Online Course FAQs

FAQs relating to online Biodiversity courses

How do I access an online course?

We use Moodle as our online course learning platform. Please note, courses are not accessed from your account on the Field Studies Council website. More information on our online courses can be found here. If you are new to online courses with the Field Studies Council, an account will be set up on Moodle using the name and email address supplied at checkout as the “Course Attendee Details”. This usually happens between 24 and 48 hours before the course start date. This will generate an automatic email with login details and instructions. If you have done an online course with us previously, you will not be sent login details again, and you should use the same password and username that you used for your previous course. An email is sent from Moodle on the course start date, and at the start of each week to let you know that new content is available to view. The Moodle log in page is here: https://courses.field-studies-council.org/login/. We advise that you bookmark this page so that you can find it easily again each week. This is where you will always access your online course, and any future online courses that you do with us. There is a handy ‘How to’ video at the beginning of your course which explains the basic functions of Moodle. Webinars will be hosted on Zoom, using the same link each week. Links and meeting IDs will be displayed in the course introduction. An email will be sent an hour before the webinar is due to start with the relevant information.

Am I able to book an online course that has already started?

Due to the administration involved, we are unable to add any additional learners onto a course that has already started. If you find that a course has already started, you can email [e-mail] and ask to be added to the waiting list for the next run of the course. Please note that spaces are not reserved and are available on a first-come first-served basis.

Can I transfer from an online course that has already started?

We cannot transfer attendees from online courses that have already started. Extenuating circumstances may be taken into consideration and a decision made based on how much of the course content has been accessed. Please email [e-mail] to discuss.

When does my online course start?

The course start and end dates are shown in larger, bold font on each course information page of the website, above the webinar dates. These define the length of time you will have access to the course. Generally, the first week’s content becomes available one week before the first webinar. That date is what we consider to be the course start date. The idea is that course attendees can work through the content and complete the activities before the webinar at the end of each week, when they will get the opportunity to discuss everything with the course tutor and other attendees.

What is the structure of an online course?

Our online courses are designed so that you can access the content at a time that is convenient for you. For most courses, the first week’s content becomes available one week before the first webinar, and all of the content can be accessed for a further couple of weeks after the last webinar, giving you some flexibility on how to manage your time. Please note, course structure can vary. Any changes to the structure will be noted on the website and in the welcome email. Webinars are generally scheduled for the same day and time each week – each discussing the content made available that week. There is normally an activity to complete during the week. Some courses have assignment due dates in places of webinars in certain weeks. Webinar dates should be clearly listed on the course information page on the Field Studies Council website. They are also listed in the introduction section when you get access to the course on Moodle. Courses close two weeks after the last webinar (or assignment due date), giving learners additional time to work through any missed content. After that date you will no longer have access to the course.

I haven’t received login details for Moodle, what do I do?

1. If you are new to online courses with the Field Studies Council, an account will be set up on Moodle between 24 and 48 hours before the course start date. This will generate an automatic email with login details and instructions. If you have not received this email by 9:30am on the course start date, please email [e-mail] to request a password reset. Please include the name of the course that you have booked.

2. If you have done an online course with us previously, you will not receive your login details again - use the same password and username that you used for your previous course. If you cannot remember your password, please email [e-mail] to request a password reset. Please include the name of the course that you have booked.

What IT skills are required to do an online course?

For most, Moodle is intuitive once you get the hang of it, and there is a handy ‘How to’ video at the beginning of your course that explains the basic functionality. If you are able to use an internet browser (e.g. Chrome, Firefox), apps, and email, you should be able to do an online Biodiversity course with the Field Studies Council. If you are struggling at any point you can contact the team on [e-mail].

What equipment do I need to do an online course?

It is recommended that you access your course on a PC or laptop. Please be aware that there will be reduced functionality if you chose to attend the course using a tablet or smartphone. Moodle can be accessed via any internet browser using the desktop version of its website (https://courses.field-studies-council.org/login/), or via the Moodle app on any smart device. However, it is most compatible with the Google Chrome internet browser. A device with a camera and microphone is required to participate in the Zoom webinars. You do not need to print any of the course material to be able to complete a course, so a printer is not required unless you choose to print something yourself. Please refer to the website listing for all course requirements, these are listed in the ‘Before You Attend’ tab. Please note there may be mandatory equipment to attend your course.

Will Moodle work on my Apple device?

Some Apple device users experience difficulties with some aspects of our courses, mainly downloading the course materials. Unfortunately, Apple’s browser Safari is not recommended when accessing Moodle, but some users do not have any problems. If you wished, you would be able to install Chrome on your Apple device. You can find more details here - https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/chrome/. Alternatively, you can try using Firefox. If you're not able to use any of the recommended browsers, we suggest you copy and paste the relevant information into a Word/Pages document that you can then save to your device or print. If you are having difficulties downloading any of the course materials, please double-check all your permission settings to ensure downloads and pop-ups are allowed. The Field Studies Council is unable to email content directly to you. You have until two weeks after the last webinar (or last assignment due date) to work through the course and save any information you need.

