Changes to the LTI External Tool Activity Type in Moodle 4.3
By Jason R Norton, on 8 January 2024
Add/Configure LTI External Tool
In Moodle 4.3 the add/configure “LTI External Tool” function is no longer accessed by opening the add Activity/Resource button.
The add/configure option is now located by going to Course navigation > More > LTI External tools.
Moodle 4.3 LTI category Level Restrictions
Moodle 4.3 brings the ability to restrict the visibility of LTI tools to any category within Moodle. This enables LTI tools that are faculty or departmentally licensed to be made visible to those specific categories in Moodle. Previously, LTI’s were restricted to either site wide or to specific courses. This could cause frustration in multiple configuration setups across many individual departmental courses. To make use of this function, please contact the Digital Education Support Team via digi-ed@ucl.ac.uk as restrictions are only available to site administrators.
Full Details of Moodle 4.3 changes to LTI External Tools can be found on Moodle Docs at the following URL https://docs.moodle.org/403/en/LTI_External_tools a video covering these changes can also be viewed below.
Upgrade to Moodle 4.3
By Eliot Hoving, on 20 December 2023
UCL Moodle is being updated from Moodle 4.2 to Moodle 4.3 on Thursday January 4th 2024. The Digital Learning Environment team expects minimal disruption.
Moodle is expected to be unavailable between midnight and 04:00am on Thursday January 4th 2024.
The upgrade to Moodle 4.3 will bring several benefits including:
- streamlined display of course activities including smaller icons, less white space, and a drop down menu for activity completion which should save screen space and improve the user experience on course pages,
- the ability to add titles to text and media areas or “labels”,
- quicker to access editing menus for visibility and completion criteria to make editing content easier for staff,
- and a number of bug fixes and security updates.
For a quick summary of the changes see Moodle’s new features page. Please note that UCL Moodle doesn’t use Matrix communication or MoodleNet.
If you have any feedback or questions about the upgrade, please get in touch with the Digital Learning Environment team.
‘Advanced Moodle Quiz and Question Bank’ self-paced course
By i.niculescu, on 14 December 2023
We are pleased to introduce the ‘Advanced Moodle Quiz and Question Bank’ self-paced course which is now available at https://moodle.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=40483
This course is aimed at academics and professional services staff who want to deepen their use of Moodle to create and manage quizzes.
The estimated completion time is 2 to 3 hours. We’ve designed it with flexibility in mind, allowing you to progress through the material in smaller, digestible chunks that fit into your busy schedule.
This is an exciting opportunity to learn how to:
- Confidently manage the Moodle question bank interface.
- Organise question banks clearly with categories and tags.
- Use Moodle’s advanced quiz settings to make your tests more engaging.
- Analyse quiz results to improve your questions and teaching methods.
- Build a Moodle quiz that uses advanced features effectively.
The course includes step-by-step guides, links to further resources and knowledge-check quizzes. You also have the option to receive a certificate at the end of the course.
After completing the course, staff can get further support by getting in touch by email via digi-ed@ucl.ac.uk.
This version of the course will be further developed during term 2 as we receive feedback and input from the UCL community. We will make sure that everyone will be notified when new materials will be added to the course.
P.S: A workshop version of this course will also become available from January 2024. More info to follow!
Develop your digital skills: Term 2 training courses and more
By Katy O Foster, on 8 December 2023
From training and support to helping you improve your digital capabilities, read below to find out what exciting opportunities Digital Skills Development can offer UCL staff and students in term 2.
Term 2 training courses
To book, follow the links below or find more information here: How to book a course on MyLearning.
