Moodle

LSE Moodle Archive

The LSE Moodle Archive is a read only digital record of each course from previous academic years for staff and students.

The 2018 copy was taken just before the annual refresh on 14th August 2018 and can be accessed at:

https://moodle.lse.ac.uk/archive/1718/

From now on a read only copy of Moodle will be taken every academic year just before the annual refresh and will be kept for three years. See our website for annual refresh dates.

The purpose of the LSE Moodle Archive is to retain an accessible digital record of each course for students and staff. This is useful for students who have to resit or retake courses and for staff and students who want to review material from previous years. It also keeps the current Moodle clutter free and just for the current academic year’s courses.

The level of access to the LSE Moodle Archive reflects the level of access on the day the archive copy was created. For example, if a student was enrolled on a suite of courses when the 2017/18 archive was taken, they will have access to the same courses (albeit read-only) in the 2017/18 archive.

By default all courses in the Moodle archive are hidden from students. Also quizzes and assignments within those courses are hidden. The Moodle archive is currently editable by departments for a period of one month up until 16 November 2018. In this time editors can hide or reveal any resources and/or activities within a course and make their courses visible. After this date the archive will be read only for everyone. For students to see their grades and feedback and to download submissions in assignments the activity needs to be visible.

All editors should go to the 2018 LSE Moodle archive and hide or reveal any activities and resources within their courses and then make their courses visible so that students will be able to see the read only copy.

To hide/reveal an activity or resource click Turn editing on > Click Edit (use the drop-down menu next to the activity you want to hide/reveal) > Select Hide (or Show depending on your choice)

Once you are happy with your changes, make the course visible in the archive.
From the Administration block, click Edit settings > from the drop-down menu Visible select Show.

If you have any queries please contact LTI.support@lse.ac.uk

Print / PDF / Email

October 10th, 2018|Announcements, Moodle, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

Moodle refresh for 2018/19

Each year, Moodle courses are refreshed to remove old student data and prepare for the next cohort of students.

For 2018 the refresh will take place on:

Tuesday 14 August and Wednesday 15 August 2018. Moodle will be unavailable all day for all users.

Tuesday 11th September 2018 for courses used to collect dissertation submissions (primarily those with 499 course codes). These courses will be unavailable on Moodle all day.

Current staff and students will need to take action to ensure they have all the information they need from Moodle before the refresh take effect. More information about the process can be found on our website:
http://lti.lse.ac.uk/moodle-end-of-year-arrangements/

If you have any queries email lti.support@lse.ac.uk

Print / PDF / Email

June 20th, 2018|Announcements, Moodle, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

Delete and declutter

It’s coming up to the start of term and time to get Moodle courses ready for the new cohort of students. We have refreshed most courses and upgraded to the new theme so it’s the perfect time to clear out old material, delete and de-clutter!

The LTI Moodle audit identified many issues with layout and structure that could easily be rectified by following our suggestions below.

Common issues and how to solve them:

Poor structure

Many courses consist of one long messy list with content hard to find and often current material is hidden at the bottom of the page.

Consider a different course format. Perhaps the grid or collapsed topics if you have lots of content.
It may be worth hiding and revealing content as the course progresses so students see the most current information at the top of the page. You can also highlight the most current section by clicking on the light bulb on the right hand side.
If you have lots of material on the same topic then it might be worth consolidating it into a Moodle page or Book.
Consider the order that you present material to students – you might want to move sections around so important information is at the top of the page and is quicker and easier to find.
You might want to add a table of contents block with links to each section highlighted.
When using the grid format Images can provide visual clues and signposts to students as to the type of material each section contains.

Inconsistent titles

Once you have chosen your course format make sure that you have consistent titles for each section or topic.

Try to use titles that are clear and descriptive rather than the default section 1, section 2.
Remember that you can add labels to clearly sign post material.
You can also use the text editor to add colour, or different text size if you want to emphasise certain text.
If you have a large course you may want to use the groups and groupings features on Moodle to ensure student can differentiate and access between the various resources and assignments.

