Richmond VLE Training Manager and Teacher Guide

VLE Getting started

Training Manager tasks

Training Manager and Teacher guide

1. Introduction to the Richmond VLE

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2. Registering your institution

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3. The different user roles

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4. Logging in

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5. The Classes tab

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Creating a class

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Editing a class

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Deleting a class

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Messaging a whole class

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6. The Users tab

Teacher tasks

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Creating a user

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Importing

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Editing a user

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Adding multiple users to classes

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Resetting a user’s password

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Deleting a user

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Transferring access codes between student users

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7. Uploading content

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8. Managing access to Richmond material

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9. Using the Library

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10. Administering the Forum

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11. The Markbook tab

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Viewing the markbook

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Messaging selected users

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Producing a report

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12. The Assignments tab

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Creating an assignment

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Editing or withdrawing an assignment

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Viewing assignment results

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13. Editing your own profile

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Training Manager and Teacher frequently asked questions 1. What is my username/password?

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2. What is my institution?

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3. What is an access code?

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4. How does a student get an access code?

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5. Can I transfer access codes between students?

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6. Why can't I see the Richmond material for a course?

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7. Does my institution have to have a Training Manager?

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8. Can my institution have more than one Training Manager?

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9. How many user accounts can I create?

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10. Can I get help with creating user accounts?

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11. Can a self-study student join a class?

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Getting started 1. Introduction to the Richmond VLE The Richmond VLE is an integral part of the Richmond Learning Platforms that accompany key Richmond courses, such as The Big Picture and English iD. The platforms offer registered users access to exclusive extra digital content including individual course websites and Test Studio, Richmond's test generator. The Richmond VLE contains material for products activated by students. This Richmond VLE Training Manager and Teacher Guide explains how Training Managers and teachers can access and use the Richmond VLE. If you are a student, please read the Richmond VLE Student Guide instead. Back to top Revised January 2014

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2. Registering your institution Registration provides access to all parts of a Richmond Learning Platform: extra content on the course website, Test Studio and the Richmond VLE. Click on the Register my institution button on the Home page of a Richmond Learning Platform and follow the step by step instructions. Please note that registration is for self-study students or educational institutions only. Each educational institution should only register once. The person who first registers an institution will become a Training Manager for their institution. Other Training Managers, teachers and students in their institution will only be able to log in once the original training manager has created their user accounts and given them their login details. Please keep your Training Manager login details safe. Your registration will be validated by Richmond. This process can take up to five working days. You will then be emailed when you can access the platform you have registered for. Each student will need to enter an access code from a Richmond product (e.g. book or CDROM) to log in to the Richmond VLE for the first time. Your welcome email will tell you where your students can find their access codes in each Richmond product.

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3. The different user roles There are three different user roles within educational institutions using the Richmond VLE: Training Manager, Teacher and Student. An educational institution must have at least one Training Manager (administrator) to create classes and user accounts for other users. The Training Manager is responsible for issuing login details to other users and may be required to maintain accounts and reset user passwords. An institution can have more than one Training Manager to share this responsibility. A Training Manager does not need any specific technical knowledge. Revised January 2014

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Students can: Training Managers can: 

Create and edit classes in their institution

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Create and edit other Training Manager, Teacher and student users

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View material for products they have activated and activate new products

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Use the Library *+

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Contribute to the Forum *+

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Take assignments created by their Teacher +

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Add users to classes

Teachers can:

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Send messages to users

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Upload content

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Do everything a Teacher can

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Manage access to Richmond material (once it has been activated by at least one student in their class)

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Use the Library *

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Administer the Forum *

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View the Markbook

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Create Assignments and view results