Data analysis and visualisation
Mastering Excel
Accessibility and assistive technology
16/01/2024 | 14.00 | 15.00 | DSD: Creating accessible Powerpoint presentations | Online |
16/01/2024 | 10:00 | 12:00 | DSD: Creating accessible Word documents | Online |
14/02/2024 | 14.00 | 17.00 | DSD: Creating accessible documents with LaTeX (Campus-based) | In-person |
28/02/2024 | 14.00 | 17.00 | DSD: Creating accessible documents with LaTeX (Campus-based) | In-person |
29/02/2024 | 10.00 | 11.00 | DSD: Best practice for video captions and transcripts | Online |
19/03/2024 | 10:00 | 11:00 | DSD: Creating accessible social media content | Online |
Programming
12/03/2024 | 10.00 | 17.00 | DSD: Think like a computer programmer (campus-based) | In-person |
18/03/2024 | 14:00 | 17:00 | DSD: A Quick Introduction to UNIX (campus-based) | In-person |
Interaction and collaboration
19/03/2024 | 12:00 | 14:00 | DSD: Software for success: Survey tools | Online |
Multimedia content: Creating and editing
Graphic design and photo editing | ||||
24/01/2024 | 10.00 | 11.00 | DSD: Design an impactful research poster using UCL templates | Online |
06/02/2024 | 14.00 | 15.00 | DSD: Basic image editing using free tools – demo | Online |
15/02/2024 | 10.00 | 11.00 | DSD: An introduction to free graphic design tools – Inkscape | Online |
22/02/2024 | 14.00 | 15.00 | DSD: Creating infographics using free web based tools | Online |
06/03/2024 | 14.00 | 15.00 | DSD: Photo editing with Pixlr X – workshop | Online |
Film and video | ||||
24/01/2024 | 14:00 | 15:00 | DSD: Explore the potential of UCL Mediacentral | Online |
31/01/2024 | 14:00 | 15:30 | DSD: Introduction to stop motion animation – workshop | In-person |
27/02/2024 | 10.00 | 11:00 | DSD: Planning and filming advice for a short film | Online |
27/02/2024 | 14.00 | 15.00 | DSD: Make a short film using your iPhone | Online |
29/02/2024 | 10.00 | 11.00 | DSD: Best practice for video captions and transcripts | Online |
Podcasting | ||||
22/02/2024 | 10.00 | 11.00 | DSD: Podcasting made easy | Online |
Writing, presenting and referencing
Office hours
If you have a question or would like individual support on a specific issue, book an appointment with one of our team: Digital Skills Development Office Hours
Upgrade your skills with the Discovery Tool
In partnership with Jisc, the Digital Skills Development team have put together a Discovery Tool to help UCL staff and students identify gaps in their knowledge and improve their skills. Use the self-assessment questions to start your journey towards better digital skills today: Discover your digital
LinkedIn Learning
UCL staff and enrolled students can access over 16,000 courses for free on LinkedIn Learning.
Contact us
For any questions on Digital Skills Development at UCL, email isd-digiskills@ucl.ac.uk
Moodle course Read-Only dates
By Tom Walters, on 29 November 2023
Please note that the Read-Only dates for many Moodle courses from the 22/23 academic year will be activated in the next couple of weeks. Once the Read-Only date is reached a course becomes uneditable. If you still need any 22/23 course to be editable in the immediate future, please check the Read-Only date on the course and adjust it as needed.
For further details and guidance on amending the Read-Only date, please refer to the Moodle miniguide. If you still need additional assistance, please email us at digi-ed@ucl.ac.uk
Kind regards,
Digital Education team
Discover your Digital – new staff workshops now available
By Caroline Norris, on 16 November 2023
Do you want to start a conversation with your students about their digital skills for work and study? Are you looking for a way to enable staff to reflect on their digital skills and identify gaps in their knowledge?
We are delighted to announce a new staff workshop introducing the Discovery Tool. The tool consists of reflective question sets which explore your digital practices and confidence levels. The main question set looks at overall digital capabilities but there are also additional question sets for staff covering effective teaching and accessibility and inclusion, all from a digital perspective. The tool can also be used by students and there is a general question set for all students and one aimed at new students.
New for January 2024 there is now a question set on Digital Skills in AI for staff and one for students is due in March.
We currently have online workshops scheduled to take place at 15 February and 6 March 2024.