USING THE JOULE™ LEARNING
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
STUDENT TUTORIAL
[NOTE: For our use, anytime you see the words “Louisiana Community and
Technical College System” or “LCTCS” in any graphics within this tutorial, substitute
the word “Sowela.”]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ONLINE LEARNING WITH MOODLE: ORIENTATION FOR STUDENTS ............................... 2
What is Moodlerooms/joule? ................................................................................................. 2
Online learning versus face-to-face learning ......................................................................... 2
Are you ready for online learning? ........................................................................................ 3
Requirements and qualities of an online student .................................................................. 3
Student Email ....................................................................................................................... 4
Taking tests online ................................................................................................................ 4
The Joule Learning Management System ............................................................................ 5
Access Your Courses ........................................................................................................... 5
Navigating a joule Course ..................................................................................................... 8
The Course Front Page ..................................................................................................... 8
People Block: Participants ........................................................................................... 10
Edit your profile ........................................................................................................ 11
Administration Block .................................................................................................... 12
Calendar and Upcoming Events Blocks ....................................................................... 13
Add an Event ........................................................................................................... 14
Course Resources .......................................................................................................... 15
Course Activities ............................................................................................................. 15
Activities Block ......................................................................................................... 16
Discussion Forums ............................................................................................... 17
Quizzes ................................................................................................................ 19
Help Resources .................................................................................................................. 19
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ONLINE LEARNING WITH MOODLE:
ORIENTATION FOR STUDENTS
WHAT IS MOODLEROOMS/JOULE?
Welcome to joule™ Orientation! So, what is joule anyway? Most colleges within the
Louisiana Community and Technical College System have contracted with a company
called Moodlerooms to provide a customized Moodle platform through which to deliver
online or web-enhanced courses. Moodlerooms’ version of Moodle is named joule™ and
the company has intentionally NOT capitalized the name of the product. Throughout this
document, Moodle will be referred to as joule. This orientation will provide the
information you need to get started in your joule course(s).
Since you will access your course through your college’s website, take moment to
become familiar with it: http://www.sowela.edu . The resources you find there will help
you get started, and will also be of assistance to you throughout your course(s).
Look for links and information on the following:
=> joule login link
=> Helpdesk link
=> Student email login link
=> Important semester dates (academic calendar)
=> Library resources
Bookmark the links. These resources will be essential for your success as an online
student.


Remember: Unless your instructor specifically tells you otherwise, online courses
begin on the first day of the semester.
Note: This orientation does not replace other mandatory class orientations that
your instructor may use. Please check with your instructor or advisor regarding
other required course orientations.
________ ONLINE LEARNING VERSUS FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING ______________
Online courses often take greater effort on the students’ part than face-to-face traditional
classes. Instead of attending structured, regular class meetings managed by an instructor
on campus, you must take responsibility for managing your own time devoted to your
online course and be self-motivated enough to keep up with the assignments and
activities required. You’ll need online technology and communication skills that may not
apply in a regular face-to-face class.
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ARE YOU READY FOR ONLINE LEARNING?
The question is, "Are you ready to take an online class?" Our top concern is that you
successfully complete your online course. It is important to be familiar with the necessary skills
and tools you need to succeed in an online course.
Things you need to consider:
> Technology Requirements
o Do you have access to a a computer with a broadband internet connection? (high-speed, such as
cable, DSL or fiber?)
o Does your computer have all the programs and software required for the course(s) you want to take?
o Do you have computing skills that will enable you to function efficiently in an online course
(downloading and saving files, creating folders, changing settings on your computer, typing and word
processing, sending email with attachments, etc.)?
o Do you have Internet skills that will enable you to navigate and access specific URLs, use online library
resources, and login to secure web pages?
o Have you set up your Sowela student email account? Can you access it? Are you willing to access it
several times a week and use it for ALL school-related correspondence?
> Communication Requirements
o Will you be able to access and navigate your online course(s) as often as required (at least three times
a week) in order to have timely interaction with the instructor(s) and/or other students in your course(s)?
o Are you able to communicate with others effectively using online technologies, such as email programs,
chat rooms, blogs, and discussion boards?
o Can you express yourself clearly and concisely in written messages and assignments?
o Do you have good reading comprehension skills so that you can effectively read and understand
directions, reading assignments, and information in your textbook?
o Will you ask questions when you don't understand assignments or instructions from your instructor(s)
OR from this tutorial?
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> Participation Requirements
o Will you meet the online course requirements listed in your course's syllabus (frequent
assignments, frequent communication, group assignments, and a significant amount of
reading)?
o Do you understand that frequent participation will be required in each of your online courses
and you will need to dedicate at least five hours per online course per week in order to be
successful?
o Do you have access to an alternative computer that meets all requirements in case
something happens to your computer, so that your participation will not be affected?
