FAQ - Your questions answered

Here is a list of questions and answers so far. Check this list to see if your question is here!

This website is intended for students using moodle.Nottingham. If you are a staff member, visit Moodle Help (staff)

1. Logging in

Q1.1. How do I access Moodle?

A. Moodle is the University's online learning environment, open a browser and go to https://moodle.nottingham.ac.uk.  If you are navigating via the University's website, nottingham.ac.uk, search for Moodle to get a direct link to Moodle.

Q1.2. How do I log on to Moodle?

A. Moodle is web-based and you can access it from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection (on and off campus).

Use your usual University username and password

• Go to the login page https://moodle.nottingham.ac.uk and enter your username and password

By the time teaching is underway, a list of the modules you are enrolled on should appear once you have logged in - click on a module name to enter the site for the module.

Q1.3. I don't know my Moodle username/password

A.  Your Moodle username and password is the same as your main University username/password (i.e. what you use to log into University computers). Note: You are asked to change your password when you first get your University account and that password does expire. If it has expired, get a new password from your local helpline. In UNNC you should go directly to IT Service Desk.

Q1.4. How do I change my Moodle password?

A.  Your Moodle password is always the same one you use as your University network password. To change your email password, you are advised to do one of the following,

UK Students: If you need to change your password you can do so at the Password Manager page.

UNNC Students: If you need to change your password you can do so at http://itaccounts.nottingham.edu.cn.  

All students: If you have forgotten your password contact the Student IT Helpline at your campus: helpline (In UNNC, students please contact The Hub).

Q1.5. I can’t login to Moodle

A. UK Students:

• Your Moodle account will be created the day AFTER you complete Part 1 of registration (online).  Access to modules however relies on completion of Part 2 of registration and information entry/confirmation by the School Office in the student record system.  Again, access to modules in Moodle will be granted the day AFTER both aspects of Part 2 of registration are complete.
• Check your username and password are correct at the Usercheck page (You are asked to change your password when you first get your University account as the password does expire). If you password has expired, get a new password via the Password Manager page.
• Are you able to log into other University systems, e.g Portal or student email? If you cannot log in to any of these systems, contact the helpline.

UNNC Students: The Moodle login is the same as your UNNC email login. If you get the message of "Invalid login, please try again", please change your UNNC email password and try Moodle login with the new password. Once your UNNC email password is changed, your Moodle password should be synchronised immediately.

To change your email password see "Q1.4. How do I change my Moodle password?"  above.

2. Modules and navigation

Q2.1. Why can’t I see all my modules?

A.  When you log in to Moodle the first page is the Dashboard. On this page is listed all the modules you are enrolled on. Students are given access to Moodle modules according to your record of enrolments in the Student Record System  If you do not see a module that you expect to have access to there may be a number of reasons:

1. You may have selected your module but your school has not yet put it onto your student record (or has only just put it on). It takes a working day for modules added in your student record to become available in Moodle. If you do not see a module that you know you are signed up for, please check with your school that they have updated your record.
2. Your module may still be under preparation and your module convenor or lecturer has not yet made it available to students. Once the term has started please check with them when they are going to make it available.
3. You may be required to self-enrol on the module. Please use Navigation > Site home > Browse modules to browse through Faculties and Schools to find the module OR type its name or code into the Search box. If the module is available for self-registration you can click into it and activate your participation.  More information about self-enrolment.
4. Your module convenor may not be using Moodle for your module (check with them).

Q2.2. My module is empty or only has dummy text

A. Your lecturers are responsible for the content on moodle.nottingham pages.  If a page is empty or has only placeholder information it could be because they are in the process of uploading content.  Please get in touch with your convenor is content missing or doesn't work.

Q2.3. I don't have a list of modules at all

A. When your account is first created you may not have modules. They will be added to your account in due course.

Q2.4. How do I enrol on a module?

A. Moodle takes your registration from the student record system, so you can only access modules that you are registered on through your School. Some modules may be open to self-enrolment

Q2.5. What is self-enrolment?

A. Some modules are open to self-enrolment. Your module convenor or lecturer will tell you if this is case for one or more of your modules.

Self-enrolment on a module space within Moodle does not constitute official registration on a module - students should still complete and submit module choice forms to their School Office.

Q2.6. How do I self-enrol on a module?

A. Some modules are open to self-enrolment. Your module convenor or lecturer will tell you if this is case for one or more of your modules.

