e-Learning: How To Guides

Overview of the assignment activity

The Assignment Activity lets students submit work and allows teachers to give grades and feedback in Moodle.  This guide will lead you through the process of setting up online submission of work through an advanced uploading of files.  Information in italics will include pointers on administrative and procedural questions that you might want to take into account during the set up.

Setting up an assignment activity

• Go to the unit on Moodle where you want to add the assignment
• At the top right of the page or in the Administration block Turn editing on
• Within the Week or Topic where you would like to add the assignment, open the Add an activity drop-down menu
• Choose the Advanced uploading of files option
• Complete the assignment settings (as outlined in the information and diagram below)
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and Save

It is recommended that you use Advanced uploading of files because this gives the most flexibility in the use of assignment activity in terms of multiple file uploads, submissions of drafts, feedback and resubmissions.

Assignment Settings

A diagram of the information below on how to set up your assignment activity is available here to download as a PDF.

• Assignment Name/Description: are elements with an asterisk and highlighted in red, so must be completed
• Description: The description box gives you a space where detailed submission instructions can be highlighted for students.  Many departments include in this section: requirements about file types, naming conventions, cover sheet details, statements about plagiarism, information about when and how feedback will be provided to students.
• Due date: set your assignment deadline here
• Prevent Late submissions: Decisions on late submissions tend to vary from department to department.  If late submissions are prevented completely then online resubmission will not be possible.  However, if they are allowed, then students will be able to overwrite their work after the deadline has expired.  To allow for a ‘soft’ deadline, some courses allow late submissions but take a back-up copy of the assignment straight after the deadline so that there is a reference point for checking that files have not been changed.
• Maximum size: File sizes are important when dealing with digital content such as images, audio or video.  You may also need to amend the maximum file upload settings for the whole unit via the Settings link in the Administration block.
• E-mail alerts to teachers: If you enable the e-mail alerts to teachers, every member of staff with teacher access assigned for this unit on Moodle (all teachers and administrators) will be sent an e-mail alerting them to every file uploaded to this assignment activity.  Most units leave this switched off and send a reminder e-mail directly to tutors (with marking to complete) once the deadline has passed.

Further information on using the assignment activity in Moodle

• Guidance on grading assignments and giving feedback is available here: http://go.bath.ac.uk/3vzb

• The paper ‘Factors to consider for the effective use of the Moodle assignment activity in online submission of work‘ is available on Opus.

• Assignment activity FAQs are available here: http://go.bath.ac.uk/bxs6
  • General FAQs about using moodle.bath.ac.uk can be found at: http://moodle.bath.ac.uk/faq/

• There is also support available from the Moodle community
  • Documentation on the assignment activity module: http://go.bath.ac.uk/lmoc
  • FAQs about the assignment activity: http://go.bath.ac.uk/mozi
  • Users forum with answers to questions about the assignment activity: http://go.bath.ac.uk/dr77

Introduction

The aim of this How To guide is to give an outline of the Reports utility within the TurningPoint 2008 application. The Reports utility allows users to generate and view a range of reports based on the responses received during a TurningPoint ARS session. These are available within both Word documents and Excel worksheets, and contains data and information about questions, answers, participants and responses gathered during your session.

Why should I use Turning Reports?

“Turning Reports displays a hierarchical menu of reports organised by category, such as Results by Question Reports and Demographic Reports. If you click on one of these categories, the Turning Reports screen displays subheadings of specific report titles, and shows samples of each selected report. Thirty-one reports are available for reporting on the entire audience, by individual participants, by groups, by standards, and on the basis of demographics. If you have specified correct answers or point values, you can “grade” participants and groups, verify that standards are met, and provide valuable feedback to participants.” – TurningPoint 2008 User Guide for Office 2003 [download PDF ].

If you are using the ARS to support undergraduate or postgraduate units, or for staff development sessions, you may wish to upload the generated Excel worksheet into the corresponding Moodle course.