Too much clutter

Many courses have old material hidden that dates back years and can clutter the page for editors – don’t be afraid to delete things!

Moodle now has a recycle bin so things can be restored within seven days if deleted in error. LTI also keep back up copies of all courses every year and retain them in an archive so your current course does not have to contain a historical record of old course files.
If you have lots of sections that are not in use then delete them, you can always add more sections later.

Broken links

Check that the links on your course still work, if you are linking to LSE reading lists make sure you use the reading list activity and if you are linking to lecture recordings you will need to use the Echo360 activity and make sure that you have consented for your lectures to be recorded on LFY.

Deadlines and dates

Make sure that your course start date is correct in the Edit Course settings, this is especially important if you are using the weekly format.
Ensure that any dates and deadlines are up to date and check your settings if you are using the assignment activity.

Check enrolments

Automatic enrolments are now active on Moodle, so when students make course choices in LSE for You, they will automatically be enrolled in the corresponding Moodle course. Choices for 2017/18 made by continuing students have already been processed.

Check your course is set up for automatic enrolment. This can be done by going into the settings: Administration block > Edit Settings. If the “Course ID number” field is empty. Please contact Lti.support@lse.ac.uk.

If using alternative methods of enrolment please check that they have been set up properly. This can be done by looking in the Administration block > Users > Enrolment methods.

Teaching staff may still be enrolled on the course from previous years. Email LTI to remove any enrolments that are no longer accurate.

Lastly remember to make your course visible to students. Even if students are enrolled on your course they will not see it in their list of courses or be able to access it if it is still hidden in the edit settings.

Print / PDF / Email

September 18th, 2017|Assessment, Moodle, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

New look Moodle for 2017/18!

We hope you like the new look of Moodle and can find you way around. When you first log in you will taken to your dashboard

On your first access you should see a tour which takes you through the new layout. Also see our online guide on finding your way around.

If you are a Moodle editor we have devised some new guides to get you going and we have updated our FAQ’s for staff and students.

If you really don’t like the new look you can change it back, just follow our instructions on our website.

We are running Moodle basics training for Moodle editors on Tuesday 22 August and Wednesday 20 September. Book a place via the Training and Development System.

Remember that all courses are automatically hidden after the refresh so you need to make them visible to students before the start of term.

Print / PDF / Email

August 17th, 2017|Announcements, Moodle, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

Moodle refresh for 2017

Moodle will be unavailable all day on Tuesday 15 August and Wednesday 16 August for all users, and on 12^th September for courses used to submit dissertations.

Don’t forget: you must download any information and documents you will need from Moodle before the refresh date that applies to your course. Course content will not be available to you after these dates.

See the LTI website for further details: http://lti.lse.ac.uk/moodle-end-of-year-arrangements/

Print / PDF / Email

July 31st, 2017|Announcements, Moodle, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

Changes to Moodle for 2016/17

The Moodle recharge event took place on Tuesday 27 June for those that couldn’t attend a brief summary of what went on can be found below.

This summer lots of changes are taking place so we split attendees up into four rooms and got them to rotate round to each room. We asked everyone to give us feedback on the changes and the padlet is still open if you would like to comment.

New Features

Adding links to Echo recordings will change with a plugin making it easier for students and teachers to view recordings – see our online guide.

Reading lists will now be added using the External Tool or reading list blocks – see our online guide.

There are lots of new features for Moodle 3.1 – see our website for more details and new guides will be created over the summer. In addition to our usual Moodle training before the start of term we are also offering bespoke training sessions for departments. If you would be interested in this please get in contact (Lti.support@lse.ac.uk).

New themes

The look of Moodle is changing to be more modern and in line with the new LSE website.

LTI are working on getting the Moodle mobile app ready for 2017/18. The app can be downloaded from itunes or Google play and more information will be made available on our website over the summer.

Turnitin have also made changes to their theme and on 1 August will introduce the Turnitin Feedback Studio which featuers a user-friendly interface, with a responsive design that is compatible with a wide range of devices. More information about the changes can be found on our website.

