Moodle is an example of course technology used to provide students with course information, assignments, activities and/or grade information. Students and Instructors access Moodle through the Bruin Portal, and are able to access their course from anywhere using an Internet connection. If you need help logging into the Bruin Portal, please visit: https://www.kellogg.edu/helpdesk/employee/portal/
Moodle Use at Home
Click here to try the technology testing tool available from the Michigan Colleges Online (MCO). Scroll down the page and click on the button: “Is My Technology Ready?” and then on “Detect My Technology“. If you find anything missing from your computer, you may need to download some updates.
Need Help? Click on the link below for instructions
Make Course Available
Change the Grade Letter Scale
Submit your Final Grades
Submit your Final Grades with a combined course (two sections, one Moodle course)
Export your Gradebook
Request a Course – if you would like content moved from one semester to another.
Moodle Activities
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Still need help? Give us a call at (269) 965-4148
How to make your course available
Instructors have the option of opening the course up early for students. They can open the course up to one-week prior to the official start date. But cannot require ANY TYPE of work to be done prior to the first day of class.
KCC Moodle Course Availability Help
Step 1. Login to your course, locate the Gear icon at the top right of the page, click on it with your mouse and click on Edit settings.
Optional you may open the course up to one week prior to the official start date.
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Step 2. From the General tab, locate the Course visibility drop down menu and change it from Hide to Show. This will make the course available to the student when they login to the Bruin Portal.
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Step 3. At the bottom of the page click on the Save and display button. Your course is now available for them to access it.
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How to change the Grade Letter Scale
Change the Grade Letter Scale
Step 1. Login to your course and navigate to the Grades from the Navigation block.
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Step 2. From anywhere inside the gradebook, you will need to click on Letters at the top of the page.
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Step 3. Click on Edit or Edit grade letters both go to the same edit screen.
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Step 4. You must place a check in the box for Override site defaults before the system will allow you to change the percentages. Enter the lowest possible percentage for the letter grade. Please remember to leave “F” at zero. Save Changes when finished.
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Submit Final Grades
If you are using Moodle for your Gradebook, you can submit the final grades with three easy steps.
KCC Moodle Final Grades Help
Step 1. Locate the Moodle ILP block, typically towards the bottom right of the course and click on Final Grades.
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Step 2. Change the Visible groups from All participants to your course, then using the drop down to Populate final grade from current grade. This will only submit the final grade column that does not contain the percentages. You will have the ability to change the letter grade, if desired, prior to submission.
All “F” grades must have the last date of attendance entered, otherwise the system will not accept the “F” grade.
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Step 3. Verify everything is correct, corrections once submitted are done through a Change of Grade which is found in Etrieve Forms. Click the Submit Grades button at the page.
Grades are verified within minutes and view-able in the Portal.
Change of Grade help
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Note: If you do not enter the last date of attendance information as indicated with an “F” grade, those grades will not be posted in the system and you will be notified via email that grades are still missing the last date of attendance information. Your grades are not considered submitted until you have submitted this information. Please check your college email 24 hours after grade submission to confirm that you have no errors. Or you can check with your department chair, they should be able to look up that information for you within an hour of submission.
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Final Grades through the Portal
If you use a gradebook outside of the default Moodle gradebook or have combined sections.
KCC Moodle Final Grades – Combined Sections Help
Combined courses are two separate courses (18/FA BIOL-201-01 & 18/FA BIOL-201-02) that use one Moodle course (18/FA BIOL-201-01/02). Some sections have been combined due the fact they have separate lectures but will have the same lab times. These grades must be entered in manually into the Bruin Portal – Faculty.
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Step 1. Login to the Bruin Portal and click on the Faculty web part.
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Step 2. Click on the class you wish to put the final grades into.
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Step 3. Click on Grading then on Final Grade. |
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Step 4. Using the drop down menu for Final Grade, select the appropriate grade for the student. If an “F” is entered, then the Last Date of Attendance will need to be entered.
There is not a Save or Submit button. This is Real Time Grading as soon as you click the letter grade, there is 5 second window after selecting the grade for a student. Please make sure you have the grade letters set on a separate window or paper as you move through your grade entry.
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Export Gradebook to Chair
Director & Chairs of departments will need an exported gradebook from the instructor.
KCC Moodle Export Grades Help
Step 1. Under the Navigation block on the left side of the screen, click on Grades.
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Step 2. Click on the Export link.
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Step 3. Leave everything checked and scroll to the bottom of the page, click on Download.
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Step 4. Depending on the Internet browser you are using, you may have to save the file prior to viewing it.
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Step 5. Open your KCC email through the Bruin Portal and attach the grade export file. Then send it to your department chair or department secretary.
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Click on New mail
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Select recipients – (department chair and/or department secretary)
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Subject line should read semester-course-section-grades (18FA-FYS-101-100 Grades)
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Click on Insert
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Building Assignments
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Grading Assignments
Moodle Grading Assignments
Step 1. Locate and click on the Assignment |
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Step 2. Click on Grade, this page show how many students have submitted and how many you will still need to grade.