How can I get to it?

On staff Windows-based PCs, Turning Reports is available at: Start > (All) Programs > Turning Technologies, LLC > TurningPoint 2008 > Reports

On BUCS PCs, Turning Reports is available at: Start > (All) Programs > Departments > e-Learning > TurningPoint 2008 > Reports

What next?

Before you proceed, you must have saved your TurningPoint 2008 session using the Save button, on the TurningPoint toolbar. This is, rather than, or as well as, clicking Save (or File > Save/Save As…) within PowerPoint 2003.

• Once the Turning Reports utility has opened, select the Sessions tab and then locate your ARS session. If it is not displayed in the list, click on the Open link to locate it. The file should have a .tpz extension type.
• Following this, click on the Reports tab. The Turning Reports window displays a list of the categories of
  reports you can generate from your session file. Each category of report is listed by name. You can double-click the category or click on the plus sign beside the category to view a list of reports in each category.
• You can select multiple reports by selecting multiple check boxes. You can also select an entire category of reports by selecting the check box for the category.
• When you are finished, click on the Generate Report button. Depending on the number of reports you are generating, the process may take a few moments. Your Excel worksheet will open automatically once the process is complete.

Where do I go from here?

Give it a go! Further details on reports and report types is are available in the TurningPoint 2008 User Guide for Office 2003 [download PDF], pp. 345 – 386.

For anything please, please take a look at the project blog at http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/ars/, or get in touch with Nitin Parmar, the ARS Project Lead, at e-learning@bath.ac.uk .

• Last updated / reviewed: 30 October 2009

Introduction

The aim of this how to guide is to provide some support material around the topic of using Moodle for formative objective testing. At the moment. we provide a large number of resources on the topic, so this how to guide will provide pointers to these based on a range of commonly asked questions.

In terms of using Moodle for objective testing, we do not currently recommend using Moodle for high stake summative objective testing – please see the following Moodle Policy statement: http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/moodle/moodle-policy/#high-stake). However, we do recommend and support its use as a formative objective testing tool, in particular, the use of Moodle Quiz and Lesson activities.

What is objective testing?

Objective testing is “a test consisting of factual questions requiring extremely short answers that can be quickly and unambiguously scored by anyone with an answer key, thus minimizing subjective judgments by both the person taking the test and the person scoring it” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/objective+test, Accessed 30th October, 2009).

What evidence is there for success of formative objective testing?

There is a growing base of evidence which describes how objective testing has been effectively in learning and teaching. At the institutional level, a case study of Kevin Renfrew’s use of Moodle for diagnostic assessment in the English Language Centre (ELC) suggests it can have a significant impact on student learning (http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/casestudies/2009/01/21/using-the-moodle-quiz-for-diagnostic-assessment/).

How do I design good questions?

An important point to remember is a key factor in the success of objective testing is the notion of question design. The e-Learning Team at the University of Bristol have written a very useful resource, related to the design of effective questions, titled Writing assessment questions for online delivery: principles and guidelines (http://esu.bris.ac.uk/esu/e-assessment/writing_e-assessments/index.htm).

What support is there available for using Moodle for objective testing?

The e-Learning Team at the University of Bath provide a number of different self-paced support routes. For instance:

• Moodle Docs – useful information on the Moodle Quiz (http://docs.moodle.org/en/Quiz) and Lesson (http://docs.moodle.org/en/Lessons) activities can be found within this Moodle community resource.
• Using Moodle e-Book – This is available within the Staff Area Moodle course. It contains a chapter each on the Moodle Quiz and Lesson activities, and we recommend that you reference the appropriate chapters in the first instance.
• The Creating and Using a Moodle Quiz FAQs within our Moodle FAQ database – http://moodle.bath.ac.uk/faq/category/23/creating-and-using-a-moodle-quiz.html

Where do I go next?