I am based outside of the UK, can I do an online Biodiversity course?

We have had a number of attendees from countries outside of the UK on our online courses in the past. However, please be aware that:

1. Our webinars are scheduled on GMT during October to March, and BST during our summer months. The exact date when we switch from GMT to BST is different each year but should be easy to find out online. However, webinars are also recorded and can be watched anytime if they are not attended in person.

2. Most of our courses are written in a UK context, and some tutors may only have experience of UK representatives of a particular taxa.

3. Some supplementary material (e.g. videos from third parties) may not be viewable when using an IP address in certain countries.

Will there be a chance to ask the tutor questions?

Each topic (week) will have a Q&A forum at the end where you can submit questions for the tutor. The tutor may answer these directly on the forum, or they will often attempt to cover these during the Zoom webinar sessions.

What level of social interaction should I expect from an online course?

Interactive elements may include online webinars, discussion forums, and database or assignment submissions. However, the level of interactivity will vary between courses. For a fully rounded experience, we do recommend participating in both the online webinars and the forum discussions available during a course. However, there is also the opportunity to 'reply privately’ to course tutors in both instances. We are currently implementing recommendations from the National Autistic Society across our framework courses, to ensure accessibility to a broad range of learners. If you have any concerns, please email [e-mail].

How long do I have to complete an online course?

The general structure of our online courses is designed to allow all attendees to work through the course content at their own pace. Webinars are recorded, and written content can be downloaded to review later. Each course is made up of topics, and course duration depends on the number of topics included. One topic is usually tackled each week and includes content and activities that are estimated to take up to three hours to complete, including the live webinar. Each course allows access for an additional two weeks after the delivery of the final webinar or assignment due date.

How do I download/save course content?

There is a handy ‘How to’ video in the "About this course" workbook at the start of your course on Moodle (and again at the end of the course), which shows you how to print pages or workbooks and save them as PDFs. Please note that we are unable to download and email content to each learner, so this must be done through the learning platform Moodle.

What if I can’t attend all/any of the webinars?

All webinars are recorded and uploaded to the learning platform the next working day, so if you’re unable to attend in person you will still be able to watch the session later and get as much as possible from the course. Webinars are not a compulsory element of the course. We do recommend making every effort to attend them, as they will include further information and an opportunity to interact with an expert tutor. You do not need to let the tutor know that you are not attending a webinar (unless they ask you to). You can use the Q&A forum at the end of each week’s content (which closes one hour before each webinar) to ask questions that you would like the tutor to answer in your absence.

How long are the Zoom webinars?

Generally, each webinar is scheduled for a duration of 45 minutes, but please allow an hour of time just in case it overruns. Occasionally courses have slightly longer webinars. Please refer to the website listing to double-check webinar lengths. The webinar start and end times are listed under the dates for each course run.

Do I need to bring anything to the Zoom webinars?

You will be told in the course content if you need to prepare anything for the Zoom webinars. We recommend having something to take notes with.

I have been waiting to enter a Zoom webinar for more than 5 minutes after it was due to start, what do I do?

Please double-check the webinar dates for your course to make sure you are attending at the correct time and date. It may sound obvious, but it can be easy to confuse the date of the first webinar, and it could be that there is an assignment due date instead of a webinar one week. Date and times of webinars can be found at the top of the course information on Moodle, in the introduction section, just under the ‘How to use Moodle’ video. If the webinar should definitely be happening, please email [e-mail] and ask to be admitted. The inbox is monitored from 15min before the start, and for the first 15min of the webinar, so someone will be available to help.

Can I have an extension to finish the course?

We are unable to offer extensions. Courses are reset to be reused after each run, and are often worked on between runs. However, attendees have access to the course for at least two weeks after the last webinar. This should allow plenty of time to complete the course. If you do get behind on a course, and the closing date is approaching, we would advise watching all of the webinar recordings as soon as you can. You can download the written course content to review later. Instructions on how to do that can be found in the course introduction section. For assignment deadlines, the tutor may not be able to give feedback on late submissions. This is completely dependent on the tutor's other commitments. You are welcome to submit late and potentially not receive feedback, and you should still be able to complete the course. To get your course completion certificate, you will need to have met a certain number of criteria. If you don’t think you will be able to do that by the course end date, please email [e-mail] and we will see what we can do. Please note, it is much easier to help you with completing the course while it is still open.

What if I have technical difficulties?

If you have any technical difficulties there is a dedicated ‘Technical Q&A’ forum for questions in the introduction section of your course. Please submit your issues there, and a member of the team will reply. If your issue isn't resolved within 48 hours, please email [e-mail].

Do I get a certificate of completion?

All of our online courses include a certificate of completion. There are usually certain conditions that need to be met (e.g. all quizzes completed and passed) to release this certificate, which will be emailed to you and will remain on your Moodle account. Please be sure to supply your full name as you wish it to be shown on your course completion certificate. If the name on your Moodle account is incorrect, you can change it yourself by accessing your ‘Profile’ on the top right corner. The name on the certificate cannot be changed after it has been produced.