Smart Penguin » Faculty FYI

Run with the ‘Fox

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:32:23 +0000

Getting the right browser setup and running is critical to your success with online coursework. Mozilla Firefox is the browser of choice and is at the top of our recommended list for Clark’s Moodle as it presents the fewest issues for our users. Firefox installs easily and comes setup for access to your online courses. You can still use another browser as your default choice for surfing, but to go to class, just fire up Firefox and access Moodle with that instead.

If your instructor requires you to use Internet Explorer for your class, you could use Internet Explorer 8 after clicking the “Compatibility View” button. By placing the IE 8 browser in compatibility mode you will force the browser to behave as an IE 7 version while working in Moodle. This is important so you can view all content, assignments, forum text boxes, etc. Moodle users have been reporting multiple incompatibility issues with Internet Explorer 9, so we are advising that users switch to Firefox instead.

You should also be aware that two other popular browsers, Safari and Chrome, are not recommended for use with our current version of Moodle. Users have reported multiple issues with forum editor tools, Wiris equation editor, display errors, and quizzes. Once again, Firefox for Windows or Mac should be the browser of choice. Click the Firefox logo above to download and install.

WIRIS Wizardry

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:15:31 +0000

Clark’s online math courses have upgraded to the WIRIS Equation Editor for your use in forums in our Moodle joule. You’ll notice a yellow button in the forums text editor toolbar with a square root symbol on it. Clicking that button will bring up the WIRIS editor window where you can use the symbol and operator palettes to automatically create nice looking math expressions in your forum discussions. This makes taking an online math course at Clark much easier and more enjoyable. In fact, WIRIS is pretty fun to use, so play around with it if you like, and check out our online math offerings and sign up for one of these popular courses… It’s as easy as Pi!

Note: Safari and Chrome browsers are not recommended for use with Clark’s Moodle and will cause issues with WIRIS and other editing tools in your online forums.

If you’re prepping for an online math course and want to become a WIRIS wiz, here’s a link to the user manual.

Stayin’ Alive

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:58:17 +0000

One of the keys to success with Moodle is being aware of your server activity and session timeout. Whenever you log in, Moodle starts a session for you and tracks your time. After three hours of no server activity, Moodle will automatically logout for you and close the idle session. Server activity would consist of making requests of Moodle, such as clicking on an assignment or forum thread and saving or submitting your response in a forum or test, but not reading or typing. So even if you have been typing a long forum reply or essay, you could click to save and receive the dreaded sesskey (timeout) error and lose your work if you’re not careful.

To avoid this possibility, when you are in the process of typing a long forum reply or essay and believe you may be close to three hours with no server activity, it’s a really good idea to highlight and copy your text before you request Moodle to save your work. Either that or type any long responses in another program like Notepad or TextEdit first, and then copy and paste that text into the Moodle text editor. To prepare for a big essay test, you could also take the extra step of first logging out and back into Moodle, so you’re sure that you have a fresh session to work with.

MoodleMorphosis

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:51:10 +0000

On June 22, all student Moodle usernames were changed to match your username for the computer labs and student Gmail name (the part before @students.clark.edu). For example, if your student Gmail address is o.oswald2@students.clark.edu then your username would be o.oswald2 … To determine your username, use the Student Self Service utility on the Current Students page and enter the requested information.

On the same date, all student Moodle passwords were changed to the last 6 digits of your Student ID number (everything after 940). Once you login, you will immediately be prompted to change your password.

NOTE: Changing your password on Clark’s Current Students page will NOT change your Moodle password!

To get acquainted with Moodle before your classes start, check out the Moodle Tutorials page. There you will find videos, an online orientation, and a link to our schedule for on-campus orientations. Also, be sure you’re aware of the other changes to student Moodle accounts in First Class Email.

As always, if you’re registered for the current quarter and have trouble logging in after the dates posted here or in our sidebar, file a Tech Ticket to get some help.

First Class Email

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:54:21 +0000

As you probably know, most online services at Clark now require an activated student Gmail account. Beginning Summer quarter 2011, all student Moodle accounts automatically have your student Gmail address entered by default and the email address field will no longer be changeable. This means you must activate your student email account in order to receive forgotten password reset notices and email messages from your instructors, an important mode of communication in an online class. If you prefer to use another email account to read your mail, you can set up forwarding in your student Gmail account… Step-by-step instructions to set up forwarding are found on page 7 of Student Email How-To (pdf).

To make sure you’re ready for the first day of class, check out your student Gmail account and get it set up and ready to go…

Activate Your Free Student Gmail Account

Download Detailed Step-by-step Instructions

For help, contact student Gmail support:
Phone: 360-992-2010
Email: gmailhelp@students.clark.edu
Visit: Cannell Library computer lab technicians (upstairs)

Another change to Moodle over the summer was the adoption of the new student usernames to match your computer lab logins and Gmail accounts… For more information about that change read MoodleMorphosis.

That’s the Ticket!

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:31:11 +0000

Although Smart Penguin provides the solutions to, or the prevention of, most technical issues that Clark College Blackboard users may experience, things may still go awry. To help you get back to your online coursework more quickly, the tech support team in the eLearning Department now provides a new system, called Tech Ticket, which can be used to submit the details of a technical issue. In a series of short questions about your computing environment, you can quickly convey some of the important keys needed for an accurate diagnosis, which helps speed resolution. You can find the link to file a Tech Ticket in the sidebar here on Smart Penguin’s main post page, among our links at the bottom of the page, or just click the underlined link above or the name image below.

Browsing for Browsers

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:02:45 +0000

Getting the right browser setup and running is critical to your success with online coursework. Mozilla Firefox is the browser of choice and is at the top of the recommended list for Moodle as it presents the fewest issues for users. Firefox installs easily and comes setup for access to your online course. When Clark eLearning Tech Support is contacted to resolve various display, online testing and forum issues, we will always recommend that users download and install Firefox and use it to access Moodle.

If your instructor requires you to use Internet Explorer for your class, Internet Explorer 7 is compatible with our current version of Moodle. Internet Explorer 8 is not fully compatible, but users can click the “Compatibility View” button to improve the situation. By placing the IE 8 browser in compatibility mode you will force the browser to behave as an IE 7 version while working in Moodle. This is important so you can view all content, such as assignments, forum text boxes, etc. Moodle users have also been reporting multiple incompatibility issues with Internet Explorer 9, so we are advising that users not upgrade to this browser yet or switch to Firefox instead.

Users should also be aware that two other popular browsers, Safari and Chrome, are not recommended for use with our current version of Moodle and some users have reported various display issues with discussion forums and quizzes. Once again, Firefox for Windows or Mac should be the browser of choice.

If you’re using AOL or NetZero as your ISP, you’ll find that Moodle does not support their web browsers. When trying to view various pages or content, you may get error messages such as “Navigation Canceled” or “Page Not Found,” due to this incompatibility. Qwest also had a specialized version of Internet Explorer which can cause certain items or tables to not display. To remedy the situation, you’ll need to download and install Firefox (for PC or Mac). After you’ve installed the new browser, you’ll need to connect to your ISP as you normally would, then minimize that browser and open Firefox to access your online courses.