An Introductory User Guide for Groups

1. Introduction

When writing this manual we assume that you have at least a basic knowledge of using a computer including input devices like a mouse and keyboard. In addition, it is assumed that you are familiar with your web browser and navigating between pages on the internet.

1.1 What is Moodle?

Moodle is one of a number of new developing Learning Management Systems (LMS). Simply, LMSs are software systems that are designed to add to traditional learning methods in order to enhance the learning experience of their users. With respect to Groups, Moodle runs as an interactive website with a number of features and activities designed to engage Group Members and promote collaborative interaction.

1.2 Getting Started

On the Moodle Home page you can find a menu entitled Help for Groups which contains links to Moodle help resources aimed at Group Members. These should help with any difficulties you encounter after working through this user guide. They are found in the menu bar at the top of the page below the Okanagan College Moodle logo.

This document will guide you through:

• How to edit your profile

• Page layout including blocks

• Basic navigation around the site

• Activities and resources

First of all though, let’s look at the most basic – logging on.

2. Logging In

Moodle is basically a web site like any other and is therefore available wherever there is an internet

connection. You can access the Okanagan College Moodle site directly at http://mymoodle.okanagan.bc.ca,

however, we recommend that Group Members access Moodle by first logging into myOkanagan at

http://myokanagan.bc.ca. This will take you to the myOkanagan login page.

If you encounter any problems, refer to the “Help for Groups” menu on the Moodle home page, or contact the Help Desk at 1-866-839-4032.

Upon logging in to myOkanagan, click the Moodle button in the top-right of your page.

You will be taken to the Moodle login page. Enter the same username and password you used for myOkanagan.

You should now be successfully logged-in to your Moodle home page.

3. Editing Your Profile

Now that you are logged on to Moodle we would advise that you go straight to Edit your profile. Editing your profile will allow you to become familiar with the options available to you in order to personalize your environment and ensure that notifications from your Moodle group are being delivered to your preferred email address.

To edit your profile from your Home page, click on My profile settings In the left-hand Administration menu, then click Edit profile.

From here you will be taken to your profile page. Select Edit Profile from the middle tab under your name. You will now see a page containing a series of options. We will go through those options and give advice on selections.

While you may alter any of the settings most should be left as they are in order to ensure that Moodle functions for

you at its best. Table 1 shows the fields that you could change and a little explanation.

Field Setting and Explanation

Email Address By default this is set to your myOkanagan email address. You

can use any real email address, but to ensure you keep up with

Group developments, make sure that you enter an email

address that you check frequently.

Email Digest Type Sets whether you receive individual emails, daily digest emails,

or no emails for each forum post.

Description This box enables you to enter some text about yourself which

will then be displayed on your profile page for others to view.

User Picture To insert a picture of yourself, click the browse button and

search your computer for a picture.

4. Page Layout and Blocks

The Group page you see as a Group Member has Blocks on both sides and the Main Content in the middle column. There are a number of blocks available for your Group Administrator to include or leave out as they see appropriate. Blocks can also be customized (e.g. moved to a different location by your Group Administrator). This means that your Group page may all appear slightly different from each other but you should soon become familiar with the features of each.

There are two ways to access your Group resources and activities. The first is through the main Group content in the middle of the page. Clicking on these links will take you directly to the activity or resource. The second is to use the Topic links on the Course menu on the left side of the page.

5. Navigation

Once you are in your Moodle Group we recommend that you use the navigation tools (Breadcrumbs and Navigation Menu) that are built into Moodle rather than your browser’s navigation buttons.

The breadcrumbs are a trail showing the pages you have passed through to get to your current location. They are shown in the top left corner of the page and clicking on them will take you to that point in the Moodle site.

The Navigation menu is a simple way of quickly getting to another place in the Group or your Moodle site. Click on the appropriate link to quickly go to your Home Page, view your profile, see a list of participants in your Group, etc.

6. Group Resources Moodle offers a large variety of activities and resources that useful in a collaborative Group setting. For the most part, you will be using Moodle for Group Communications and as a Group File Repository. You can access these files simply by clicking on links in the content area of your Moodle group. Some of the most likely file types you will encounter are illustrated below.

7. Getting Help

If you run into an issue accessing Moodle or using any of the Group resources, you can submit an Online Moodle Service

Request by clicking the link in the “Help for Groups” drop-down box in the Moodle navigation bar. During regular

business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm) you can also contact the IT Services Help Desk at 1-866-839-4032

or 250-762-5445 Ext. 4444.