Moodle Help Guides for staff

Main index of all help documents

FAQ for Editing Teachers
Moodle System Requirements & Trouble Shooting
Moodle Navigation & Basics - Quickstart
- How to navigate around the Moodle page — Moodle is a very user friendly environment, and it is very easy to get around. This guide will show you how.
- How to navigate to modules NOT in your Module Overview — How to search and browse for a module in Moodle if you are not enrolled on it.
- How to see what a student sees ("Switch role to") — Helpful when you want to know how your module looks to students.
- How to add an image to a Moodle label box, page or other text area — This guide will show you how to add images, which can be used to give a look and feel to your module page, by adding them to a label directly on the page.
- Page and Label editing toolbar icons explained — This is an explanation of each of the icons that appear in the text toolbars seen when editing Page, Label and section headings.
- How to add pre-formatted styles — This is an explanation of how to use the pre-formatted styles option from the Atto editor in Moodle.
- How to manage hidden resources, sections and modules — This video shows you how to recognise when something is hidden (in accessible) to students and how to make it available.
Your Moodle profile and Dashboard
- Your profile settings explained — Moodle allows you to customise your profile or personal information and also to customise the way you view Moodle, and for example how you receive emails and messages.
- How to upload a picture to your Moodle profile — You may wish to upload a photo or graphic to your Moodle profile page.
- Module overview explained — The module overview allows you to filter how you view modules you are enrolled on and also change the way they are displayed.
- How to change whether I get emails from a forum — This page will show you how to subscribe or unsubscribe from forums on Moodle.
- How to add a custom block (e.g., Favourites or Bookmarks) to your 'Dashboard' or module page — If you would like a customised block on your 'My home' page [or module page] you can use the "HTML" block to hold weblinks, widgets, images or anything of your choice.
- How to use the instant message system in Moodle — How to use the instant message system in Moodle to send and receive personal one-to-one messages between users
- Enabling the TinyMCE Text Editor on Moodle — How to use the instant message system in Moodle to send and receive personal one-to-one messages between users
- Features of the TinyMCE Text Editor on Moodle — How to use the instant message system in Moodle to send and receive personal one-to-one messages between users
Setting up your Moodle module
- Module settings explained — An explanation of module settings
- How to edit module (course) settings — This tutorial will show you how to change various settings of a module on which you are enrolled as an Editing Teacher.
- The Moodle editing icons & recycle bin — At first, the mass of different editing icons that appear around a Moodle page may seem confusing, but this guide will talk you through each one clearly and effectively.
- A note on copyright — Copyright applies to all text, graphics and media. If you do not yourself own the copyright for the material you upload, you should ensure that you have permission from the copyright holder, whatever the source of the material.
- How to copy or import a resource or activity (or multiple items) from one module to another — If you would like to copy one or more resources or activities from one module into another, you should use the Import function.
- How to add a module overview image — A module image is the image that appears on the Moodle dashboard in Card and Summary view.
- How to change the number of topics in my module — A module contains a number of 'topics' or 'weeks' as a framework in Moodle for your learning resources; this guide will show you how to edit the number that appear in each module.
- Module formats explained — This help document explains the purpose of and how each module format (set in the module settings) can be used in Moodle.
- Backup a module (course) — It is recommended that you back-up your modules (courses) at key points as a way of protecting all your work up to that point; this guide shows you how to do it.
- How to understand metamodules (parent modules) - if you teach modules with the same content — Saving time when you teach the same content to different sets of students
- Calendar - Synchronise your module's calendar with University timetabling — About calendars
- How to manage filters to enhance module display — How to turn select filters on and off in your module as well as a description of what each filter does within your module
- How to edit the title of a section (topic or week) — You will often want to edit the titles or names of the sections in your Moodle module.
- How to set up a new module based on last year's resources and activities — This introduces you to the things to consider when copying across materials to a new module from elsewhere in Moodle.
- How to move items around the Moodle page — Instructions explaining how to move items around the Moodle homepage.
- How to create or request a new module — How to request creation or access to a module, and who can create it for you.