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Edit their own profile

* If enabled for their class by a Training Manager +

Excluding self-study students that do not belong to an institution

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4. Logging in Once registered, Training Managers and teachers can log in to their chosen learning platform on the Teacher’s Area tab of the course website. To launch the Richmond VLE click on the Launch VLE button. The Training Manager who registered their institution will need to log in using the username, password and institution code (a unique identification number) emailed to them after they registered. Other Training Managers, teachers and students users will only be able to log in once their user accounts have been created by a Training Manager and that Training Manager has given them their login details. The default password for all users created by a Training Manager is ‘pass’. The user will be asked to choose a new password the first time they log in. If a user has forgotten their login details, they should click on the Reset password link on the course website’s login page. If the user’s account does not have an email address associated with it, they will not be able to reset their password online – a Training Manager will need to do this instead. Back to top

Revised January 2014

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Training Manager tasks A Training Manager will need to create classes and users before anyone else in their institution can access the Richmond VLE. All Teacher and student users must be added to at least one class in order to view Richmond material.

5. The Classes tab The Classes tab contains a table showing the name, description and start date of each class created on a separate row. You can click the table column headings to sort the columns.

Creating a class 

Select the Classes tab.

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Click on the New Class button.

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Enter the name of the class, a description of the class and a start date (the start date is for your records only).

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Click on the Create button.

Editing a class You can edit class details at any time, switch class access to the Library and Forum modules on or off, or view the users in a class. You can only edit one class at a time. 


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Select the checkbox of the class you want to edit and click on the Edit button.

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Edit the class details as required.

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Click on the Library or Forum buttons to switch access to these modules on or off. Switching access off will hide the Library and Forum tabs for all teachers and students in your institution without deleting any files or posts stored in these areas.

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Click Save changes when you have finished.


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Deleting a class You can delete one or more classes at a time. Deleting a class will permanently remove it from the Richmond VLE. Users in the class will not be deleted. 


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Select the checkbox(es) of the class(es) you want to delete and click on the Delete button.

Messaging a whole class You can send a message to one or more classes at a time. The same message will be sent to all teachers and students in the classes you choose. Users will be able to read the message in their announcements panel the next time they log in to the Richmond VLE. Sent messages cannot be recalled. 


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Select the checkbox(es) of the class(es) you want to send a message to and click on the Send message button.

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Enter the subject and body text of your message and click on the Send button.

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6. The Users tab The Users tab contains a table showing the last name, first name and username of each user created. To show more users click on the Show more arrow at the bottom of the table. You can search for a user by first or last name, username or email. You can also filter the table by role using the options in the left-hand panel.

Creating a user 

Select the Users tab.

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Click on the New User button.

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Enter

Need to create lots of student accounts? Use the Import Students feature!

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The user’s first and last names.

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Their email (optional, but recommended, as this allows them to reset their password if they forget their login details).

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A username of your choice, which must be at least four characters long.

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Select a Training Manager, Teacher or student role for the user (see The different user roles for an explanation of the different user roles).

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Select the checkbox(es) of the class(es) you want to add the user to. All student users must be added to a class when they are created. If the class does not already exist you will need to create it first (see The Classes tab).

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Click on the Create button.


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Importing student users You can create multiple new student users at once by importing a CSV file containing specific student details. Ensure your CSV file is accurate before you import it, as changes made using this method cannot be automatically undone.

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Download the students CSV template file by clicking on the Download Students CSV Template button. 

This blank template should only be used for creating multiple new student users. You will need to click on the New User button to create each Training Manager and Teacher user manually.

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This template is a CSV file, which can be edited in a range of applications such as Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice Calc or Notepad.

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Your edited file must be resaved as a CSV file and encoded as UTF-8. If the application you are using to edit the CSV file does not allow you to choose the encoding format, you can reopen your edited CSV file in Notepad and resave it as UTF-8 – the ‘Save As’ dialogue in Notepad contains an ‘Encoding’ dropdown list that allows you to select the encoding format.

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‘Last name’, ‘first name’ and ‘class’ are mandatory fields. The class specified in the CSV file must match the class created in the Richmond VLE exactly. It is only possible to add a user to one class at a time using the CSV file.

