UNSW requires course authorities to provide course contact details to students in courses in a consistent manner.
This tool allows teaching staff to enter their details which include the following required fields as part of the standard:
- Display name
- Email address
- Work phone number
- Consultation hours
- Location
In addition to these fields, you have the option of providing the following information:
- Extra comments
- Publish profile photo (which is sourced from the Enterprise Management database)
While it is a requirement that teaching staff publish their contact details, other roles such as Grading Tutor, Non-Grading Tutor and Teaching Assistant can also publish contact details if it is useful for the course.
Adding contact details
- Log into Moodle using your zID/zPass.
- Navigate to your Moodle course.
- In Topic 0 (the first topic/section of your course homepage) of your course find the link called Course Contact Details. This will open a new window that shows you a form to enter your details.
- Enter all required information (Display name, Email address, Work phone number, Consultation hours, Location) and any of the optional information (Extra comments, Publish Profile Picture).
- Note: Display name and email address are pre-populated from Moodle. You can over-ride this.
- Once you are satisfied with the information, check the box Publish Contact Info? and click the Save button.
FAQ
I already publish contact details for my course elsewhere, do I need to publish my information using this tool?
Yes, while we acknowledge that many courses already publish contact details, there are some who do not. In addition, part of the TEQSA requirement is to provide the information in a consistent manner across courses.
Where does the photo come from?
Existing photos were sourced from the Estate Management database where possible. However, you can replace this with a preferred picture here: https://myprofile.teaching.unsw.edu.au
Can I modify my information?
Yes, simply navigate to your course, click the Course Contact Details link and edit your information.
What if I don't have a work phone number?
The phone number field is a freeform text field and you may enter anything in the field. If you do not have a phone number, you could alternatively input your mobile phone number (if you are comfortable to provide this information) or enter text stating that you do not have a phone number.
What if I don't have a office to hold consultations in?
Not all staff will have a physical place to hold consultations, and in some cases (such as fully online courses) expecting students to come on campus will not be appropriate. Please offer an alternative consultation method, for example, a online Blackboard Collaborate Ultra session may meet your needs.
What if I don't have set consultation hours?
Staff may not have the ability to offer a set consultation time each week. In this case we recommend adding instructions into the consultation hours field advising students to contact you to negotiate a time.
Can I unpublish my information?
Yes, simply navigate to your course, click the Course Contact Details link to edit your information, uncheck the Publish Contact Info? checkbox and click Save.
What if I'm teaching staff but do not have access to the Moodle course?
Please speak to timetabling staff in your faculty/school who will be able to add you to the Moodle course. An alternative is for a staff member who does have Moodle access to input your information in the Extra comments field.
What do students see before any contact details are published?
Students will see a message indicating that contact details are not published and to speak to their course convenor.
What if I have a technical issue with the Course Contact tool?
For technical issues with the course contact tool, please send an email to [email protected] and a support ticket will be automatically raised for investigation.
Why do I only see myself when I am editing the Course Contact tool?
The tool is intended to help instructors add their own details to the Course Contact tool, not each others. For this reason when you attempt to edit course contact details within the tool, you will be presented with your own entry only.
How can I see what the Course Contact tool looks like to students?
Use Moodle's switch role functionality to view the course as a student, and then click on the tool. Please visit this page for instructions on how to do this.