Before this semester started, students were already having problems with Moodle. 

Many students took to the Facebook group Student to Student to express concerns about Moodle and see if other students were having similar problems. 

The first issue students were having was with the new login system. It forced students to create a new password and made logging in a two-step process. 

This is a new two-factor authentication system ULM rolled out in waves starting last spring. It came in an effort to keep students’ academic information safe. 

Brittany Powell, a junior secondary education major, admitted that the two-factor authentication is important but it can still be annoying. 

“The new multi-step login does make it harder and longer to log in,” Powell said. “I understand that our internet safety is a top priority of our school, so while I am not a fan of the multi-step login, I understand we need it.” 

Students were also concerned because it was only a couple of days before school started and courses had yet to appear on their Moodle homepages. 

That meant students were unable to access their syllabi and prepare for their upcoming courses. 

While some courses had not yet been added to Moodle, others from previous semesters had not been taken away. 

Powell said having old courses still on the Moodle page is a nuisance when trying to navigate.

However, this problem has nothing to do with Moodle itself. 

Chance Eppinette, the director of information technology, explained that adding and taking away courses is up to instructors.

“Courses are controlled by instructors,” Eppinette said. “[Therefore] courses may not be viewable at five days before the semester starts unless the instructor makes it viewable.” 

Lastly, students were having trouble locating a Moodle app. 

In January ULM’s information technology center sent a schoolwide email informing students that they may no longer have access to the Moodle mobile app beginning in February. 

Students were left wondering why ULM did not promote another app so they could continue to access Moodle on their phones. 

Eppinette said this was because the new app, Old Open LMS, is out of ULM’s control and is  a “third-party open source product.” 

While ULM has no control over these problems, they understand it can be frustrating for students. 

That’s why the ULM help desk is always there to help. You can contact the help desk at 318-342-3333 during normal hours for any questions regarding technology.