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‘Username’ and ‘email’ are optional fields. If you do not include a student’s username in the CSV file then one will automatically be generated. Automatically generated usernames are the initial letter of the student’s first name followed by the student’s last name (all lower case with no spaces). For example, the username for Maria Blanco would be ‘mblanco’. If this format would cause two or more students to have an identical username, the second, and any subsequent student’s usernames, will be appended with a number, for example ‘mblanco1’. You can look up a student’s username at any time – select the checkbox of the user you want to edit on the Users tab and click on the Edit button.

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You must not edit the column headings of the CSV file or include any additional data.

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Existing student accounts will not be deleted when you import the CSV file.


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When you are ready to import your CSV file click on the Import Students button.

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Browse to your CSV file and click on the Import button.

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The students in your CSV file will be added to the table of users.

Editing a user You can edit user details, including the class(es) they belong to, at any time. You can only edit one user at a time. If you want to add multiple users to the same classes then it may be quicker for you to use the ‘Add to class’ option (see next section). 


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Select the checkbox of the user you want to edit and click on the Edit button.

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Edit the user details as required.

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Select the checkbox(es) of the class(es) you want to add the user to, or uncheck a box if you want to remove a student from a class. Please note that a student must remain in at least one class.

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Adding multiple users to classes You can add multiple users to the same class(es) as a quicker alternative to editing each individual user. You must select more than one user for this option to be available. If you wish to add a single user to a class then use the ‘Edit’ option instead (see previous section). 


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Select the checkboxes of the users you want to edit and click on the Add to class button.

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Select the checkboxes of the class(es) that you want to add the selected users to.

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Resetting a user’s password For reasons of security, it is not possible to look up a user’s password. However, you can reset a user’s password at any time. The user’s password will be reset to match their username and they will be prompted to change this the next time they log in. 


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Select the checkbox of the user whose password needs to be reset and click on the Edit button.

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Select the Reset password checkbox.

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Click Save changes.

Deleting a user You can delete one or more users at a time. Deleting a user will permanently remove the user from the Richmond VLE. They will be unable to log in and the access code they have used to access Richmond materials will no longer be valid. If you require assistance after deleting a user please contact Richmond VLE support. 


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Select the checkbox(es) of the user(s) you want to delete and click on the Delete button.

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Click on the OK button to confirm the deletion.

Transferring access codes between student users During the 14 months in which each code is valid, a Training Manager can transfer it between students. 


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Select the checkbox of the user whose product access you wish to transfer from and click on the Edit button.

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Navigate to the bottom of the student profile to the Products section and identify the product you wish to transfer the access for. Click on the Transfer button.

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A dialogue box will appear with a list of every student in your institution. Select the student you wish to transfer the product access to.

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Click Transfer to complete the transfer of access to the selected student. Back to top


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Teacher tasks 7. Uploading content The My Content area allows you to upload files and share them with your colleagues. It is also possible to assign uploaded files to students, including SCORM-compliant content that will play directly in the Richmond VLE. SCORM is a set of technical standards for online e-learning. SCORM content is packaged in a self-contained zip file. The Richmond VLE accepts SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004-compliant content.

There is a maximum size limit of 10MB per uploaded file and 50MB in total for each user. All files uploaded will be scanned for viruses, but you should also take your own precautions and ensure you comply with Richmond’s terms of use. To upload content: 

Click on My Content at the top of the screen.

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Click on the Upload button.

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Click on the Choose file button to browse to your chosen file. SCORM content must be uploaded as a single zip file.

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Complete the file details. The format ‘interactive’ must be selected if you are uploading a SCORM package.

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Click Upload when you have finished.

You are able to edit some file details after you have uploaded a file by selecting the checkbox of the file and clicking the Edit button. When you first upload content, it will be unpublished and not shared with other users. To allow other Training Managers and teachers in your class to view the content, select the checkbox of the file and then click More > Publish. To share a file (only once it has been published) so that all Training Managers and teachers in your institution can see it in ‘My Content’ click More > Share. The More drop-down also contains options to view information, delete or download the selected file.

