Hekima E-Learning Portal - Comprehensive Training Guide

Getting Started - Login & Role Verification

1

Access the Portal

Navigate to https://elearning.hekima.ac.ke

Bookmark this URL for easy access

2

Login with Credentials

Username: Your Hekima staff ID or assigned username
Password: Default or custom password

3

Verify Your Role

Click your profile icon (top-right corner)
Confirm role shows "Teacher" or "Lecturer"
If incorrect, contact ODeL support immediately

Login Button

Fig 1: Login Portal – Enter credentials and click Login

Browser Recommendation: Use Chrome or Firefox for optimal performance. Safari and Edge also work well.

Password Issues: Click "Forgotten your username or password?" and enter your email for reset instructions. Contact ICT office if problems persist.

Portal Navigation & Dashboard Tour

Key Interface Elements

Top Bar: Notifications (bell icon), Messages, Profile menu
Navigation Drawer: Site home, My courses, Participants, Grades
Dashboard: Course tiles/list showing "My courses"
Calendar: Upcoming deadlines and events
Side Blocks: Calendar, Course grades, Recent announcements

My Courses Tab

Fig 2: Dashboard – Access courses and site tools here

Navigation Tip: The navigation drawer collapses on smaller screens. Look for the hamburger menu (☰) to expand it.

Course Setup & Management

1

Access Your Course

Click "My Courses" from navigation
Select your assigned course from the list
Note the course layout: header, sections, side blocks

2

Enable Editing Mode

Click "Turn editing on" (top-right or ⚙️ menu)
Notice edit icons appear: pencil (edit), arrows (move), trash (delete)
See "Add an activity or resource" links in each section

3

Course Structure Planning

Weekly Format: One section per week
Topics Format: One section per topic/unit
Social Format: Forum-based discussions

Practice Activity: Navigate to your course and turn editing on/off several times to get comfortable with the interface changes.

Content Management & File Uploads

1

Adding Files (PDFs, Documents, Slides)

Turn editing on → Click "Add an activity or resource"
Select "File" → Click "Add"
Enter clear name: "Week 1 - Introduction Slides"
Add description (optional but recommended)
Drag/drop file or use file picker
Choose display: "Open in browser" or "Force download"
Click "Save and return to course"

2

Creating Pages (Web Content)

Add activity → Select "Page"
Use for: syllabi, instructions, welcome messages
Rich text editor supports: headings, links, images, videos
Embed media using the media icon

3

Organizing with Folders

Use "Folder" resource to group related files
Example: "Week 1 Materials" folder containing slides, readings, exercises
Students can download entire folder as ZIP

Course Menu

Fig 3: Course Management – Navigate content sections

File Management Best Practices

Naming Convention: • ABC123_Week1_Slides.pdf • ABC123_Assignment1_Instructions.docx • ABC123_Reading_Chapter1.pdf File Size Guidelines: • Keep files under 20-50 MB • Compress large videos or use streaming links • Use ZIP files for multiple related documents

Upload Tip: Drag and drop multiple files at once. The system will process them sequentially.

Assignments & Grading System

1

Creating an Assignment

Turn editing on → Add activity → "Assignment"
Name: Be specific (e.g., "Assignment 1 - Research Essay")
Description: Clear instructions + format + academic integrity note
Availability: Set open/close dates and cut-off times
Submission types: File upload and/or online text
File types: Specify allowed formats (.pdf, .docx, etc.)
Attempts: Usually set to 1
Grade: Set maximum points (e.g., 20, 100)

2

Grading Submissions

Go to Assignment → "View all submissions"
Individual grading: Click student name to grade inline
Batch download: "Download all submissions" for offline grading
Feedback options: Comments, annotated PDF, uploaded files
Rubrics: Use for transparent, consistent grading

3

Advanced Grading Features

Marking Workflow: Control when grades are released
Quick Grading: Enter grades directly in submissions table
Blind Marking: Hide student identities during grading
Plagiarism Detection: Integrate with Turnitin if available

Grader Report

Fig 4: Grading System – View and manage student scores

Sample Assignment Instructions Template

Assignment 1 - Research Essay Instructions: Submit a 1000-1200 word essay on [Topic]. Requirements: • Format: PDF only • Filename: COURSECODE_Lastname_Firstname_Assignment1.pdf • Due: [Date] at 23:59 (server time) • Citations: APA format required • Late Policy: 10% deduction per day (max 3 days) Academic Integrity: This is individual work. Collaboration or plagiarism will result in zero marks. Contact instructor via course messaging for extensions (evidence required).