> Organizational Requirements
o Are you self-motivated with good organizational and time-management skills (not needing to
be reminded of due dates, etc.)?
o Can you ignore distractions (social networking, instant messaging, TV, family, etc.) while
working on your online course work in order to complete assignments on time?
If you are able to meet the requirements listed above, you can be successful in an online
course.
STUDENT EMAIL
You are REQUIRED, by college policy, to use your assigned Sowela student email account for
ALL school-related communication. A link to your student email account (as well as to the
Sowela library) can be found in the top portion of every webpage in joule.
TAKING TESTS ONLINE
Testing on Moodle (joule) is a very critical issue. It is recommended that you do not attempt to
take a test using a wireless connection to the Internet. If your connection is lost, you may be
locked out of your test. It is up to the instructor whether or not to re-set the test.
Recommended internet browsers:
Firefox 3 or later
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or later
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THE JOULE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Most colleges within the Louisiana Community and Technical College System have
contracted with Moodlerooms to provide a customized Moodle platform through which to
deliver online or web-enhanced courses. Moodlerooms’ version of Moodle is named
joule™. Throughout this document, Moodle will be referred to as joule.
Each LCTCS college has a separate course site. Your college site address is
http://sowela.mrooms3.net. You may access the course site directly or by going to the school
website at www.sowela.edu, clicking on the Current Students tab, and choosing the joule login
link on the dropdown menu. The username and password the SAME format as your LoLA
account.
ACCESS YOUR COURSES
The graphic below shows the view upon successful login to the site. There are several ways
to locate your courses: 1. Click on your name up in the top right hand corner. This will bring
you to your profile.
Click on the course link.
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Then click on the short name link of the same course in the “breadcrumbs” trail to enter the course front
page.
2. Click on “My Dashboard” at the top right of the screen.
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Click on the name of your course(s) in the middle of the page.
3.
Find the block titled: “Courses Available To You.”
Your courses may be listed separately, or you may need to click on the plus sign in front of
“Sowela.” to expand the list of courses.
4.
From the site front page, click on the course name link.
On the this page, there may be upcoming assignments listed below the course name link.
This is for your convenience and does not indicate that you are in that particular
coursesite. To access the coursesite, click the course name link.
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NAVIGATING A JOULE COURSE
When you click on the course link, no matter how you access it, you will see the course
front page. [Remember: Instead of seeing the words “LCTCS” or “Louisiana Community
and Technical College System” anywhere on the site, you will instead see the word
“Sowela.”]
THE COURSE FRONT PAGE
A course front page is divided into 2 or 3 main sections depending on site settings. The
white area in the middle is for course content. Most teachers arrange their courses in
either weekly or topic format. The weekly format contains dates and all content that you
should cover within that week.
In a topic format, content is divided into subject matter including resources and activities for
that particular topic.
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Your teacher may show only one topic at a time, all content, or make only specific topics available to you
at any given time.
The areas on the left and possible right are called blocks.
the most common blocks include these:
Each course may contain different blocks, but
=> Calendar
=> Upcoming Events
=> My courses or Courses Available To you
=> People
=> Administration
=> Latest news (course announcements)
Your teacher or site administrator may add blocks and place them in different locations.
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PEOPLE BLOCK: PARTICIPANTS
People
3& Particlpanis
The Participants link located in the People block lists all of the students and teachers enrolled in the
course.
You can click a name link to access another user’s profile.
To see your teacher’s profile
and contact information, select Teacher from the Current role drop-down box, and then click on the
appropriate link to access his/her profile.
You may also filter by the first initial of the First name or Last
name.
Profiles show only the information the participant has added and allowed others to view.
Once you enter a participant’s profile, you can click the “Send message: button to send a message to
the participant if messaging is enabled on the college site. Upon login, he/she will see a popup
message from you.
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EDIT YOUR PROFILE
You may edit your profile in Joule by clicking on your name anywhere it appears (top
corner or Administration block, Profile, or the Participants link.
=> Click on “Edit Profile”
=> Complete the fields that you wish to include in your profile (others will see).
Only the fields in red* are required. => Click the SHOW Advanced button
will allow you to add optional information if you desire.
It is recommended that you only provide information that your teacher requests.
include a “head shot” -- shoulder and head.
Photos should
Throughout the semester if your contact information changes, be sure to inform the proper authorities at
your campus and also update your joule profile.
Other Profile tabs
Also within your Profile you may create a personal blog each time you access the course.
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ADMINISTRATION BLOCK
In the Administration block you will find a few important links: Grades and Profile.
Click Grades to view your activity during the semester that have been posted or graded by your teacher.
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CALENDAR AND UPCOMING EVENTS BLOCKS
The course calendar is a very important tool. When your teacher and assigns a due date to
any course activity, it is also added to the course calendar and denoted orange in the graphic
below (Course). The Upcoming Events block includes a list of upcoming activities that are
based on the activities that include due dates.