- Moodle Emoji Picker
Moodle Resources
- How to add a file — This is a simple tutorial about how to upload files (e.g. word documents, PowerPoints) to your module (course) in Moodle.
- How to create web links — Instructions on how to insert a link into your Moodle page, directing students to any URL on the web, for example an information website or another Moodle module.
- How to create a Book — These text-only 'Books' can be used for many different purposes, including linking to assignments & discussions elsewhere in Moodle: this guide will show you how to create them.
- How to create a Label — This will show you how to insert a text label anywhere on your module page - useful for scaffolding student learning, creating subheadings, adding images or logos and embedding media.
- How to create a web page — A guide on how to create a web page, which can be used to show any kind of text and graphics, embed a video or audio file or a Xerte Toolkit object, or a list of weblinks.
- How to add a folder (and add files to a folder)
- How to upload a prepared website — If you have the HTML and other appropriate IT skills, you may have created your own website from scratch; this tutorial will show you how to easily integrate them into Moodle.
- How to duplicate an item — Instructions on the simple method of duplicating any item in Moodle.
- How to edit, overwrite or update an existing file — You will often need to update or edit or replace and existing file in your Moodle module - here's how to do it.
- How to get images ready for Moodle — This is a simple tutorial about how to reduce download speeds in Moodle by making your images' file sizes smaller
- How to add video and audio in Moodle — Integrated within Moodle is a comprehensive media (audio and video) handling system. This tutorial explains what this is and gives the basics of how to use it.
- How to record a screencast with Microsoft Teams — Microsoft Teams enables you to record a meeting that you can use as a screencast. With this method you can record your screen (including any slides you are showing), your voice and/or a webcam.
- How to add captions and edit thumbnails of audio and video in Moodle — Integrated within Moodle is a comprehensive media (audio and video) handling system. This Guide show you how to add captions, share media and edit thumbnails of videos in Moodle.
- How to edit MediaSpace videos in Moodle
- How to download captions from videos in Moodle — Integrated within Moodle is a comprehensive media (audio and video) handling system. This Guide show you how to download captions from videos in Moodle for reuse in other systems.
- How to access analytics for videos from Moodle — Integrated within Moodle is a comprehensive media (audio and video) handling system. This Guide shows you how to access video analytics from Moodle.
- How to add Engage recordings, via the Echo360 Engage link in Moodle — The Echo360 link automatically provides a list of video capture recordings of lectures related to your module
- Echo360 Engage and Moodle - Instructions for non-Campus modules — This resource provides guidance on how to publish your Echo360 lecture capture on Moodle.
- How do I add a reading list to my module?
- How to write complex questions using MathJax — If you need to display complex equations in an activity or elsewhere in your module use the equation editor to help you. Here's how to use it using basic MathJax syntax.
- Image copyright attribution plugins
  - How to attribute copyright information when uploading an image
  - How to attribute copyright information when downloading an image from a URL
- Media Gallery
- Using recordings from Television and Radio in Moodle
- How to create internal navigation links in your module — How to create a link to a section, resource or activity elsewhere in your module.
- Accessibility Checklist
- How to add Timed document release
Moodle Activities
- Wiki - how to add a wiki — A wiki is a web page or website which can be edited collaboratively by a number of people.
- How to create a Choice activity (poll) — This page will show you how to use Choice activities, which can be used for a simple poll, registering an interest or signing up for an option.
- How to create a glossary — This guide will show you how to add to Moodle a glossary of terms, especially useful to students tackling material containing any amount of new vocabulary.
- How to add a forum — How to add a forum or discussion board to your module
- How to create a forum for groups — A forum can be created very simply but you can also create a forum in which particular groups of students can work together
- How to add a database activity — This gives instructions on how to create, set up and populate a database in Moodle.
- How to add a Moodle Board activity — Template: Here is the space for extra wording to be included on any page which includes this page - but not on this page itself.