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Step 3. Change students at the top right drop down. The students with the asterisk * next to their name still need to be graded.
If the students uploaded a PDF then it will be displayed on this page. Otherwise on the right you will have to download their file.
Enter the Grade, optional comments and feedback files.
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Step 4. When finished grading you can either save changes and exit at the top. Or you Save and show next, which will go the next student that submitted.
There is also an option to Notify the students via email.
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Revert a student submission – or delete their submission
If a student uploaded the wrong assignment or for whatever reason you need to remove their file to allow them to resubmit
Click on View all Submission locate the student, click on Edit and Remove Submission
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Grade Locked cannot update grade on Assignment
If you have overridden the grade inside the gradebook you will have to remove the grade inside the gradebook prior to grading inside the assignment
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Building Attendance
Moodle Building Attendance
Step 1. Turn editing on |
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Step 2. Add and Activity or resource |
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Step 3. Select Attendance from the list. |
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Step 4. General section – Option to change the name an add a description.
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Step 5. Grade – This is for the total max grade the student can get for the whole course. If you weight your gradebook items, I would insist on using 100. Then weighting it, inside the gradebook.
If you are not counting the Attendance as point towards the overall grade, select None from the Type drop down.
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Step 6. Common Module Settings – if you want to hide or show the assignment inside the course.
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Step 7. The restrict access section asks for the conditions when the activity (or resource) should be visible. This can be based upon dates, and/or score ranges of other activities and/or if other activities are considered completed. Note that ALL access restrictions (date, grade condition, activity completion condition) have to be met in order for the activity to be made available.
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Step 8. Activity completion allows the teacher to set completion criteria in a specific activity’s settings. A check (tick) appears against the activity when the student meets this criterion. The criterion might be viewing, receiving a certain score or a student marking it as complete.
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Tags & Competencies are currently NOT used at this time. |

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Step 9. Extra Restrictions – will only allow students to take their attendance from a certain ip range – typically you would use this in a face to face class that you allow the students to record their own attendance.
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Step 10. Save and display – You will need to add the sessions now.
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Step 11. Add Sessions– select the class meeting times.
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Step 12. Repeat the sessions above as follows this will allow you to create multiple sessions at once.
SKIP Repeat every – unless your course does not meet every week.
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Step 13. Status Set – Determine how many points each day is worth.
Moodle will figure the math for you, if your days and score in the status set does not equal the max grade set in Step 5 it will compute the math for you.
Update when finished to save.
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Step 14. Remove planned days off- If the college is closed for a holiday you can easily remove the day from your list by clicking on the Delete (garbage can) icon
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Taking Attendance
Moodle Taking Attendance
Step 1. Locate Attendance and click on it
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Step 2. Locate the day you want to take attendance for and click on the blue triangle under the Actions column.
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Step 3. If you select the “P” at the top, this will place everyone as Present, then you can adjust the ones that were late, excused or absent. Or you can individually take attendance going down the list. Click on Save attendance when finished.
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Building Chat
Moodle Building Chat
Step 1. Turn editing on |
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Step 2. Add and Activity or resource |
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Step 3. Select the Chat activity from the list and click Add. |
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Step 4. General
The name that is typed here will form a link for the students to click on to enter the chat, so it is helpful to give it a name that suggests its purpose – example “Virtual Office Hours“. The description of the assignment which should include precise instructions for students regarding the subject of the assignment, the form, in which it should be submitted, the grading criteria etc.
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Step 5. Chat Sessions The day and hour of the next chat session. This will appear in the calendar so students know the schedule but it doesn’t stop them from accessing the chat-room at any other time.
If you don’t want them in the chat-room at other times, then hide it (with the eye icon) or use Conditional activities to restrict access.
If you don’t wish to schedule chat times then ignore this and choose from the next settings.
Repeat/publish sessions
There are four options for scheduling future chat sessions:
- Don’t publish any chat times
- No repeats – publish the specified time only
- At the same time every day
- At the same time every week
Save past chat sessions
When users (two or more) participate in a chat session, a record, or complete transcript of the session is created.
Choose from the drop-down how many days to save – or save everything by selecting Never delete messages.
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Step 6. Activity completion allows the teacher to set completion criteria in a specific activity’s settings. A check (tick) appears against the activity when the student meets this criterion. The criterion might be viewing, receiving a certain score or a student marking it as complete.
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Step 6. Tags & Competencies are currently NOT used at this time. |
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Step 8. Save and return to course – will save and send you out to the course main page.Save and display – will save and display the new page/activity.
Cancel – will not save any changes and send you to the course main page.
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How to use the Chat
Moodle Using Chat
Step 1. Locate and click on the Chat |
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Step 2. Click here to enter the chat now |
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Step 3. Enter your Text at the bottom and click on Send |
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Building Choice Activity
Moodle Using Choice
Step 1. Turn editing on
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Step 2. Add and Activity or resource
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Step 3. Select Choice from the list and click Add
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Step 4. The name that is typed here will form a link for the students to click on to enter the Choice, Introduction Text.