My Feedback & Moodle archive

My Feedback is a feature that has been developed by UCL to improve access to assessment and feedback for students and staff. One single view for all Moodle activities with marks and feedback. The report will be combined with a live archive of Moodle so that users can view marks and feedback from previous years. There will be a variety of options for staff with different roles gaining an overview of students marks and feedback.

Coursework has been created by the Royal Veterinary College to enable more online and assessment and feedback options in Moodle. LTI will be working on making it compatible with LSE Moodle for individual pilot projects in 2017/18. Features include: double blind marking, sample marking, sampling workflows, personal deadline and no deadline assignments. If you are interested in piloting this please contact LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk

Moodle labs & Moodle Audit

Moodle labs is a live instance of the most current version of Moodle which is available for LTI Spark or Ignite funded projects.

The Moodle Audit took place in March 2017. LTI went through the methods and overall findings of the independent review. Individual results will go out to each department in July for review with recommendations for improving your courses.

Next steps

Each department will be sent the results of the Moodle audit. We are currently working on new guides and case studies to go on our website ready for the start of term. We will be running bespoke Moodle training for departments – if you are interested in setting something up then please get in contact (LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk).

The Moodle refresh will take place on Tuesday 15 August for the majority of courses and Tuesday 12 September for courses used to collect dissertation submissions. On these dates Moodle will be unavailable all day and students must ensure that they have downloaded any materials they would like to keep before these dates. If you would like your course not to be included in the annual refresh then please let us know as soon as possible (email LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk). More information about the Moodle refresh is on our website.

Print / PDF / Email

June 28th, 2017|Announcements, Events & Workshops (LTI), Moodle, Projects, Roundup, Show and tell, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

The way you link to reading lists in Moodle is changing

After we upgrade Moodle to version 3.1 this summer, one of the ways you currently link to reading lists won’t work. The integration between Talis Aspire and Moodle was written by the University of Kent and has not been updated to work with the new system.

How can I tell if I need to make changes?

If your reading lists bear this icon: then they will no longer work after Tuesday 15th August

Instead, you will need to use one of the following methods:

Add Reading List (Talis Aspire) as an External Tool. This will appear in the main section of your course.
Add the Reading Lists @ LSE block. This will appear in the left-hand column of your course.

Print / PDF / Email

June 20th, 2017|Announcements, Moodle|0 Comments|

Moodle recharge

Following on from our post back in February on our plans for Moodle we will be holding an event for all Moodle editors on Tuesday 27 June from 3-4pm to give everyone a sneak peak of the changes that will taking place this August in time for the new academic year.

Moodle is getting a recharge for 2017/18. In addition to the usual refresh of all courses we will be upgrading to version 3.1. On the 27 June we will be going through some of the new features that we think editors will be most interested in and unveil our new theme for the platform. We will also share the results of our Moodle audit and invite Moodle editors to try out our new features ‘my feedback’ and Moodle labs.

New features
Moodle 3.1 features improvements to the layout, course editing, course administration, grading, and activities. We will go through some of the more significant changes plus give attendees a chance to try out our new interactive guides.

Moodle theme

LTI will be changing the look of Moodle to be more in line with the LSE website. We will give LSE Moodle editors a sneak preview of the new theme.

Moodle Audit

In March 2017 LTI carried out/commissioned an independent review of a sample of LSE Moodle courses from across all the departments. Approximately 22% of all courses were reviewed using three different metrics – the 3E framework (Enhance, Extend, Empower), an overall classification and a traffic light Red, Amber, Green system. We will be sharing the findings of this audit and promoting some of the good practice that was discovered as a result. Individual reports will also be made available for departments which highlight areas or issues that were cause for concern or need attention.

Moodle labs

A separate instance of Moodle that features the latest release for teachers to test out new approaches to teaching and is available for LTI grant projects.

My feedback

Developed by and rolled out successfully at UCL. My feedback allows students and staff a single view of all Moodle grades and feedback.

To reserve a place at the Moodle recharge event please book via the LSE Training and Development system.