- How to export database entries for import into another Moodle database — The database can be used to allow students to submit a number of types of information, create collaborative collections and review each others' submissions
- How to create a Vote activity — If you need to create a voting activity you can use Choice for a simple poll or if you need to compile votes, choose the Vote activity
- How to use the Signup Sheet Tool — The Signup Sheet tool creates an online equivalent of a paper sign up sheet - use for any student signup.
- How to export a sign-up list from the Signup Sheet tool — How To export a sign-up list from the Signup Sheet tool
- How to create a Lesson activity — A Lesson can be just an information resource or a very interactive activity depending on how you set it up. There is lots of potential with Lesson but it requires some pre-planning.
- How to create pages in Lesson — This document will help you to create different types of pages and navigation in a Lesson activity
- How to add a Feedback activity — This activity allows you to create some basic questions similar to Moodle Quiz, but without applying a grade. A good tool for module evaluations in addition to the National Student Survey.
- How to create questions in Feedback — This help document explains the different question types available for the Feedback activity and how to add them.
- How to create dependent questions in Feedback — This help document explains the different question types available for the Feedback activity and how to add them.
- How to embed a Xerte online toolkit
- How to Add an Allocation Form — An Allocation Form can be used to provide students with a number of choices to rank, and the system allocates them fairly.
- How to Create options in an Allocation form — This is the next step after you have added an Allocation Form to your module and set the appropriate settings.
- How to Adjust the allocation process in an Allocation Form — This is the next step after you have added an Allocation form to your module and created the options for students to choose from.
- How to create an Absence Form — This activity is helps with tracking student absence and reasons for absence without delay.
- How to enable conditional activities — This page shows you how to use conditional activities and completion tracking, which can be used for a variety of purposes, from monitoring completion of the whole course, to making one activity or resource conditional upon the students having accessed another previously, to allow students to track their self-study.
- An introduction to H5P interactive content
  - How to add H5P as an activity
  - How to embed H5P in other resources
  - How to move H5P content from one Moodle module to another
- How to Use the Peer Assessment Activity
  - The Scoring Algorithm for Peer Assessment Activity
Assessment in Moodle: Quiz, Gradebook, Workshop, graded Forums
- How to Add a Moodle quiz (the settings) — This help page provides guidance on adding a quiz and will help you decide what settings to choose when adding a Moodle quiz to your module if you're not using ExamSys.
- How to Add questions to a Moodle quiz — Now you've created a Moodle quiz this help document will help you choose, add and construct different question types.
- How to add accommodations to a Moodle quiz
- How to export reports and statistics for Moodle quiz — If you're interested in finding out the overall completion data for your quizzes see the reports and export them
- How to transfer questions for quizzes between Moodle modules — You can transfer quiz questions between modules, so long as you have editing teacher rights in both.
- How to create a Quiz question using STACK
- Creating a Cloze question in a Moodle Quiz — This question type allows you create an interactive question with 'fill in the blanks', drop-down and numerical responses.
- How to release grades to students on a specified date — This guide tells you how to set the Gradebook in a module to be revealed automatically to a particular group of students at a time and date specified by you.
- Grades 1 - Introduction & Overview — An introduction to Moodle Grades, including how to access and use them, starting with definitions.
- Grades 2 - Manually editing grades — The second in a series of Helpsheets about Moodle grades. How to edit a grade from within the grader report.
- Grades 3 - Adding a grade item (or column in the gradebook) — How to add a column for external grades into the Moodle grade book, i.e., add a grade item.
- Grades 4 - Exporting and Importing Grades into the Grade book — Whether you'd like to upload grades to Moodle (including from external activities) or backup the grades, here's how you can import and export grades.
- Grades 5 - How to Add Categories & Organise the Gradebook
- How to set up weighted grades in grade book — How to setup different weightings for assignments within the grade book for all activities included in the module.
- How to create a non-numeric grading scale — Grading scales are useful for formative assessments where there are no grades but you want to communicate e.g. Pass or Fail, or if you want to grade using letters rather than numbers.
- How to set up and use the Moodle Workshop
- How to set up grading strategies in Workshop — This refers to Moodle 4.1 from December 2023
- How to add an ExamSys Self Assessment Paper
- How do I enable whole forum grading?