Type the description of the choice activity here. It should contain the question that you want your students to answer. An example of the choice text could be “What is your favorite color?”
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Step 5. List your Options to the Choice question in the space provided below. By default there are 5 Option/answers for the students to choose from however, there is also an option of adding 3 more fields to the form at the bottom.
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Step 6. Determine when the Choice is available for student responses.
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Step 7. Results – determine whether (and when) the students will be able to view the results of the Choice Activity.
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Step 8. Common Module Settings – if you want to hide or show the assignment inside the course. |
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Step 9. Restrict Access section asks for the conditions when the activity (or resource) should be visible. This can be based upon dates, and/or score ranges of other activities and/or if other activities are considered completed. Note that ALL access restrictions (date, grade condition, activity completion condition) have to be met in order for the activity to be made available.
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Step 10. Activity completion allows the teacher to set completion criteria in a specific activity’s settings. A check (tick) appears against the activity when the student meets this criterion. The criterion might be viewing, receiving a certain score or a student marking it as complete.
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Step 11. Tags & Competencies are currently NOT used at this time. |
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Step 12. Save and return to course – will save and send you out to the course main page. Save and display – will save and display the new page/activity.
Cancel – will not save any changes and send you to the course main page.
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How to use the Choice
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Building a Forum
Moodle Building Forum
Step 1. Turn editing on |
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Step 2. Add and Activity or resource |
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Step 3. Select Forum from the list and click on Add |
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Step 4. A short name of the forum (e.g. “Discussion Forum Week #1 “), which will be displayed on the course homepage. |
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Step 5. Availability choose when the forum is due. You will have to enable it prior to making changes to the dates.
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Step 6.The Maximum attachment size that may be attached to a forum post will first be determined by the Moodle site settings (10MB). The teacher may want a smaller size limit for the forum. Server file capacity, student downloading speeds and discouraging images in a document centered discussion are a few reasons to limit file size.
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Step 7. Set the subscription mode. By default it is set to Optional. Note there will be a 30 minute editing timer placed on each posting and/or reply. Optional subscription – Participants can choose whether to be subscribed. Forced subscription – Everyone is subscribed and cannot unsubscribe. Auto subscription – Everyone is subscribed initially but can choose to unsubscribe at any time. Subscription disabled – Subscriptions are not allowed. Note: If a person is subscribed to the forum, they will get an email for every posting and reply.
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Step 8. Discussion locking – may be automatically locked after a specified time has elapse since the last reply
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Step 9. Students can be blocked from posting more than a given number of posts in a given time period
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Step 10. Whole Forum grading This will allow you to collect all the students’ forums in one spot for easier grading.
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Step 11. Set the ratings if this forum will have points that will count towards the final grade. Point scale 1-300 possible.
Average of ratings – This is the mean of all the ratings given to posts in that forum. It is especially useful with peer grading when there are a lot of ratings being made.
Count of ratings – The counts the number of rated posts which becomes the final grade. This is useful when the number of posts is important. Note that the total can not exceed the maximum grade allowed for the forum. A count may be used if the teacher simply wants to acknowledge that a reply was given in the case students being required to make a certain number of posts in the discussion. Note: Count of ratings does not work for the “Separate or Connected Ways of Knowing” scale or custom scales due to the limitation imposed by the max grade.
Maximum rating – The highest rating is returned as the final grade. This method is useful for emphasizing the best work from participants, allowing them to post one high-quality post as well as a number of more casual responses to others.
Minimum rating – The smallest rating is returned as the final grade. This method promotes a culture of high quality for all posts.
Sum of ratings – All the ratings for a particular user are added together. Note that the total is not allowed to exceed the maximum grade for the forum. Note: Sum of ratings does not work for the “Separate or Connected Ways of Knowing” scale or custom scales due to the limitation imposed by the max grade.
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Step 12. Common Module Settings – if you want to hide or show the assignment inside the course.
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Step 13. The restrict access section asks for the conditions when the activity (or resource) should be visible. This can be based upon dates, and/or score ranges of other activities and/or if other activities are considered completed. Note that ALL access restrictions (date, grade condition, activity completion condition) have to be met in order for the activity to be made available.
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Step 14. Activity completion allows the teacher to set completion criteria in a specific activity’s settings. A check (tick) appears against the activity when the student meets this criterion. The criterion might be viewing, receiving a certain score or a student marking it as complete.
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Step 15. Tags & Competencies are currently NOT used at this time.
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Step 16. Save and return to course – will save and send you out to the course main page.
Save and display – will save and display the new page/activity.Cancel – will not save any changes and send you to the course main page.
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Grading a Forum
Moodle Grading Forum
Step 1. Locate and click on the Discussion forum.
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Step 2. Two options for grading – click on the forum to read them individually. or click on Grade users
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Step 2A. Grade users – You will be able to view all the students posts in one spot, if needed you can view the parent posts on their replies. Quickly navigate through students with the ability to grade in one location.
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Step 2b. Grading forum individually- you will need to click on the forum and select use the drop down menu to Rate/Grade that single posting.
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