Guide to Open Distance Learning ( For students )
Open Distance Learning at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is one mode of learning for postgraduate Programmed. All courses are entirely online. Students have no campus-based components, and the online learning activities and resources are the main focus of study.
The following are a guideline on how to use the Open Distance Learning system main for teaching and learning purposes.
Log In and Log Out of ODL System
- To log in to ODL System, go to http://odlsystem.utm.my/19202
- Click the Login button at the top-right of the page, then enter your ID and password provided by the CICT and click the arrow (
) or press enter/return on your keyboard. You should see your name and ODL avatar in the user menu at the top-right of the page. - To log out of ODL System, in the user menu at the top-right of the page click Log out.
Note: Be sure to quit your browser after you log out, especially if you are using a public or shared computer. This will ensure that no one else can access your UTM account.
Find Your Courses
Once you log in, the Login block will be replaced by the My courses block where you'll find links to your current courses.
If you log in and don't see your course in this block:
- The course may not yet be open to students, so be sure to check again after the first day of class, or ask your instructor.
If you are still having problems, contact the IT Help Center and notify your instructor so that we can help you and keep track of ODL System issues.
You can get to your ODL courses a few additional ways:
- In the Navigation block, click the Dashboard link to go to a personal homepage for all your courses. Simply click any course title to open the course. This page also lists upcoming deadlines.
- Also in the Navigation block, you'll find links to your courses under My courses. This menu is especially handy for moving between ODL courses.
Dashboard
For an overview of upcoming deadlines in all your ODL courses, click Dashboard (at the top of the Navigation block). This page lists all of the courses you are currently enrolled in and allows you to quickly navigate to new assignments. You can also customize this page and add additional blocks to the right side, to help you stay organized.
Typical Course Layouts
Courses in ODL System are usually organized in two columns. These columns may contain blocks that are often customizable, and topics where your instructor will post content and assignments for your course.
Two-Column Layout
In most courses on a laptop or desktop computer, you'll see a two-column layout. The main column is where your instructor will post information about the course, links to resources and assignments, and other activities you'll be doing on ODL System. This main course content is contained in expandable Sections which may be organized by week, or by topic.
On right side are Blocks you can use to navigate in ODL System,
see upcoming assignments, see a calendar, link to library resources,
and more, depending on what your instructor has added to the course.
Docking Blocks
To provide more screen space for the main course content, you can tuck Blocks to the side of the screen.
-
To dock a block, click the Dock icon [
] at the top right of any block. The block will collapse to a tab at
the left side of the page. (If you are trying to create screen space,
you'll probably want to collapse all the blocks in a column.) -
To view what's in a collapsed block, simply hover your cursor over the tab for the block. The block will temporarily expand and you can click the links within it.
-
To expand a block, hover over its collapsed tab and click the Undock icon [
] at the top right of the block.
Mobile Layout
On smaller screens such as a phone or small tablet, the page layout will rearrange for easier viewing: Blocks (Navigation, Activities, Calendar, etc.) will move to the bottom of the screen below the main course content.
Tips on Submitting Work
- Submit assignments on time. In ODL System your instructor may close assignments and not allow late submissions, so don't expect to be able to electronically submit an assignment past the deadline.
- Look for a confirmation screen to make sure your assignment is submitted. (This might look different depending on the kind of assignment.)
- Know which file formats your instructor will accept (.pdf and .doc are usually preferred).
View Grades
Once activities have been graded and released to students, you can access grades via the User menu. Click the name of the course you wish to view grades for. For more information, see View Grades and Track Your Progress in Moodle.
Some activities, such as Assignments, also display released grades on the activity page.
Get More Help
Call, visit, submit a help request via email to aduit@utm.my- Full Support Hours : Sunday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m (Malaysia Time).