- How to grade forums using whole forum gradings
  - Using marking guide when grading Moodle forums
  - Using rubrics when grading Moodle forums
Assessment in Moodle: Moodle Assignments & Turnitin Assignments
- How to create a Moodle assignment
- How to download all submissions from a Moodle Assignment dropbox — This is how you download Moodle Assignment submissions and how to access the downloaded zip file
- Moodle Assignment: Marking and uploading feedback/marks individually and releasing marks
- Moodle Assignment: Marking and uploading feedback/marks in bulk
- Using Marking Workflow and Marking Allocation in Moodle Assignment — How to use workflow and marking allocation in Moodle Assignment
- How to enable resubmission of a Moodle assignment — It is possible to reopen a Moodle Assignment submission for a student to allow them to resubmit
- How to grant an extension for an assignment in Moodle
- Using Turnitin within Moodle Assignments
- Marking using Rubrics/Marking guides in Moodle Assignments
- How to create a rubric/marking guide for a Moodle assignment
- How to annotate student work in Word for Moodle assignment using a Microsoft Surface Pro
- How to annotate student submissions (Moodle Assignment)
- How to give feedback privately to students — The text below describes feedback using an audio files but can equally well be used to give feedback via any other type of file, including Word, PDF or a scanned version of an annotated script.
- How to grade using a rubric with a non-numeric grade
- How to add a Video or Audio Assignment — This is how you can set video or audio-based assignments for students.
- How to create a Turnitin assignment drop box — Instructions on how to create an assignment that submits student work through Turnitin, integrated seamlessly into Moodle.
- Introducing Turnitin Feedback Studio
- Turnitin file types and word processor compatibility — The types of file you can submit to Turnitin, and where you might run into trouble.
- How to mark a Turnitin assignment in Moodle — How to mark a paper submitted to a Turnitin dropbox within Moodle
- How to provide feedback and comments in Turnitin — tesIn addition to assigning a grade to an assignment online you can also add comments and overall feedback for students to view.
- How to create your own Turnitin QuickMarks set and export/import QuickMarks
- How to export grades and download assignments from Turnitin — This help page looks at the different grade and assignment export options for Turnitin available to users with editing roles in Moodle.
- How to mark offline in Turnitin using an iPad/iPhone
- How Turnitin deals with resubmission of the same paper by the same student — How papers match against each other when the same paper is submitted by a student in various circumstances
- Giving feedback without needing a submission in Turnitin
- How to create rubric assessment criteria in Turnitin — This is a useful assessment method if there are lots of graders in a module. This ensures consistency when grading assignments.
- How to re-use and share rubrics in Turnitin assignments — Any rubric created in association with the module can be attached to an assignment to save you recreating it. You can share rubrics with others.
- How to delete a single Turnitin submission to enable submission — By deleting a student's paper submitted to Turnitin, you can clear the dropbox for them to resubmit: useful in the case of a mistake.
- How to exclude University of Nottingham papers from a TurnItIn Originality Report — This guide will show you how to remove University of Nottingham papers from a TurnItIn Originality Report so that they are not matched.
- How To setup PeerMark in Turnitin — PeerMark is functionality only available through Turnitin assignments whereby you can include a peer assessment activity.
- How to view submitted and received reviews in PeerMark within TurnItIn
- Marker allocation in a Turnitin assignment.
Communication and collaboration
- How do I set up areas for student collaboration in Moodle? — Lots of information on how to set up activities which students can use to collaborate with one another
- How to use Moodle blogs — This is a guide to the Moodle 'Blogs' feature, which allows anyone to create text posts featuring comment, opinion, instruction, or anything you wish to write as a blog.
- How to send students on your module an email — Instructions on how to email all of the students who are enrolled on your Moodle module a message straight to their inbox.
- How to send a message to groups of students or participants — Once you have created Groups in your module you may need to send a message just to your group rather than all participants...here's how.