Once you share a file it cannot be unshared or deleted. Back to top


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8. Managing access to Richmond material If you are a Training Manager or Teacher, you will only be able to see the Richmond material for a product once at least one student in the same class as you has entered a valid access code for that product. By default, a student has access to all material they have activated using an access code. However, If you would prefer to decide when your students can access material, such as Extra Practice Activities, you can manage this access. Access is managed at unit level. Students will not see units of the course that you disable access to. It is only possible to manage a student’s access to material after they have activated it using an access code. To manage access to Richmond material: 

Select the class that you want to manage access for.

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Select the Materials tab.

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Courses containing material that has been activated by students in your class will be listed on the left of the screen. Select a course.

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Select the checkboxes of the units that you wish to manage access to.

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Click on the Manage access button.

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Use the Toggle all button to enable or disable access to the chosen units for all students, or use the buttons beside each student’s name to manage access for each individual student.

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Access enabled Access disabled Access enabled/ disabled by unit

Click on the Save button to confirm your changes.

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9. Using the Library The library is a class-specific area for sharing resources and so the library will list all resources uploaded by all members of the selected class, including students. Resources you upload will be available for other class members to view or download immediately. To upload a resource to the class library: 

Select the class that you want to share a resource with.

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Select the Library tab.

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Click on the Upload button.

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Click on the Choose file button to browse to your chosen file. SCORM content must be uploaded as a single zip file.

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Complete the file details. Keywords entered will help you or others to search for the resource. The format ‘interactive’ must be selected if you are uploading a SCORM package.

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Click Upload when you have finished.

You are able to edit some resource details after you have uploaded a resource by selecting the checkbox of the file and clicking the Edit button. The More drop-down also contains options to delete or download the resource. Back to top


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10. Administering the Forum The forum is a class-specific discussion area. All Training Managers, teachers and students can participate. A Training Manager or Teacher can edit or delete any forum posts. Click on a forum topic name to read the original post and all replies.

The username of the user that created the topic

You can also search for forum posts by entering a keyword in the search box.

Click to show all replies for the topic

The date and time the topic was created

To create a new forum topic:

The number of replies to the topic

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Select the class that you want to create the forum topic for.

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Select the Forum tab.

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Click on the Create topic button.

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Enter the subject of the post.

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Click Browse if you would like to select an image to be displayed with your post.

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Enter your post text, and format your text if required. You can use the tools available to add additional features to your post such as links and tables.

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Click on the Create button when you have finished.

To delete a post: 

Click on the

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Select the Delete option from the drop-down list.

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Click on the OK button to confirm the deletion.

icon to the right of the post.

To edit a post: 

Click on the

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Select the Edit option from the drop-down list.

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Edit the post text.

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Click on the Update button to save your changes.

icon to the right of the post.

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11. The Markbook tab Viewing the markbook Students are able to attempt all activities in products they have activated using an access code (unless you have disabled access to certain activities – see Managing access to Richmond material). You are able to look up a student’s first and last submitted score for activities they have attempted.

Example markbook

The progress indicator shows how many of the allowed attempts (usually two) that the student has used.

You will only be able to view the markbook for students that have activated at least one product and submitted at least one markable activity. Activities are listed in the order attempted. Activities for which no score has been submitted are not listed at all. Scores for specific assignments set should be viewed on the Assignments tab (see The Assignments tab) rather than in the markbook. Percentage scores are not shown for eWorkbooks. To view an eWorkbook as completed by a student, click on the button when it appears in the markbook.

To view a student’s markbook: 

Select the class of the student whose scores you want to view.

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Select the Markbook tab.

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Select the checkbox of a single student and click on the View markbook button. You can also filter the table by role using the options in the left-hand panel.