• Login using your University of Nottingham username and password
• Go to Navigation > Site Home and search for the module using the Search Module box
• Click on the name of the module from the list of search results.  Make sure you choose the correct year.
• On the screen that appears you may need to enter an enrolment key or password given by your module convenor
• Click participate in this module to confirm that you want to self-enrol

More information about self-enrolment.

Q2.7. I've been told I can access other modules in my School/Faculty that I'm not enrolled on.  How do I do this?

A.  Some Schools or Faculties e.g. Business School and the Faculty of Engineering have enabled students to access other modules that they are not taught.  Please note:  You may only have observer access which means you can not contribute in e.g. forums but can access materials.  To find these modules:

• Go into Moodle
• Drop down the Hamburger menu at top right > Site Home > then use the Search box to find a module code or name
  or
• Drop down the Hamburger menu at top right > Site Home > Browse > choose a Faculty > choose a School

Q2.8. How do I navigate in Moodle?

A.  Once you have gone into your module you can use the:

• Breadcrumb navigation trail at the top of the page to see where you are in the module. Click on the linked aspects of the trail to go to that page.  TOP TIP: the second entry is the home page of the module
• Use your browser back button to get back to previous pages.  Make sure you refresh the page (F5 on your keyboard) once you do this to make sure you're not referring to old content.
• To access another module either click on the Dashboard in the breadcrumb trail - or click on the University logo to return to the Dashboard - or use the Hamburger menu where many of your modules will be listed.

Q2.9. Can I still see my old modules from previous years?

A.  As you go through the University, your modules from each year will continue to be available under the Archived Modules tab in the Module Overview.  Modules studied the previous year will become archived on the 7th October every year.  Modules from previous years are read-only for both students and convenors.

Q2.10. How do I unenrol from a course I no longer need access to?

A.  If the module has a module code and is on your student record, contact your School Office and have them take it off your record. Once it is removed from your record you will be unenrolled in Moodle on the following working day, if this doesn't happen please contact the local Moodle support as shown in Q7.1 to request its removal.  If you have self-enrolled on a module and now no longer wish to take this module, you can remove yourself via the ADMINISTRATION block in the module on the left-hand side.  Click on “Unenrol me from …”.

3. Your Moodle profile and My home page

Q3.1. Can I change the order of the modules on my homepage?

A. Yes. Find out more:  How can I change the order of the modules on my Dashboard?

Q3.2. How do I stop receiving so many emails from Moodle?

A.  You can change your email settings so that Moodle only sends you one email a day (usually around 5-5.30 pm UK time). This will be a digest containing all of the email notifications from that day. To do this:

1. Log into Moodle
2. Click on your name in the top right corner
   
3. From the drop down menu click Preferences
4. Click Forum preferences
5. Where it says Email digest type choose: Complete (daily email with full posts) or Subjects (daily email with subjects only)
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Update profile.

More on Changing the number of emails Moodle sends you

4. Accessing learning resources

Q4.1. How do I open and save files?

A.  Different types of files and activities have different icons. To open a file or resource click on its name. Some resources will open in the Moodle window, some will open in a new window and some will open in a separate program.  Some will ask if you want to save the file.

If the file is embedded in the Moodle page, you can mouse over the top of the page and show the icon bar, including the options to print and save files.

Q4.2. I can't open files in Moodle

A.  Sometimes browsers try to open files in the wrong program or one that is not working correctly and this prevents you from opening the file at all. To get around this you can tell your web browser to always ask you what program to use (in Firefox) or check the default program is correct (if you are using Internet Explorer). To do this follow the instructions for the web browser you are using. If you aren't sure what web browser you are using click Help > About to find out (PC only).

Firefox 3.6+:

• Tools > Options... > Applications
• In the left column, locate the file type that you are having problems opening (e.g.Microsoft Word Document or PDF File)
• In the right column choose* Always Ask *from the drop-down list.
• This will let you save the file to your computer so you can open it directly from your computer, instead of from Firefox directly.

Internet Explorer:

• Launch Windows Explorer (e.g. Open a folder on your computer such as My Documents)
• Tools > Folder Options > File Types
• In the left column, select *DOC *in the list (to find it quickly type Doc)
• Click Change...
• Ensure the correct program is selected in the list of programs
• Click OK
• Click Close

Try to view the file again. If this still doesn't work, try using a different web browser.