An excellent starting point is the LTSN Generic Centre assessment series (http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/assessment/series.html). You are also strongly encouraged to contact the  e-Learning team at e-learning@bath.ac.uk .

    * Last updated / reviewed: 13th October, 2009

Introduction

The aim of this guide is to explain how to use Evernote (http://www.evernote.com) as a virtual notebook on your mobile phone or iPod.

Some context

Evernote offers both a free and subscription service. This discussion is based upon the free service. Evernote offers an online space where you can store your notes (text, handwritten and/or audio) and your pictures. These can be sorted into different notebooks, arranged by date, type and include tags (keywords). You can also share these with the world or with specific people. If you enable sharing and editing this could become a powerful collaborative space for people to work up ideas and share material. The service also offers the very exciting dimension of having a mobile phone client. Therefore, you can use your phone as your electronic notebook.

There are a number of very obvious learning and teaching scenarios. Firstly, in informal learning where the student captures their notes, thoughts, observations and reflections. These are stored online for easy search and retrieval later. In addition, through sharing these with a supervisor can be used as part of an e-Portfolio. Secondly, the application within field based work. You simply don’t need to carry around pens, paper etc., The use in field work is further strengthened as photos can include GPS coordinates. Thirdly, a tool for supervisors, where they are required to make notes based on observations, such as observing lecturers, or students present.

The process

The following is an example of how I recently used it to record my notes from a conference I attended (Handheld Learning, 2009). It demonstrates the simplicity of using the software.

Scenario 1: Taking notes during lectures (assume going to use it all semester)

Pre-lecture

1.    Create your account on Evernote (http://www.evernote,com)
2.    Create an appropriate notebook. A notebook is like a folder so you can use this to sort your observations, in addition to using specific tags.
3. Set up any sharing options, i.e., you might want to share your notebook with others
4.    Install the appropriate client on your phone

During the lecture

1.    Take your notes. Remember to include appropriate tags etc.,

The following screen shots illustrate the broad process. Note these have been captured using Evernote on a HTC Touch HD.

1. Open the phone client

Shot 2: Assign a tag (key word)

 
Shot 3: Start taking notes
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Post lecture

1. Log onto the online version via your computer
2. Modify and edit notes and images (if appropriate)

The following screen shots illustrate the online space

More information

For more information on how you might use the software and if clients are available see their web site (http://www.evernote.com). Please note, you are strongly advised to read and consider the University of Edinburgh’s Web 2.0 Guidelines (https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/Web2wiki/Web+2.0+Guidelines) as Evernote is an externally hosted solution which the University of Bath has no influence on and the resources are not held on University systems.

• Last updated / reviewed: 12th August, 2009

Introduction

The aim of this how to guide is to encourage you to re-think your use of technology in your classroom teaching. This guide is focused on how you might re-think your use of chalk (or whiteboards) and instead use Paper Show for annotating presentations and hand written work.

Some context

Paper Show enables you to project your hand written material as you write on a piece of paper or annotate a printed out powerpoint presentation. Paper show is a digital pen and paper kit, for a more detailed introduction see, http://www.papershow.com/en/index.asp. A key difference between Paper Show and a visualiser is Paper Show connects through the computer. Therefore, you can save the outcome and use other software at the same time.

Currently, many people are still using chalk (or whiteboards) in their teaching to present information. This is for a number of reasons. One in particular is the freedom to develop material and express ideas without being constrained by presentational software (which often encourages a linear style) while the software makes it difficult to use elaborate mathematical notation or graphical analysis.

However, the use of chalk (whiteboards) does mean a number of learning opportunities are missed. In particular, the material you’ve just presented is lost once it is erased. If the material you where presenting was recorded (both in terms of the final outcome, and/or the evolution of the argument) students would be able to change the way they interact within the lecture. For example, they will not be concentrating on writing everything becuase the material will be available afterwards. Therefore, they are able to engage more with the concepts and class interactions. Secondly, the use of chalk (whiteboards) inhibits the way other technologies are used in the classroom. For instance, it is difficult to switch to projected material if you are using a chalk board. This limits the use of audio and/or video, online resources and interactive classroom technologies (audience response systems, SMS and social networking tools) in your teaching.

