Moodle is a learning management system that can enhance the teaching and learning process. This policy clarifies the use and administration of the Moodle system at AUA. This policy affects all users of Moodle including students, faculty and staff. Questions about this policy can be directed to the Moodle Administrator at [email protected].

Security

Access to course information and resources on Moodle is controlled by user permissions. Users should log into Moodle with their own network user account and not allow another user to access Moodle under their network account.

If an area on Moodle is protected by an Enrolment Key (a password required to gain access) which is set by instructor, students should not disclose the enrolment key to allow access by an unauthorized user.

Users should not attempt to access any protected Moodle area unless they are a member of the course and have been given permission to do so by the course instructor.

Activities on Moodle are fully audited. Records are kept of when users access courses and resources along with a log of all communications such as forum posts, assignment submissions, etc.

Users should not post personal or sensitive information to any part of Moodle including to their profile, blogs, or any course activities. Information sent through Moodle may be read by third parties.

When instructors place information onto Moodle they are acknowledging that they are making it available for download, and therefore there is no guarantee that such resources will not be distributed to third parties.

Access to Moodle will be withdrawn when a user is no longer employed or studying at the University.

Data storage limitations

Moodle is a platform for sharing course-related files and resources with students throughout their course. Moodle should not be used as a general storage area. Large files such as videos should be shared via a link. Instructors may use their Google Drive for uploading large files and then sharing the link to the file via Moodle.

Files which are not required for the delivery of a course should not be stored in Moodle. . Where collaboration is required between faculty and students an appropriate network shared area (e.g. Google Drive) should be used.

Faculty should keep original copies of work they upload onto Moodle in a separate space. The AUA Information and Communication Technologies Services Department (ICTS) accepts no liability for lost or corrupted data which has been stored on Moodle by faculty or students.

User IDs and Passwords

The AUA Moodle system is for use by students, faculty, staff of American University of Armenia ONLY.

The Moodle system's user names and passwords are drawn directly from AUA's centralized database. To change your password or reset a forgotten password, visit https://setpass.aua.am:8443 or AUA Main Building Room #316M. 

For Teaching Associates and Assistants and faculty with a contract period less than 3 months, a local Moodle account is created (the TA’s firstname, lastname and the email address should be provided).

For assistance logging in, contact [email protected].

Termination of accounts

The AUA Information and Communication Technologies Services Department (ICTS terminates AUA Moodle accounts as directed by Human Resources (for faculty/staff) and the Registrar (for students). Termination of an account also removes associated course user data.

System Availability, System Upgrades and Plug-Ins

The Moodle system is available on campus via AUA network and off campus via public Internet.

The Moodle Administrator watches for and reviews new releases of Moodle and maintains a list of requests from faculty, students and staff. Upgrades and plugins initially are loaded into a test environment where they are tested. Once an enhancement is deemed acceptable for the production environment, ICTS loads the plugin into the live instance of Moodle.

Moodle system upgrades are performed before the beginning of a new semester. The system may be unavailable during this time. Users will be advised of the timing of this in advance.

Course Creation

Courses are automatically created based on Moodle course creation requests from Academic Departments and on Schedule of Courses information from the Office of Registrar. Course creation occurs approximately one to three weeks before the beginning of a new semester, or earlier at the program chair’s request.

Each Academic College/School/Center and Program has its own category under the AUA Moodle. All courses are created under their categories.  

New courses are automatically created with “self enrolment” status. Enrolment keys are sent to relevant academic units. Instructors can change enrolment keys. Instructors must provide the “enrolment key” to students in order for students to access the course.

Multiple Section Courses

If an Instructor is teaching multiple sections of the same course, at his/her request one page can be created for all sections.  In this case, separate groups are created under the same course.  If the instructor wants to have different pages for each section, a Moodle request should be sent to ICTS.

Completed Courses

Approximately two weeks after a semester has completed, Moodle courses for that term will be made unavailable. Making courses unavailable keeps all course materials and data intact and available to instructors but removes direct access for students. Courses will be maintained on Moodle for a period of two academic years and then transferred to Moodle Archive for a period of four academic years. All old courses are deleted.

Instructors have the ability to select the courses they wish to display on their course lists in Moodle.

Update and restore existing Courses

In some cases, old courses can be updated if they exist on Moodle or can be restored from the Moodle Archive. If the instructor wants to re-use content from a previously taught course or restore course from Moodle Archive an Update and restore existing Course request should be sent to ICTS.

Tracking and Usage

The Moodle system will track all logins and access within the system for 6 months.

Faculty may check the access statistics for any course and any user enrolled in a course for which they have instructor permissions.

Faculty may not check access statistics for users enrolled in courses for which they have no instructor permissions.

The ICTS Moodle Administrator may check usage statistics for any course and user. The individual user access statistics will not be shared outside of ICTS, and individual course statistics will only be shared with the course instructor, program chair and relevant dean.

Backup and Restore

Data on the Moodle server are backed up on a routine basis. Instructors may not store copies of courses on the server as backups. If the instructor wishes to maintain a copy on their computers, they should download any backup files they create from the Moodle server and then delete the backup files from the server. The Moodle administrator will provide documentation/training to course instructors who would like to back up their course data to their computer.

Moodle Training at Library and Moodle Guides

AUA’s AGBU Papazian Library regularly organizes Moodle Workshops. For information see: http://library.aua.am/library-instructions/ .

AUA’s AGBU Papazian Library also developed and updates Moodle Instructor Guides and Students Guides.        

Copyright and Course Ownership

All materials associated with a course are the responsibility of the designated course instructor. Information and Communication Technologies Services take no ownership of any course material loaded into the AUA Moodle system.