The Wilmette Institute Registrar hosts a weekly tutorial on Zoom for anyone who wants a tour of the Institute’s online learning center, or has questions about how its online courses work. The tutorials are held every Tuesday, for 30-60 minutes depending on need, starting at 8:30 pm Eastern Time (5:30 pm Pacific, 7:30 pm Central). You can register once, and attend as many tutorials as you need to.
Please register in advance at: bit.ly/WI-Tutorial.
Moodle is the name of the software used by the Wilmette Institute to create its online learning platform. Here you will learn how to use some of Moodle’s basic features. Any software looks complicated and difficult the first time you use it, but if you become familiar with it, step by step, it can be a powerful and flexible way to learn and to express your learning.
See also:
Community & Technology Requirements
Technical Assistance & Accommodations
WI Forum Etiquette Guidelines
Helpful Tips: How to Read Texts is recommended reading for all new students.
Note: This page is for learners who are already registered in a Wilmette Institute course. For more general information on the Wilmette Institute please see Frequently Asked Questions.
Logging in to Your Course, and Navigating in Moodle
You will have access to your course the same day that you register. You can practice logging in at any time. However, as updates may be made to the course content, we recommend that you not download any readings or undertake any assignments more than 24 hours before the course begins. Please do NOT post anything to the website until the course has begun. You will receive a “welcome to the course” message announcing its launch.
The following video tutorials will be helpful to you if you have never taken a Wilmette Institute course, or if your last course ended more than 12 months ago. You can also read or download a printable First-Timers Guide containing a transcript of the contents of the first three videos below.
1. How to Log In to Your Course (page with step-by-step guidance from video below)
2. How to Create or Update Your Profile (page with step-by-step guidance from video below)
3. How to Post in the Course Forums (page with step-by-step guidance from video below)
4. How to Change Your Forum Preferences (Video)
Creating Your Personal Learning Plan
At the beginning of almost every course, you are asked to create a Personal Learning Plan or PLP. Your PLP can be very simple, and is also very important because it defines what you will actually do as an outcome of the course: whether you will create a presentation, host a devotional, undertake an artistic project, a research paper, or something else. It also helps your mentor to advise you. Please view or download this document for more details: How to Create Your Personal Learning Plan.
Tips for Making the Most out of Moodle
The Moodle course management platform is constantly being updated. If you have questions, the answer may well be on our Moodle FAQs page. Below are some additional tips and resources to assist you. We are continually adding to this list. If you have a question that is not answered here, or on Moodle FAQs, please email us at learn@wilmetteinstitute.org.