The aim of this How To Guides is to introduce a number of available classroom technologies at the University of Bath to encourage you to reflect on how you currently teach. The key to technologies such as Paper Show, Visualisers, and Symposium Tablets is these still enable you the freedom associated with writing while gaining the benefits of wider integration and not significantly increasing staff development time.

For more information on getting the technology then please contact the Audio Visual unit.

The process

Scenario 1: Using Paper Show to capture hand written material

At start of lecture
1.    Insert USB stick, and connect to pen (about 30 second job)
2.    When the software opens then select “new file”
3.    Write on the page. Remember to use the add new page when you need a new blank page.

At the end of the lecture
1.    Click on save
2.    Close software, remove USB and pen

Post-lecture

You can upload the file to Moodle by reconnecting the USB stick and Pen. Open the file, and select Export and save to your computer. Then pload the file to Moodle.

Scenario 2: Using Paper Show to annotate a powerpoint presentation.

The following describes how to use the Paper Show to present / edit a presentation.

Pre-lecture
1.    Once you have the harware, plugin the USB stick and allow it to connect to the pen.
2.    Import the powerpoint presenation you are going to use.
3.   Print the powerpoint onto the special paper. To save paper, only print out the pages you plan to annotate during the lecture. If you are not going to annotate each slide then you can use the keyboard to navigate the slides.

At start of lecture
1.    Insert USB stick, and connect to pen (about 30 second job)
2.    When the software opens then select “open file”
3.    To navigate through the presentation (similar keys to powerpoint) you need to set the preferences to full screen (about 10 second job)

At the end of the lecture
1.    Click “esc” (toggles off full screen).
2.    Click on save
3.    Close software, remove USB and pen

Post-lecture
1.    You can upload the file to Moodle by reconnecting the USB stick and Pen. Open the file, and select Export and save to your computer. Then pload the file to Moodle.

More information

For more information on how you might use this and other technologies to enhance your teaching please email e-learning@bath.ac.uk. Alternatively, contact the AV Unit in the library.

• Last updated / reviewed: 15th June, 2009

Introduction

This how to guide is a video (microsoft media format) which walks accessing a QR Code (from the University of Bath’s Library) on a mobile phone.

Location

• http://www.bath.ac.uk/lmf/download/34453

More information

If you’d like any questions about using the technology or effective uses in teaching and learning then please email e-learning@bath.ac.uk

• Last updated / reviewed: 15th June, 2009

Introduction

This how to guide is a streamed video (microsoft media format) which walks through creating a QR Code using the University of Bath’s QR Code Generator and adding it to powerpoint slide.

Location

• http://www.bath.ac.uk/lmf/download/25102

More information

If you’d like any questions about using the technology or effective uses in teaching and learning then please email e-learning@bath.ac.uk

• Last updated / reviewed: 9th June, 2009 

Introduction

This guide will describe how you can use the free Netvibes service to subscribe to podcasts and other RSS published material.

Please note, Netvibes is not a recommended or supported University of Bath service. Therefore, if you are thinking of using this within assessed work, please contact the e-learning team to discuss your ideas.

Some context

Netvibes (http://www.netvibes.com) is “a free web service that brings together your favourite media sources and online services. Everything that matters to you — blogs, news, weather, videos, photos, social networks, email and much more — is automatically updated every time you visit your page.”

In other words, it acts as your personal home page for web based information. This means it is really good way of subscribing to podcasts and news feeds without having to install software on your computer.

The process

The following assumes you have previously created your Netvibes account

Step 1: Copy the podcast (rss feed) you wish to subscribe to. In the following example I’ll be subscribing to the e-learning at Bath Podcast (http://www.bath.ac.uk/lmf/group/rss/7798).

