Learning ICT online

The term “online learning environment” refers to a service accessible with a web browser, providing students and staff with a common workspace. An online learning environment can provide users with lecture materials, a calendar with course schedules, exercises, tests, discussion areas, or the possibility to hand in assignments or take exams online.
Your online learning will be most successful if you have sorted out at least the following issues concerning your course:

• what will the environment be used for during the course in question (e.g. distributing lecture notes, course information, handing in assignments etc.)?
• is there a schedule for using the online learning environment?
• if there is a schedule, what is it like?
• what are you expected to do in the learning environment?

The course may not always be evaluated with a final exam. Instead, it might be evaluated on the basis of participation in discussions carried out in the learning environment, or by other means. Most work strategies require good cooperation skills. The teacher has the right to define what you are expected to do, and he or she will evaluate your performance accordingly. When participating in online discussions, please take heed to the Internet etiquette.

Moodle is the most commonly used learning environment at the University of Helsinki, although other services to support your studies are naturally also available, e.g. wikis and blogs.

Moodle has many features which support online learning. A course taught in the Moodle environment can be divided into several time periods, organized by different themes, or based upon the participants’ social interaction. Below is a screenshot of its user interface:

Moodle enables you e.g. to take part in discussions, answer polls, hand in assignments and take exams online. Log on to Moodle at with your (AD) user account at the university.
The basic features of Moodle are introduced further down on this page. You can find more information about them and other features in Moodle in the Moodle Manual for Students compiled by the Educational Centre for ICT at the University of Helsinki.