Skip to main content
Glendon Campus Alumni Research Giving to York Media Careers International York U Lions Accessibility
Future Students Current Students Faculty and Staff
Faculties Libraries York U Organization Directory Site Index Campus Maps
Getting Back on Course

Three tools to save time in your teaching: A super simple Moodle start up guide for absolute beginners

  1. I want to contact my class
  2. I want to give students access to course material
  3. I want to streamline course assignments
  4. Need additional help?

This guide will give you just what you need to know to be able to contact your class, give your students access to course materials, and/or manage assignments efficiently. More information about these topics and other useful things you can do with your course website.

How do I start?

  1. Make sure you have your Passport York account and know what the password is (more information about Passport York). If you used Moodle in 2008/09, skip to step 2. Otherwise, you must log into Moodle once for your account to be registered in the system. To log into Moodle:
    • Type http://moodle08.yorku.ca in your browser.
    • Enter your Passport York username and password as indicated in the box marked ‘Login’ on the top right hand side of your screen.
    • Click on ‘Login’.
  2. Request a Moodle course by filling out the online request form. You will receive an email confirmation when the new course is activated, usually within one business day.
  3. To access your Moodle courses:
    • Type http://moodle08.yorku.ca in your browser.
    • Log in with your Passport York username and password. The courses you have activated will appear on the screen.
    • To select a course, click on the course name. This will take you into your course website that looks similar to the image below.

You will see a central box with a couple of grey bars above it. Click the ‘Turn editing on’ button on the top right hand side to add material and use the tools for your course. The central box in your screen will now show some small icons and two drop-down menus labeled ‘Add a resource’ and ‘Add an activity’.

If you want to add a greeting or other message at the beginning of your website, click the icon to open a box where you can add text. When you have finished, click the ‘Save changes’ button at the bottom of the screen. You will be returned to the first screen which should now show your message.

For more detailed information about getting started with Moodle, please see the Moodle Quickstart Guide for Instructors.

The instructions below will tell you how to contact your class, add course materials to your site, or manage assignments. Don’t forget to tell your students that the website is available and that you will be using it for the course!

  1. I want to contact my class

    1. Make sure that you clicked the ‘Turn editing on’ button.
    2. Click the ‘Add an activity’ drop-down menu and select ‘Forum’. A screen similar to the following image will appear.

    3. Add a name for the Forum (e.g. ‘Course Announcements’).
    4. Leave the forum type as a ‘Standard forum for general use’.
    5. Use the blank text box under ‘Forum introduction’ to type in a description of what the Forum will be used for in the course. For example, ‘This Forum will broadcast announcements and updates about our course.’
    6. Click on ‘Yes, forever’ in the dropdown menu to answer the question ‘Force everyone to be subscribed?’. This way you can be sure that your students will get any important course announcements.
    7. Scroll down and click on ‘Save and return to course’.
    8. Click the icon that represents the Forum you just created. A new screen will appear.
    9. Click on ‘Add a new discussion topic’.
    10. Enter the new topic for discussion in the Subject filed.
    11. Type your announcement in the text box.
    12. To send your message to the class, click ‘Post to forum’. Please note there may be a system delay before the message is sent out to your students.

    More detailed information and alternative ways to use the Forum tool (such as class and group discussions).

  2. I want to give students access to course material

    Moodle gives you options to add or link to material in various formats and locations. This example will help you to add material which already exists in an electronic file (e.g. files with text, images or video you have created or have permission to use).

    1. Make sure that you clicked the ‘Turn editing on’ button.
    2. Click the ‘Add a resource’ drop-down menu and select ‘Link to a file or web site’. A screen similar to the following image will appear.
    3. Type in a name and a short summary of the material you are adding.
    4. Click on ‘Choose or upload a file’.
    5. Click on ‘Upload a file’ in the new screen, then on ‘Browse…’.
    6. Browse your computer to select the file you want and click ‘Open’.
    7. The file location and name will appear in the box. Click ‘Upload this file’.
    8. Your file will be added to a list of files you have uploaded for the course. Select it by clicking on ‘Choose’ so that your file can be accessed. The window will close and return you to the previous screen.
    9. Scroll down and click on ‘Save and return to course’. You will now see an icon for your file and the title you gave it in the central viewing area of your course website.

    For more detailed information and instructions on how to add other kinds of material to your site, select the appropriate options listed under the Moodle Content Series.

  3. I want to streamline course assignments

    Getting students to submit their work online can save you time by streamlining the logistics of assignments. Moodle records when assignments are submitted and stores a secure record of student work. You can use Moodle to enter marks which will be filed automatically ready to download into your course gradebook, as well as sending them to your students. If you want to make your course environmentally friendly, save paper and time by reading students’ work and giving feedback online.

    1. Make sure that you clicked the ‘Turn editing on’ button.
    2. Click the ‘Add an activity’ drop-down menu and select either ‘Upload a single file’ or ‘Advanced uploading of files’ (if you would also like to upload files as part of your feedback to your students). A screen similar to the following image will appear.

    3. Add a name and description for the assignment.
    4. Use the drop down menu for ‘Grade’ to select the appropriate number of marks allocated to the assignment.
    5. Set your preferred options for the earliest dates when students can submit their assignment and for the due date and time. (You can also prevent late submissions.)
    6. Select the other options you prefer.
    7. Scroll down and click on ‘Save and return to course’.

    For more detailed information and instructions on how to use Moodle for assignments and other kinds of student assessment, select the appropriate options listed under the Learning Activities Series.

Need additional help?

Please refer to the following websites for more documentation and resources on Moodle:

If you would like to speak to someone about teaching with Moodle:

  • For pedagogical support, contact Centre for the Support of Teaching at 416.736.2100 x55754 or email.
  • For help with the inclusion of library resources (i.e. journal articles), contact the e-learning librarian Sarah Coysh at 416.736.2100x88317 or email
  • For technical support, contact Learning Technology Services (LST) at 416.736.2100 x30077 or email.
If your students have Moodle related questions, please direct them to CNS Client Services at 416.736.2100 x55800 or email .

If you or your students have problems with Passport York accounts, please also contact CNS Client Services.

A CST and LTS collaboration, January 2009