Practice Activity: Create a test assignment and experiment with the grading interface using a "student" account if available.

Quizzes & Online Examinations

1

Building the Question Bank

Go to Course → More → Question bank
Create categories (e.g., "Mid-term", "Chapter 1")
Create questions: Multiple choice, True/False, Essay, etc.
Note: Categorizing helps in randomizing questions later

2

Creating the Quiz Shell

Add activity → "Quiz"
Set Timing: open/close time and time limit
Set Grade: attempts allowed (usually 1 for exams)
Set Layout: new page for every question or every few
Set Review options: control what students see after attempt

3

Adding Questions to Quiz

Click the quiz → "Edit quiz"
Click "Add" → "From question bank" or "Random question"
Set maximum grade and individual question points

Question Bank

Fig 5: Quiz Management – Organize exams and questions

Academic Integrity: Use question randomization, time limits, and browser security for high-stakes assessments. Preview your quiz before publishing!

Practice: Create a sample quiz with 5 different question types. Use the preview function to test the student experience.

Communication & Student Interaction

1

Announcements

Use the default "Announcements" forum
Students are automatically subscribed
Posts are emailed to all enrolled students
Use for: welcome messages, deadlines, important updates

2

Discussion Forums

Add activity → "Forum"
Forum types: Standard, Q&A, Single discussion
Subscription: Auto, Optional, or Forced
Ratings: Allow peer evaluation of posts
Use for: class discussions, peer learning, FAQ

3

Direct Messaging

Use Messages icon (top-right) for private communication
Send to individual students or groups
Students can message you directly
Messages are integrated with email notifications

Sample Welcome Announcement

Subject: Welcome to [COURSE CODE] - Getting Started Welcome to our course! Here's what you need to do in Week 1: 1. Read the "Course Information" page 2. Complete the Week 1 quiz by [Date] 3. Introduce yourself in the "Student Introductions" forum 4. Download and review the syllabus Questions? Use the "Ask the Instructor" forum or send me a message. Looking forward to a great semester! [Your name]

Communication Strategy: Post weekly announcements, respond to forum posts within 24-48 hours, and encourage peer-to-peer help in forums.

Student Progress Tracking & Analytics

1

Gradebook Management

Access via Navigation → "Grades"
View all assignments, quizzes, and calculated totals
Categories: Organize by type (Assignments, Quizzes, Exams)
Weights: Set percentage contribution to final grade
Export: Download as CSV/Excel for records

2

Activity Completion Tracking

Enable completion tracking per activity
Manual: Students mark as complete
Automatic: System tracks based on criteria
View progress in Course → Reports → Activity completion

3

Participation Reports

Logs: Detailed view of who accessed what and when
Participation: Forum posts, assignment submissions
Course completion: Overall progress tracking
Use to identify at-risk students early

Privacy Note: Activity tracking helps identify struggling students but should be used supportively, not punitively. Contact students who show declining engagement.

Best Practices & Pedagogical Guidelines

1

Content Design Principles

Chunking: Break content into digestible segments
Multimedia: Combine text, images, videos, audio
Accessibility: Add alt-text, captions, clear headings
Mobile-friendly: Test on different device sizes

2

Engagement Strategies

Interactive Elements: Polls, discussions, peer review
Regular Communication: Weekly announcements, timely feedback
Clear Expectations: Rubrics, sample work, detailed instructions
Variety: Mix individual and group activities

3

Assessment Best Practices

Formative Assessment: Low-stakes quizzes, discussion participation
Authentic Tasks: Real-world applications, case studies
Timely Feedback: Within 48-72 hours when possible
Academic Integrity: Clear policies, varied question types

Pedagogical Tip: Apply the 7±2 rule - present 5-9 items per screen or section to avoid cognitive overload. Use consistent weekly structure to build student confidence.

Templates & Weekly Checklists

Week 1 Launch Checklist

□ Create "Course Information" page with syllabus and expectations □ Post welcome announcement with week 1 tasks □ Upload week 1 slides and required readings □ Create first assignment with detailed rubric □ Set up low-stakes formative quiz □ Enable activity completion tracking □ Test all links and media files □ Send personal welcome message to class

Weekly Maintenance Checklist

□ Post weekly announcement by Sunday evening □ Review and respond to forum discussions □ Grade assignments within 48-72 hours □ Upload next week's materials □ Check completion reports for at-risk students □ Update gradebook and release appropriate grades □ Prepare upcoming assessments

Simple Rubric Template

Content & Understanding (60%) • Excellent (54-60): Comprehensive understanding, accurate details • Proficient (48-53): Good understanding, mostly accurate • Developing (42-47): Basic understanding, some inaccuracies • Beginning (0-41): Limited understanding, significant errors Communication & Presentation (25%) • Excellent (23-25): Clear, well-organized, professional • Proficient (20-22): Generally clear and organized • Developing (18-19): Somewhat unclear or disorganized • Beginning (0-17): Unclear, poorly organized Use of Sources & Referencing (15%) • Excellent (14-15): Appropriate sources, correct format • Proficient (12-13): Good sources, minor format issues • Developing (10-11): Limited sources, format problems • Beginning (0-9): Inadequate sources, major format issues

Template Usage: Copy these templates to a text file for quick reference. Adapt the language and criteria to match your discipline and course level.

Bulk Uploading User Accounts (CSV)

Used when you have many users (students/lecturers) to create at once.

1

Prepare Your Data

Create an Excel file with these exact headers:

username,firstname,lastname,email,password

2

Enter User Details

One user per row. Example:

jdoe001,John,Doe,jdoe@mail.com,TempPass123

3

Save as CSV

Save the file specifically as CSV (Comma delimited).

4

Upload to Portal

Log in as Admin
Go to: Site administration → Users → Accounts → Upload users
Upload your CSV file and click Upload users

5

Final Settings

Set Default role = Student (or Teacher for staff)
Choose Force password change = Yes
Confirm the settings and finalize the upload

Upload Zone

Fig 6: Bulk User Import – Drag CSV files here

Success: All users in the file will be created automatically.

Strategic Course Enrollment

Approach A: Bulk Enrollment by CSV

Ideal for large lists across multiple courses.

1

Prepare CSV

username,course1,role1
jdoe001,MATH101,student

2

Upload Data

Go to: Site administration → Courses → Upload courses
Upload your CSV file and follow the prompts

Approach B: Cohort Sync (Admin Recommended)

Perfect for batching departments site-wide.

1

Create Cohort

Site admin → Users → Accounts → Cohorts

2

Enable Sync

In your course: Enrollment methods → Add method → Cohort sync

Manual Alternative: Use Search and hold Ctrl/Cmd in the Participants page to select multiple students for manual enrollment.

Bulk Import of Quiz Questions

Useful for importing entire exam papers prepared externally.

1

Prepare Format

Save questions in GIFT (plain text) or Moodle XML format.

2

Import to Bank

Go to Course → More → Question bank → Import
Select your format (GIFT/XML/Aiken)
Upload file and click Import

Best Practice: Always test with a small file (1-2 questions) first to verify formatting.

Course Cloning & Group Management

Importing/Cloning Content

1

Initiate Import

Go to the destination course → Settings → Import.

2

Select Source

Find the course you want to clone from and click Continue.

Creating Student Groups

1

Access Groups

In your course: Participants → ⚙️ (gear) → Groups.

2

Assign Users

Create Group → Name it → Select students and click Add.

Bulk Messaging & Communication

Communicate with all students at once without individual emails.

1

Select Audience

Open Course → Participants.

2

Compose Message

Select individual students or "Select all"
In the dropdown menu, choose "Send a message"
Type your update and click Send

Mobile Reach: Students receive these messages both in the portal and as push notifications.

Troubleshooting & Support

Common Issues & Quick Fixes

Student can't submit: Check due dates, file size limits, allowed file types
Files won't upload: Reduce file size, check format, try different browser
Grades not visible: Check gradebook visibility settings and release dates
Forum emails not sending: Verify subscription settings and user email preferences
Quiz questions not displaying: Check question bank and preview mode

When to Contact Support

Include in your support request: • Course code and your name • Screenshot of the issue • Exact error message (if any) • Time and date when issue occurred • Steps you took before the problem • Browser and device information Example Subject: "Hekima eLearning - Course: ABC123 - Cannot enrol student - [Your Name]"

1

ICT Office Support

Password resets and login issues
Account access problems
Technical connectivity issues
Email: ictsupport@hekima.ac.ke

2

ODeL Support Team

Course setup and configuration
Advanced features and integrations
Training and best practice guidance
Email: ictsupport@hekima.ac.ke

Hekima University College

Learning Objectives