start of term:

1. Check your Moodle page is correctly mapped, AND that the mapping is active. More info: https://reflect.ucl.ac.uk/abbiwrites/2023/09/19/moodle-activating-course-mappings-2023-24/

2. Check that all the dates are correct in your course. You can use Date Manager (located under Reports > Date Manager on every Moodle page) to support this, but don’t forget section headings, on-page text, and any module or programme handbooks. Students find it extremely useful if you use actual dates as well as “Week 1” or “Reading Week”.

3. Check that your module page is visible to students. If it is not, it will say “Hidden from students” at at the top of the page. To change, go to Settings > Course Visibility and change from Hide to Show; scroll to the bottom and select Save and Display.

4. All assessments, if already present in the module, should be located in a prominent Assessment section, should have their correct dates, a clear assessment brief, and a statement about the assessment’s AI category. Information on the categories is available here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/generative-ai-hub/using-ai-tools-assessment

5. All resources / readings should be located in a Reading List (which can be structured either for the whole module, or week-by-week. Use should be made of the ability to tag readings as Core / Optional wherever possible. For support with Reading List, please contact your Liaison Librarian: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/learning-teaching-support/teaching-learning-services-tls/readinglistsucl

For any issues or queries, please do get in touch: abigail.shaw@ucl.ac.uk

Posted on by

Moodle: Activating Course Mappings 2023/24

A refresher on activating course mappings:

Course mapping aligns your Moodle page with the correct student cohort. To start, go into Settings, and check that the Portico Identifier box has been filled in with the correct module code. Next, ensure you have Edit Mode switched ON.

Use the < on the top right of the page to open the right hand "drawer". Scroll to the Portico Enrolments block (if it is not there, scroll to the top of the page and add it, using the + Add a Block button). Click View / Edit Portico Enrolments. If this is already populated, that is likely from the previous year. Double check this, particularly if your module has moved term (T1 / T2) as you may need to change this.

To change this, click +add mapping on the right hand side (you may need to scroll across to see this if you have your screen on a large resolution). Search by module code, if a module, or if you need to enrol students from across a department/programme, search for this accordingly and then choose the year/s from the dropdown on the right hand side.

Allow pre-approval and Allow group import do what they say on the tin – if the student is “pre-approved” in Portico then their enrolment into Moodle can take place. Similarly if there are CMIS groups set up in Portico already, to which students can be allocated, these can also be imported straight into the relevant Moodle Groups.

Check Activate Mappings.

Save (if you do not save, it will not be saved!) and the mapping will be activated. Students will be enrolled into the module overnight, not immediately, when Moodle and Portico sync. If students are not visible the next morning, double check the mapping details, and that there are students showing on the module in Portico – if both seem fine, then please contact me as soon as possible to check if there is a wider issue.

Posted on by

Moodle 4.2 forthcoming upgrade: Links and Info

Greetings, all! A quick round-up of links to info and UCL sites about Moodle 4.2:

ETA: The date and time for this upgrade have now been confirmed: 9am. Thursday 27th July.

Moodle 4.2 Preview Site: https://4-demo.preview-moodle.ucl.ac.uk/ all staff can log in, and check any 2022/23 Moodle page to see how it will look in Moodle 4.2. Please note: this is NOT the forthcoming Moodle 4.2 site, and nothing that is done to, or changed, on these pages will be retained, it is for information only.

Moodle 4.2 Wiki: https://wiki.ucl.ac.uk/display/MoodleResourceCentre/Moodle+4.2+Pre-release+resources – links to training courses, self-paced learning, FAQs and more info from the central Moodle team.

DigiEd Blog: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/digital-education/ – the DigiEd blog contains updates on everything the central team is working on, including the latest updates and expectations around the Moodle upgrade.

The Moodle upgrade will happen to the entire Moodle site at the end of July (dates to be confirmed) and no action needs to be taken for the upgrade to take place. You do not need to wait for the upgrade to take place to roll over your Moodle courses, or to start updating them for next year, but once the upgrade has taken place, it’s best to take a look to see if there are any changes or additions you’d like to make ahead of the start of teaching.

____

Moodle Rollover: DigiEd Blog information about rolling over for 2023/24.

The staff guide to rolling over module pages: https://wiki.ucl.ac.uk/display/MoodleResourceCentre/M30+-+Preparing+your+Moodle+course+for+the+next+Academic+Year which also contains the link/info for requesting a new Moodle course.

_____

I hope that covers everything! As ever, please keep in touch regarding any approaches you’re taking to the Moodle upgrade, and if you’d like to discuss creating templates, workflows or any other elements, please drop me a line in Teams or by email. No question too small, strange, or tiresome 😀

Posted on by

Moodle: Managing your Course Dashboard

Your Moodle Dashboard is the page you go to when you log into Moodle from https://moodle.ucl.ac.uk –  it contains, supposedly, Recently Accessed Courses, and a full list of all the courses you are enrolled on under Course Overview. However, you may have noticed that Recently Accessed Courses sometimes lies, and that it can be quite complicated to locate a particular course, and, indeed, since the Moodle Rollover, to locate this year’s instance of the course.

I offer the following tips:

  1. “Star” the modules you most use (e.g. those you’re teaching/marking on this term). To Star a module, locate it in the list in your Course Overview section (if you are on a great many courses, select View All, and try searching on the page for the module). Look to the right hand side of the module (you may need to scroll across a little, depending on the size of your screen) and click the three dots. Select Star this Course. This will bring the module to the top of your Course Overview list.

  2. “Remove from view” courses you are no longer teaching on / need to view. This option is just beneath the Star this Course option, as above. This does not remove the course from anyone else’s view, only your own dashboard, and you can easily access these courses again by changing the Course Overview view to Removed from View. This will also not unenrol you from those courses.

  3.  Use specific searches to find the precise instance of a module. From your Home page, the Course Search block on the right hand side allows you to enter the module code and year (e.g. ELCS0044 22/23 – in that format) to find the precise instance of a module you’re looking for (as long as nobody changed the defaults!). Note: This search will not work in the Global Search (the magnifying glass at the top of the page) – that search space is for content and resources within modules.

 

 

Posted on by

Activate Mapping: How to enrol your students into Moodle from Portico

Students need to be “mapped” from Portico into Moodle. We use an enrollment block to do this. The advantage of using Portico mapping, rather than any other method, to enrol students onto your module is that Moodle and Portico sync on a nightly basis, so any students who enrol/unenrol will henceforth be automatically updated. This method is recommended for all taught modules in A&H.

The above screenshot illustrates a module where the mapping is not active.

  1. Turn Editing On in the module. Scroll down to the Portico enrollments block on the right hand side.
  2. Click View/Activate Mappings.
  3. If no cohort information is present, click the little “add mapping” words to bring up a search box. Put your module code in the Search box and select your cohort.
  4. Check the mapping/s on screen contain the correct cohorts for this module. You do not need to check the additional boxes next to the cohort around pre-enrollment and group mappings.
  5. Tick Activate Mappings and (crucially!) select Save mappings.
  6. Once Moodle syncs with Portico overnight, your students will all be enrolled.

UCL Wiki guidance on Portico Mappings

If anything untoward happens, or these instructions don’t suffice, do feel free to get in touch with me, abigail.shaw@ucl.ac.uk. Alternatively you can log a ticket with ISD: itservices@ucl.ac.uk