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Select the product that you want to view scores for. It may be necessary to refresh the page to see the very latest results in the markbook.


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Messaging selected users You can send a message to one or more users. The same message will be sent to all users you choose. Users will be able to read the message in their announcements panel the next time they log in to the Richmond VLE. Sent messages cannot be recalled. To send a message: 

Select the class of the users you want to message.

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Select the checkbox(es) of the user(s) you want to send a message to and click on the Send message button.

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Enter the subject and body text of your message and click on the Send button.

Producing a report You can download a report showing class marks for a whole product in CSV or PDF format. To download an editable report in CSV format (can be viewed in a range of applications such as Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice Calc): 

Select the class that you want to view the report for.

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Click on the Editable report button.

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Select the product that you want to view the report for and then click on the Download csv report button.

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Save the CSV file to your chosen location when prompted.

To download a report in PDF format (PDF viewer required to view the report): 

Select the class that you want to view the report for.

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Click on the PDF report button.

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Select the product that you want to view the report for and then click on the Open pdf report button.

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The PDF file will open in a new browser tab. Use your browser’s ‘Save’ command if you would like to save the PDF.

Scores for eWorkbooks are not included in reports.

Back to top Revised January 2014

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12. The Assignments tab The assignments table shows details of all assignments created for a class.

Example assignments table

The ‘Submitted’ column shows how many students have submitted the assignment out of the total number the assignment was assigned to. The ‘Average score’ column shows the average percentage score for all students who have submitted the assignment. You can use the filters on the left of the screen to filter the assignments by status, or view a specific student’s results.

Creating an assignment To create an assignment: 

Select the class that you want to create an assignment for.

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Select the Assignments tab and then click on the Create button.

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Enter a title for the assignment, and any instructions for students if required.

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Enter a start date for the assignment if required. Please note, the start date is for information only – students are able to take the assignment before this date.

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Enter an end date for the assignment. This must be today or in the future. After this date, the assignment will still be available for students to take, but it will appear in the ‘past due date’ category and will be highlighted in red in the assignments table.

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Click on the Add new button to select the activities or content to assign. You can choose from the Richmond materials in the products that have been activated by at least one student in the selected class, or files that have been uploaded for your institution in My Content. Select the checkboxes and then click on the Add button.

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Complete the Assesssable and Mandatory checkboxes as required. Select Assessable for activities that you want scores to be recorded. Select Mandatory for activities that the student must complete before they are allowed to submit the assignment. These checkboxes apply to SCORM-compliant activities only.


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Select the student(s) that you want to assign to. Only the students that can access at least one of the selected activities or content will be available for selection.

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Click on the Save button if you wish to save the assignment details but not assign to students yet. Click on the Save and Assign button to save the assignment and make it available to students.

Editing or withdrawing an assignment Before an assignment is assigned it will have a status of ‘In preparation’ in the Assignments table. This means you can edit any of the assignment details or delete the assignment. Once an assignment is assigned it will have a status of ‘Issued’ in the Assignments table and it is only possible to change the end date. Other assignment details cannot be changed as students may have already begun to submit their scores. However you can withdraw an assignment once it has been assigned to permanently delete it. This will also delete all student scores recorded for the assignment. To edit or withdraw an assignment: 

Select the class that you want to edit/withdraw an assignment for.

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Select the Assignments tab.

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Select the checkbox of the assignment.

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Click on the Edit button.

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Change the assignment details and then click Save or Save and Assign.

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Or click on the Withdraw assignment button to permanently delete it.

Viewing assignment results You can view a student’s detailed results for all activities in an assignment. To view results: 

Select the class containing the student you want to view results for.

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Select the Assignments tab.

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Select the checkbox of the assignment.

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Click on the View result button.

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Select a specific student if more than one student has taken the assignment. Back to top


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13. Editing your own profile You can edit your personal details, including the display name shown at the top of the screen, and the username and password you use to log in. Click on your name at the top right of the screen, amend the details and then click Save changes. Your classes are shown for information only. A Training Manager can edit a user’s classes on the Classes tab.


