Devon Adult & Community Learning

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Using the DACL Moodle - hints and advice

A) What is Moodle?

  • A ‘Virtual Learning Environment’ in the form of a website where users 'log in' to use learning resources and do activities
  • Tutors can set up and adjust courses
  • Learners can use and contribute to courses
  • Moodle is ‘Open Source’ software which is inexpensive and now widely-used in adult education
  • Not difficult to use for basics; mainly point-and-click web skills
  • Short for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment

B) Getting in to the DACL Moodle

The following sheets are intended as a reminder about getting in to this Moodle site.  You may wish to print them out for future reference!

C) Forgotten/mislaid username or password

If you have forgotten/mislaid your username or password, you can have it sent to the email address associated with your details in Moodle.  To request this information, go to the 'login' area as normal, look for 'Forgotten your username or password?' and then click the 'Yes, help me login' button.  You will be asked to enter either your username or your email address.  An automated email be sent to the email address, normally straight away, and you simply need to go to your mailbox and follow the instructions it contains.

If you have difficulty, a step-by-step guide is available here:

If all else fails, email ralph.cullimore@devon.gov.uk to explain the situation and ask for a new password/username (though this may take a couple of days or more).

D) Getting around in Moodle

Once you are 'in' the Moodle site you can click on 'links' to view documents, websites, forums etc.  Links are usually shown in blue text, which is underlined.

To get back to where you were, you can do one of the following:

  • Click on the 'Back' button in your web browser - this is simple but it can be time-consuming to get back to where you want.
  • Click the course button at the very bottom of the screen to get back to the main page of the 'course' you are in.  This button appears in the bottom centre of most - but not all - pages.  You will need to scroll down to see it, if the page is a long one.
  • Click in the 'bread-crumb-trail' near the top of the screen. This has 'DACL' on the left and then one or more other words showing whereabouts you are in the system at the moment.  You can click anywhere on the trail to get back  to that location in one jump.

E) Changing your 'Profile'

If you have a username and password for Moodle, you will also have a 'Profile' on the Moodle site.  This Profile contains various bits of information about you including your first name, last name, email address, city etc and also, if you wish, a photo to go with your details (this could be a photo of you or of something else relevant to you).  To change your profile:

  1. login with your username & password
  2. click your name (at the top right of main page - important: click the name and NOT the word 'logout')
  3. click the 'Edit Profile' tab
  4. scroll down the screen changing whatever needs to be changed
  5. if you want to add a photo, click the 'browse' button near the bottom and follow the instructions
  6. click Update Profile at the bottom of the screen

F) If a file doesn't download when you click its link

If a file doesn't download when you click its link, try this: In Internet Explorer, right-click the link (ie point to it then use the right mouse button and not the left one) and select 'Save Target As'.  Save the file to your computer then choose 'Open' when asked.  If you are NOT given the chance to Open it there and then, use 'My Documents' to find the file then double-click it.  Either way you should then be able to view the document.

G) For 'techies' only

For technical information about Moodle software in general, see http://www.moodle.org/
Last modified: Monday, 2 November 2009, 11:11 AM