Sun Mon
Fri Sot
Tue
Wed
^ Last day to register or add classes tor
Spring
Thursday, January 13
Thu
Last day to Pay Tuition and Fees for
Spring 2011
19
22
26
28
20
27
29
21
Thursday, January \3
Go to calendar... New
Event...
Events Key
Q. Gobai
To go to a more detailed view or events, click on the month name.
You may check
calendars for all of the courses in which you are enrolled by selecting the course from the
drop-down list above the calendar in detailed view. To add a User event click the New
Event button at the top right.
(See the graphic below).
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Refer to the legend on both the Calendar view and detailed view for designations about each
event.
In the above example, the items in green denote site-wide events.
Group
events would be shaded yellow, course activities and events, orange, and any events that
you add would be blue.
This color legend only applies to this site, your college site may
use a different color legend.
ADD AN EVENT
To add an event, as stated above, click the New Event button. After entering a name,
description and due date, set how long the event should remain in the calendar (duration)
and whether or not it is a weekly repeating event.
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COURSE RESOURCES
Course resources are located in the center portion of the course front page. Each
resource type is denoted by its associated icon. Only a few are shown below.
Another example:
COURSE ACTIVITIES
There are many types of activities that your teacher can include in a course. The
most common are:
=> Quizzes
=> Forums/discussions
=> Surveys
=> Assignments
Each activity is also associated with a particular icon.
Instruction for resources and activities are not provided in this document. Please
refer to documentation provided by your teacher.
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Two ways to access course resources and activities
Although it is recommended that you follow the guidelines that your teacher provides
for the course flow, in addition to the front page content links, you may also access
resources and activities from the Activities block.
ACTIVITIES BLOCK
The content of the Activities block is dependent upon the activities in the course.
Common activities include:
•
•
•
Forums: Lists all of the new items (if applicable) in your course; News
forums, Announcements, Discussion forums
Quizzes: Lists the quizzes and tests in your course.
Resources: Lists of course prepared files and resources by the teacher
(syllabus, checklists, lecture materials, etc.)
The Activities block provides a way to check on your progress for activities.
The
graphic below shows a student’s assignments as accessed through the Activities
block.
Any assignments that you have not submitted or that have not been
graded would appear blank.
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DISCUSSION
FORUMS
There are two ways to post to a discussion forum in a course. The main forum may be
called “News Forum” or may have been named something else like “Announcements” or
a combination of both. In the main forum you will only be able to reply to posts; this is
the main announcement forum for the course.
The Announcements graphic below is a main course forum. In topic 1, Discussion is a
forum for a particular topic or chapter.
In the Activities block, Forum will list all
discussion forums in the course.
To access a forum, click on the appropriate link on
the course front page or from the Activities block.
Post a new discussion topic to a forum
You may be required to participate in a discussion forum.
Enter the forum by clicking
on the appropriate link and click “Add a new discussion topic”.
Type an appropriate Subject and enter text into the Message textbox.
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In the Subscription drop-down list select whether or not you want to receive email copies of
posts.
You will have 30 minutes to edit the post before it is sent (if you do not select the “Mail now”
selection box) on most course sites, although the post may appear immediately in the forum.
To delete a post within the edit time period, enter the post and click Delete.
Reply to a discussion forum topic
You may be required to respond or reply to a discussion forum posted by your teacher or
another student’s post. In order to reply to a post, you must click the link of the discussion
and click the reply link. Most teachers consider a good post as one that does the following:
=> references something discussed in the main topic
=> is worded in such a way as to invite further responses
=> includes proper sentence structure
AVOID making “me too” posts. If you agree or disagree with a post, tell the class WHY to
agree or disagree. Be sure to check for the requirements of each forum before posting or
replying to them.
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QUIZZES
To access a quiz, click the Quizzes link in the Activities block or a link within your course.
Because each quiz will be customized, please solicit help from by your teacher if you
experience problems with taking a quiz.
Read any specific quiz instructions. When you are ready to take the quiz, click “Preview
quiz now”.
HELP RESOURCES
Protocol for problems within your course
Always contact your teacher first for solutions to problems or answers to questions
regarding a course. The hyperlink at the bottom of every joule course site also provides a
knowledgebase of information about joule. The student-focused links are:
=> Getting Started
=> Participating in a course
=> Participant Help
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For further questions or support, please do the following:

Contact your instructor about the issue before doing anything else.

Contact the SOWELA Help Desk for student email, joule, and computer-related
technical problems.
o Email [email protected]
o Call 421-6520 (local) or 1-866-940-1979 (toll-free long distance)

NOTE: The help desk CANNOT help with RDC, MyMathLab, MyReadingLab,
MyWritingLab, or other course-specific software login issues