Moodle FAQs

This FAQ is to support students with their use of Moodle at UCL. If your question is not answered here complete the Moodle Support Form 

How do I log in?

Use your UCL ID and password to log into Moodle https://moodle.ucl.ac.uk/

Why can't I log on to UCL Moodle with my UCL username and password?

• Make sure you do not have CAPS lock selected
• If your password is more than 8 characters long, please try entering only the first 8 characters
• Are you able to log into other UCL systems, e.g. Portico or the UCL Wiki?
  • If not contact the ISD Service Desk to receive a new UCL password. Please note: UCL's Computer Security Policy requires that passwords are changed on a regular basis, every 150 days. Notification of the requirement to change your password is sent to your UCL email address before it is automatically reset.If your password is not changed it is automatically reset. You will need to go to the ISD Service Desk with a valid UCL ID card to collect a new password. Please note that passwords CANNOT be given out over the phone, unless you have previously registered details using User Authentication Service. For more information, look on the web at: https://myaccount.ucl.ac.uk 
    Once you have renewed your password we strongly encourage you to register for the User Authentication Service that allows you to be identified and new passwords issued over the telephone. 
    Please send all enquiries and replies to the ISD Service Desk.
  • If yes, it is a rare occasion that only Moodle isn't working and this requires looking into, please  contact E-Learning Support.

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How do I find my course?

Although all taught modules at UCL are expected to have an online component, it is best to ask your tutor or course administrator about how to access these materials to confirm where they are located. Most material will be available in a Moodle course for the module or programme. 
If you know that you have a Moodle course and it isn't listed under My Courses when you log in, you can search for it using the Search Courses box on the Moodle's My Home - enter the module code or part of the course title. When you click on the course name in the search results you should get the option to enrol on the course. If there are any problems doing this contact the tutor or course administrator listed. 
Sadly E-Learning Environments are unable to directly enrol you into Moodle courses, if you have exhausted all other options, please contact E-Learning Support.

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What is 'guest' access?

Many courses are available for 'guest' access - as a guest you can look at the course content but may not take part in any activities. 
If a Moodle course is part of your programme of study then you must make sure that you enrol on it rather than access it as a guest, otherwise you will miss out on discussion forums and will not be able to participate in any assessments or submit assignments.
If you do not have access to the course, then please contact your course tutor or administrator.

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How do I update my profile in Moodle?

You Moodle profile displays information about you to other Moodle users. You can also add a photo to your profile (can be useful for tutors and for other course members). 
If you wish to edit your profile:

• Log into Moodle
• Click on the Settings button and expand the My profile settings menu
• Click the Edit profile 
• Edit the fields you wish to change
• Click the Update profile bottom

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How can I enrol on my course using the enrolment key I was given by my tutor?

To enrol with the help of an enrolment key, you will need to:

• Browse to Moodle
• Login using your UCL username and password
• Search for the course using the Search Courses box
• Click on the name of the course from the list of search results
• On the screen that appears enter the enrolment key given by your tutor
• Click OK to confirm that you want to self-enrol

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

• Navigate to the Moodle course homepage that you wish to unenrol from
• Click the Settings button on the left side and choose 'Unenrol me from this course'. You will then need to confirm that you really wish to unenrol.

Note: if you are still enrolled in the course in Portico you may be re-enrolled into the Moodle course overnight.

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What software is required to use Moodle?

We recommend that you use one of the following Internet Browsers (minimum version indicated):

• Firefox 4
• Internet Explorer 8 (IE 10 required for drag and drop of files from outside the browser into Moodle)
• Safari 5
• Google Chrome 11

Some courses may also require you to use the following players or browser players.

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How do I stop receiving so many emails from Moodle?

You can change your email settings so that Moodle only sends you one email every afternoon, containing all of the email notifications from that day. To do this:

1. Log into Moodle
2. Click on the Settings button and expand the My profile settings menu
3. Click the Edit profile 
4. Where it says Email digest type choose: Complete (daily email with full posts)
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Update profile.

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I can't see the Moodle text editor, strange (HTML) text is appearing and I can only enter plain text

The Moodle text editor works with Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and Chrome - other browsers, including mobile devices may not be supported. 

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I can't open files in Moodle

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 > Aboutto 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.

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How do I bulk download my lecture notes?

If your lecture notes are displayed in a folder or on a webpage other than the course homepage, you can bulk download them using a Firefox plugin called DownThemAll. You can install it here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/201
Once this plugin is installed and you have restarted Firefox:

• Navigate to the page that lists your lecture notes.
• In the Firefox menu bar choose Tools > DownThemAll! Tools > DownThemAll!...
• Expand Fast filtering (at the bottom)
• Enter the comma separated file extensions of the assignments you want to download. E.g. .pdf or .doc
• The number of files that will be downloaded will appear at the bottom of the window alongside Selected links. E.g. you should see something like: Selected links: 58 or 123
• Choose a folder to save the files in by clicking on the folder icon alongside the *Save files in *field.
• Click Start!
• A new popup window will show you the progress of all file downloads.
• Once all the files appear with a green tick beside them, your files will have been downloaded to the folder specified.

If your lecture notes are on the Moodle course homepage, please ask your lecturer to provide you with a zip file of all the lecture notes to make it easier for you to download them.

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