5. Participating in activities

As well as resources you may be asked to - or optionally can - participate in a variety of activities, e.g., forums, assignments, choices, wikis, glossaries, databases. All of these allow students to contribute something.

Q5.1. How should I behave in a forum?

A.  Forums are useful places for finding information about the module, responding to questions from your lecturers, discussing topics with peers and for asking general questions relating to your module. In the same way as for other forms of communication, in real-time or online, it is important to show respect to those you are working or discussing with. It is difficult to 'take something back' in online communication, as it is when you have said something. It cannot be unsaid. Your contributions will continue to be available within the module (Moodle forum posts will not be made available outside the institution). In the same way as you could correct yourself in class by making a further statement, you can post a second time of there is something you need to clear up.  Forums are very like face to face conversations and you should follow the same principles of behaviour, respect, no personal attack comments, and try not to go off topic. You can still be honest, enthusiastic and, if necessary, controversial.

Q5.2. Can I change whether I get emails from a forum?

A.  You will always get emails when a module convenor posts Announcements.  For other forums you may get a choice of whether you receive emails. To change whether you receive posts by email or not:

• Go into the Forum
• Click on the Cogwheel / Actions icon
• Click "Unsubscribe from this forum"  or "Subscribe to this forum" as appropriate

Q5.3. Can I upload an image to Moodle?

A. You can add a picture to your profile Here is how and in some activities, such as forums and databases you can add an image to accompany your text. When uploading images, you should first optimise them so that they are as small as possible Here is how.

Q5.4.  The convenor has added an interactive activity in Moodle and I'm not sure how it works

A.  You are advised to self-enrol in the Introduction to Moodle for Students module in Moodle where there's an example of every type of activity in Moodle.  You can participate in most of the activities and there's a help document for each (in this website Student Moodle Help) to walk you through its usage.

6. Submitting assignments and seeing marks

Q6.1. How do I submit an assignment on Moodle?

A.  Moodle assignments are shown on the course homepage. Some departments put each assignment within its corresponding Moodle course e.g. AC100, LN132 etc. Some departments use a specific Moodle course for collecting all assignments across a programme or the department.

The assignment submission page will show the assignment deadline and further details. The exact steps for submitting an assignment depend on the settings chosen by your lecturer.

• For file submissions, click Upload file(s), then click Add... to browse for the file to upload. Finally, click Save changes to confirm.
• For text only submissions, click Add submission

You may be able to read, edit and resubmit your assignment type depending on the settings your lecturer has chosen. If your lecturer is providing feedback and grades through Moodle you will be able to see this by clicking on the assignment once it has been marked.  To see all marks for modules assignments and activities go to the ADMINISTRATION block on the left-hand side > Grades.

Q6.2. How do I find my grades?

A.  Grades or marks and feedback will often (but not necessarily always) be released to you from within the Turnitin assignment or Moodle assignment that it relates to.  Check the information in your module to see how and when grades will be released.  Marks in Moodle are NOT FINAL. Marks may be weighted and may include items and adjustments not in Moodle.

Q6.3. Does Turnitin own copyright of the work I have submitted to Turnitin?

A. No. Turnitin has clarified that "The copyright for submitted work will continue to reside with either yourself or your institution; whichever is currently the case. The service will help to protect your work from future plagiarism and thereby help maintain the integrity of any qualification you receive." 
See More information on Turnitin for students

Q6.4. Where is my digital receipt?

When submitting to a Turnitin Assignment dropbox:  A pop-up of your digital receipt will show as soon as you submit, you will also receive a confirmation email to your university email account.

When submitting to a Moodle Assignment dropbox:  You will receive a confirmation email to your university email account.

Q6.5. Why can't I see the Turnitin originality report for my assignment?

If the module convenor has set the settings NOT to allow students to view their originality report there will be no 'Similarity' column. You can test similarity for yourself in the module "TurnitinUK Test your Text" which can be accessed via the Hamburger menu.

Q6.6 Why can't I see my feedback comments from my Turnitin submission on Safari?

Currently there is an issue in Turnitin where in some instances the Safari browser (and some versions of FireFox) does not load the Originality Report or the GradeMark window which allows you to view your feedback comments if your marker has given any. To load your Originality Report or GradeMark view please use either the Chrome browser or the Internet Explorer browser. 

7. Help, support and training

Q7.1. Where can I get help with Moodle?

A.  For content in your module, contact your module convenor. For other issues: