Tutorials in Moodle Collaborate Written by Clare Sansom

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Several of the courses in the MSc Structural Molecular Biology, including PPS, include tutorials in which students and tutors interact with each other in 'real time' (synchronous communication) over the web. We have used a number of technologies for this over the years, including text-based 'MUD' (Multi-User Dimension) and Instant Messenger programs, and Google Hangouts for video. We now use a tool called Collaborate, which is part of the Birkbeck Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle. You can find out more about Moodle and Collaborate via the Moodle Support pages.

You will login to Moodle via the link above using the username and password you have been given for My Birkbeck and the Library, which is not the same as the one you will use to access the course material.

We will generally run two tutorials for each of the 12 course sections. Each session will last about an hour, and the session will be 'open' (with a link from the course page on Moodle) about 15 minutes before and after the session time. One of each pair of sessions will be a text-based tutorial, which will run very much like an Instant Messenger session and the other will use video. Last year we occasionally had to change some video tutorials to text because of poor connections. The transcripts of the text sessions will be posted on the tutorial page on the course website, with any URLs we refer to linked up. Video sessions will also be recorded. You will be asked to test your microphone and speakers before you use the video, and you may find a headset useful.

If you have difficulty using the Collaborate system, please email pps@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk in the first instance. Some queries will be referred to the Moodle team in Birkbeck IT Services.