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Training Manager and Teacher frequently asked questions 1.

What is my username/password?

If you are the Training Manager that registered your institution, you will need to log in using the username and password that you chose during registration. If you are a Training Manager who has been added since the initial registration of your institution you should have been passed your login details by the first of your institutions Training Managers. If you have forgotten your login details you can click on the Reset password link on the course website’s login page. You will be sent an email containing your username and a link to reset your password. If your user account does not have an email address associated with it, you will not be able to reset your password online – a Training Manager will need to do this instead. If your institution does not have another Training Manager or you still require assistance, please contact our technical support team via email at [email protected] Back to top

2.

What is my institution?

Your institution name displayed in the Richmond VLE may differ from the institution code that you need to log in. If you are the Training Manager that registered your institution, you will have been sent the institution code that all users in your institution should use to log in. If you do not know the code, you can click the Reset password link on the course website’s login page. You will be sent an email containing a reminder of your institution code as well as a link to reset your password if you wish. If your user account does not have an email address associated with it, you will need to request your institution code from a Training Manager. If your institution does not have another Training Manager or you still require assistance, please contact our technical support team via email at [email protected] Back to top

3.

What is an access code?

Each student wishing to view material for their course in the Richmond VLE will need to enter an access code from an applicable Richmond product (e.g. book or CD-ROM) to activate the material. A student must enter an access code when logging in to the Richmond VLE for the Revised January 2014

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first time. Once logged in, a student can then use the Register new product link in the Richmond VLE at any time to enter further access codes to activate additional material. Each access code is valid for 14 months from the first time it is used. Training Manager and Teacher users do not require access codes but will only be able to see the Richmond material that at least one student in the same class as them has activated using an access code. Back to top

4.

How does a student get an access code?

Each student will need to purchase a Richmond product with material available in the Richmond VLE. If you are the Training Manager that registered your institution, your welcome email will tell you exactly where the access codes can be found in each Richmond product. If you are a Teacher, please consult your Training Manager or contact our technical support team via email at [email protected] Back to top

5.

Can I transfer access codes between students?

Yes. Access codes can be transferred to students during the 14 months in which they are valid. Only a Training Manager can transfer access codes. ‘Transferring access codes between students’ in Section 6 explains how to do this. Back to top

6.

Why can't I see the Richmond material for a course?

If you are a Training Manager or Teacher you will only be able to see the Richmond material for a product once at least one student in the same class as you has entered a valid access code for that product. For further details see FAQs What is an access code? and How does a student get an access code? Back to top

7.

Does my institution have to have a Training Manager?

Yes. Classes and user accounts have to be created for each institution and only a Training Manager can do this. However, A Training Manager can also be a Teacher as a Training Manager user can do everything a Teacher user can. Back to top Revised January 2014

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8.


Can my institution have more than one Training Manager?

Yes, a Training Manager can create any number of other Training Manager user accounts for their institution. Back to top

9.

How many user accounts can I create?

There is no limit to the number of user accounts that a Training Manager can create. Teachers and students cannot create accounts for other users. Back to top

10. Can I get help with creating user accounts? If you still require assistance after reading this guide, we’d be happy to help – please contact our technical support team via email at [email protected] Back to top

11. Can a self-study student join a class? Yes. If a self-study student registers and then joins an institution, their account can be transferred to any class in that institution. You will need to provide the student with the code of the class they wish to join. A Training Manager can look this code up on the Edit screen for a class on the Classes tab. A Teacher can look this code up by clicking the Class code button beside the class on their Home page. The student should then log in to the Richmond VLE and click the Enter class code link at the top of the screen. Their username and password will stay the same but they will need to enter their new institution code the next time they log in. They will receive a confirmation email with the details required. Once a self-study student has joined a class they will not be able to become a self-study student again without registering for a new account. Back to top


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