- How to create a way for students to upload files — There are several ways to provide a facility for students to upload files
- How to use a Forum for blogs or learning journals — This is a guide to the Moodle 'Blogs' feature, which allows anyone to create text posts featuring comment, opinion, instruction, or anything you wish to write as a blog.
- Sending Announcements by Group — This is a guide to the Moodle 'Blogs' feature, which allows anyone to create text posts featuring comment, opinion, instruction, or anything you wish to write as a blog.
Working with Blocks in Moodle
- How to add a block — How to add a block to your page. See List of blocks https://workspace.nottingham.ac.uk/display/Moodlehelp/List+of+Moodle+Blocks for the list of all those that you can choose from.
- Block settings explained — Basic block settings. Where a block appears across a module.
- How to move or customise the location of blocks — This page shows you how blocks, once added to your page, can be moved to a different place in the left or right columns.
- List of Moodle Blocks — This is not a "How To" step-by-step document but a list with descriptions of all the blocks available to add to pages in Moodle.
Enrolment & management of participants (staff and students)
- Moodle roles — Definitions of roles in moodle.Nottingham
- How to enrol a fellow staff member manually on your module — You may want to manually enrol staff on your module (and occasionally students). This guide shows you how. NOTE: most student enrolments to modules are automatic
- How to set up self-enrolment on your module — There are many cases in which you may want to allow students to self-enrol on your module. You can add a password and limit enrolment by date or duration of enrolment.
- How to change the role of someone enrolled on your module — How to change the role of someone on your module, e.g., from Teacher to Editing Teacher or from Observer to Student
- How to release resources to students at different times or in different groups — Restrict Access settings allow you to release items to a group of students but not others, or to some students at different times, or to restrict access by grade or completion of a previous of activity.
- How to give a user higher level access to a particular activity or block — How to give a user higher level access to a particular activity or section
- How to see tracking information for students — Tis guide will show you how to use Moodle's 'Logs' feature, enabling you to keep an eye on student activity by individual students and by activity.
- How to use completion tracking to monitor student progress — Completion tracking can be used to track a student's progress through the module and see which resources and activities they have accessed, as well as to make some resources or activities conditional upon completion of a previous activity.
- How to see a given user's activity within a SCORM package — This page will show you how to use Choice activities, which can be used for a simple poll, registering an interest or signing up for an option.
- How to restrict access to an activity or resource based on specific criteria — Setting up access to activities or resources based on performance or groups.
- Working with groups of students — This document will help you with managing groups of students in different ways depending on your need. There are a few tips and examples as well.
- How To create groups and groupings — This tutorial shows you how to group students together in Moodle in order to set them different tasks, assignments and activities.
- An overview of how to use Groups and Groupings effectively — This help document goes through how to create groups and groupings and how they can be used to aid module management.
  - Setting restrictions using Moodle groups for assessment submission
- How to allow students to self-enrol on a module and into a given group — This is a tutorial about how to set up your module so student automatically add themselves into a group when they enrol themselves on the module
- How to export a list of students who are placed in a group — This page will show you how to export a list of students who have been assigned to a Moodle Group
- How to generate an activity report for a student — You may wish to track an individual student's (or other user's) activity in your module
- How to print off a list of students in a module — If you need to print off a list of all the students or participants in your module, this is how.
- How to enable group submissions in a Moodle assignment — Using Groups in Moodle assignments to enable one piece of work to be submitted by a whole group of students
- How to use Badges in Moodle — How to use Open Badges within Moodle
- How to create a metalink to enrol students from another module — This is a tutorial about how to set up your module so students who are enrolled on another module or modules are automatically enrolled also on your module
- Why might you need Groupings in Moodle? — Reasons to use Groupings in a module with group activities.
- Moodle completion tracking for student monitoring and conditional activities — Moodle completion tracking for student monitoring and conditional activities
Wording for student documentation
End of Year Processes & Rollover
Using tags to connect content
Accessibility+ Toolkit for Moodle
Moodle Accessibility Information Tool

Moodle 3.10: New Module overview explained
Moodle 3.10: How to add a module overview image

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