Greetings!

As summer winds down and the Fall 2013 semester is set to begin, we have some Moodle news we’d like to share with you.

In addition to the major changes from our May 2013 upgrade to Moodle 2.4, the July 2013 release of Moodle included the following updates (described in more detail below):

• A new “Web Login” single sign-on service for Moodle that connects you to other other campus services, such as the go.umass.edu portal and Apps at UMass Amherst

• A new version of i>clicker software (6.3.0) to integrate i>clicker and i>grader with the new log in process for Moodle

• Improvements to the Moodle Gradebook

• Respondus users awaiting an upgrade for Moodle integration

• Changes in how guests log in to a Moodle course

• Other fixes and minor improvements

Also, if you haven’t already, now is the time to request Moodle in SPIRE for your Fall 2013 on-campus courses!

Log In to Moodle With New Single Sign-On Authentication

This summer Moodle moved to OIT’s new “Web Login” single sign-on service. After entering your OIT NetID and password, you will not only be logged in to Moodle, but also to other campus services, including go.umass.edu portal and Apps at UMass Amherst (our new local version of Google Apps for Education, available to faculty, graduate student instructors, and University staff on Tuesday, August 13). Other campus Web services, including SPIRE are expected to follow soon.

For more on logging in and out of Moodle, see: http://www.oit.umass.edu/support/moodle/log-moodle

For questions or help with the Web Login” single sign-on service, please contact the OIT Help Center at 413-545-9400 (9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m., M-F).

Download New i>Clicker Software for Moodle Integration

To use i>clicker with Moodle and OIT’s new “Web Login” single sign-on service (see above), you will need to download and install an updated version of the i>clicker software (v6.3.0) from:

https://www.oit.umass.edu/ars/request-iclicker-software

For updated instructions to help you set up the new versions of i>clicker and i>grader, please see our Getting Started with i>clicker handout (3.24 MB).

For questions or help with i>clicker, please contact the Instructional Media Lab (413-545-2823 or instruct@oit.umass.edu).

Improvements to Gradebook

• Heading row of gradebook frozen, with scroll bars at top & bottom as well as sides. One of the most frequent requests from faculty. You asked, and we listened! Give it a try.

• Pop-up alert if you attempt to leave gradebook without saving changes.

• Moodle will not allow you to save changes to a gradebook that has been saved since you opened the page for editing. (This is to prevent grading conflicts and unintended overrides if multiple graders use a gradebook at the same time.)

• Changes to the Gradebook are logged, showing who changed a particular grade item, and when (under Current course > Reports > Logs).

• The Gradebook search tools for large classes have been improved.

• Improved usability of the User Report and the Categories and Items page.

• Gradebook “Categories and Items” can be created and rearranged reliably in all browsers.

For questions or help with the Moodle Gradebook, please contact the Instructional Media Lab (413-545-2823 or instruct@oit.umass.edu).

Respondus Users Awaiting Upgrade for Moodle Integration

Respondus users please note: You cannot presently connect to Moodle using the Respondus desktop application.

While we await the upcoming upgrade from Respondus, please contact the Instructional Media Lab to import quiz questions from Respondus directly into Moodle.

For questions about Respondus, please contact the Instructional Media Lab (413-545-2823 or instruct@oit.umass.edu).

Changes to Guest Access

If you have guest access enabled in your course, please note there has been a slight change in the how guests log in to your course. For more, see “Guest Access to Moodle”:

http://www.oit.umass.edu/support/access-and-logging/guest-access-moodle-courses

For questions or help with setting up guest access to a Moodle course, please contact the Instructional Media Lab (413-545-2823 or instruct@oit.umass.edu).

Other Fixes & Minor Improvements

The July 2013 Moodle update brings security patches and several minor fixes and improvements, including:

• Moodle Updated to version 2.4.5

• Security fixes.

• Forum posts can be deleted.

• “Add a Block,” by faculty request, has been returned to the right sidebar of courses.

Request Moodle in SPIRE for Fall 2013 On-Campus Courses

To request Moodle for Fall 2013 on-campus courses, log in to SPIRE at https://www.spire.umass.edu with your OIT Account NetID and password. In the Menu, go to Faculty Home > Moodle Course Request. You will go through a series of screens that will gather information about your course.

For more details see: https://www.oit.umass.edu/support/spire/request-a-moodle-course-through-spire

Reuse a Previous Moodle Course

To reuse a previous Moodle course, first request a new course in SPIRE for the new semester- this will serve as an empty course “shell.” You can then copy an existing Moodle course into the new empty Moodle course “shell.” (You should wait until the Moodle course you want to reuse is ready before importing it into a new course “shell,” for instance, if you are currently teaching the course.)

For instructions see: https://www.oit.umass.edu/support/moodle/reuse-a-moodle-course-using-import

For questions or help with a Moodle course, please contact the Instructional Media Lab (413-545-2823 or instruct@oit.umass.edu).

Have Questions or Need Help?

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding Moodle, please contact the Instructional Media Lab (413-545-2823 or instruct@oit.umass.edu).