More information about the Moodle refresh for 2017/18 can be found on the LTI website.

If you have any questions about the Moodle refresh or recharge email LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk

Print / PDF / Email

May 15th, 2017|Announcements, Events & Workshops (LTI), Moodle, Show and tell, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

Our plans for Moodle

This summer we’ll be using Moodle 3.1. It includes support for Competency Based Education, improvements to assignment grading, a Recycle Bin to help you retrieve deleted files, and enhancements to the Forum.

Other institutions have been using it for more than a year and we’re confident it’s stable. It’s a Long Term Support release, meaning security problems will be addressed regularly until May 2019.

The next Long Term Support release will be Moodle 3.5, and we plan to upgrade LSE Moodle to that version in summer 2018.

Why so serious?

Why don’t we upgrade at the same rate that new versions are released?

LSE Moodle is a mission-critical system, and we want it to be available 24/7. Upgrades are disruptive; taking Moodle offline for a day in reading week or during the exam period isn’t an option. New features can also be risky because they’re not tested to the standards we require.

But we’re keen to learn how you want to use Moodle to teach and to learn. This is why we’ve launched MoodleLabs, an instance of Moodle that will always run the current major release of the software.

So if you’re in receipt of an LTI grant and want to make use of a feature that isn’t yet available on LSE Moodle, you can use MoodleLabs instead.

Print / PDF / Email

February 10th, 2017|Announcements, Moodle, Teaching & Learning, Tools & Technologies|0 Comments|

Copyright, reading lists and Moodle

Just before the start of term there was some exciting news in the world of copyright, when the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)’s new higher education licence was launched. Also importantly the limit of 5% of a work has been increased to 10% – hurray I hear you say! In case you didn’t know, the CLA licence is what covers you to make photocopies for students for use in teaching, it’s a blanket licence, but there are some important limits and exclusions. The licence also covers scanning, and for many years we have offered a highly efficient Epack service (now called Scanned Readings service) in the library. So why do we do this?

Well partly, because scanning readings under the CLA Licence has certain terms and conditions that must be followed such as the requirement to report every scan we deliver to students annually to the CLA. You also need to check if material is covered by the licence, and make sure you don’t copy more than one chapter from a book, one journal article from an issue or 10% of the work – which ever is greater applies. So it’s really important that staff use the Scanned Readings service so we can stay compliant with our CLA Licence. Did you know we pay a little over £7 per full time student for the licence each year, but that money is in fact returned to the authors and publishers of the work? If you write books and articles you should make sure you have registered with the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) as you’ll see some of that money (which compensates you for possible loss of sales) returned to you.

In addition, the Library have started using a new service delivered by the CLA with the British Library, so host the readings on a Digital Content Store, so you simply need to add links to the files from Moodle. It simplifies things but also helps ensure we can get access to readings that might have been scanned at other universities, and ultimately it will improve the quality of the readings. Please don’t think it saves time and effort by scanning readings or using PDFs you download from e-journals in Moodle. It’s breaking copyright laws but also ultimately not demonstrating to students how to use content ethically, that rewards and gives credit to the original author. And using the Reading List system is also the best way to help direct students to the resources we already pay for. If you would like to find out more about how it works with Moodle, then do get in touch with your Academic Support Librarian.

If you are baffled by copyright and would like to find out more, then please do consider coming along to a copyright workshop we run each term, where through playing Copyright the Card Game, you can develop and test out your copyright knowledge. The next session is on Monday 14th November. Additionally if you have any queries you are also welcome to attend the Copyright Community of Practice, which runs every month, and is an informal forum for those interested in discussing copyright matters. Or you can drop a line to LTI’s Copyright and Digital Literacy Advisor, Dr Jane Secker (email j.secker@lse.ac.uk), who will be more than happy to test her own knowledge to help you figure out your copyright conundrum. So don’t just copy, copy it right, and don’t be scared of copyright, after all it offers you as an author a lot of protection, and by learning more about the law you can understand what is possible for teaching and research.