Step 2: Open Netvibes, and click on Add Content 

Step 3: Click on Add a Feed button

Step 4: Cut and paste the RSS feed address and click Add feed

Step 5: Click on add

You should now be subscribed to the e-learning podcast. Therefore, when a new episode is available it will automatically be updated in your Netvibes page.

More information

If you’d like any questions about using the technology or effective uses in teaching and learning then please email e-learning@bath.ac.uk

• Last updated 26th May, 2009

Introduction

Twitter is a micro-blogging and social networking tool (http://www.twitter.com), which is gaining lots of interest as a useful tool in teaching and learning.

This guide will describe how you can use the rss feed from your Twitter account to update in your Moodle course.

Some context

A potential use for Twitter in teaching and learning is as a means of easily updating students about useful links and references. For instance, quickly sharing a useful article you’ve read in a newspaper. This is very easy to do, as you can simply text (SMS) the message from your phone (or use an application on your phone). The problem is one of equity, for instance, how to ensure that those who are not using Twitter can access the information. The answer is to feed all your twitter updates into your Moodle course.

It is a three step process;

Step 1: From your Twitter account, copy the RSS Feed link. The location is illustrated on the image below. The feed address will be structured similarly to http://twitter.com/statuses/friends_timeline/xxxxxx.rss

Step 2: in your Moodle course, ensure editing is turned on, then add the Remote RSS Feed Block

A new block will appear (see below) and select “click here to configure this block to display RSS feeds”

Then select the manage all my feeds tab, scroll to the bottom of the page, enter the RSS Feed address you copied in Step 1, and complete the rest of the form.

Step 3: Displaying in Moodle

Your new block with all the tweets from your twitter account should appear in Moodle.

More information

If you’d like any questions about using the technology or effective uses in teaching and learning then please email e-learning@bath.ac.uk

• Last updated: 9th March, 2009

Introduction

The University of Bath currently doesn’t provide an integrated service which allows you to capture (create) the material you want to podcast, publish (deliver) this information (include the automatic generation of the RSS address) and allow people to subscribe to this feed. However, it does provide the opportunity to publish (deliver) the material as a subscription podcast through the Learning Materials Filestore (LMF).

This guide will describe how you can use the LMF to deliver podcasts for your students.

Some context

A scenario of use might be that you (the lecture) create a 5 minute audio file (mp3) after each lecture which re-visits the questions raised by students during the lecture. I’ll assume that you have created the audio file (mp3).

Publishing the file

A podcast is a subscription model. Whereby, the individual (student in our case) subscribes to the podcast using a podcatcher (software such as iTunes).

You can use the LMF to publish your file as a RSS subscription podcast, as well as a more traditional download version. The later you can include a link in your Moodle course.

Once you have logged into the LMF (http://bath.ac.uk/lmf), you need to create a new group. When you create the group, give it an appropriate name and description. Then set the group settings to Global. When you upload a file to the LMF which you’d like to podcast from this group, simply upload the file and click on sharing. Then select the group name.

The result is when you upload your mp3, and share with this group then anyone who has subscribed to the group will get an automatic update through iTunes (or equivalent).

To help students subscribe then you need to publise the group’s RSS feed address to your students. One if the simplest means is via your Moodle course. Simply, access the LMF, click on Your Groups, and select the appropriate group. You will note RSS/Podcast feed (top left corner). Click on this, and then copy the url (this is the RSS address that people will need to use in their iTunes). For instance, the RSS subscription address for the e-Learning Team’s Podcast is  http://www.bath.ac.uk/lmf/group/rss/7798.

You can then cut and paste this RSS address into a resource on your Moodle course so students can cut and paste this into their podcatchers

More information

If you’d like any questions about using the technology or effective uses in teaching and learning then please email e-learning@bath.ac.uk