Setting up Reading Lists in Moodle
Get the URL from ORLO
The first step is to get the URL for the reading list from ORLO.
Log into ORLO. You should initially be taken to the "My Lists", but "All lists" should be selected by default.
Search for the relevant list, e.g. by course code or course title. Maths courses typically begin with the prefix MATH_MMath_. Find the one for the relevant academic year, e.g. with the suffix _AY24-25. If you can't find the list, check with the list owner/editor that it has been published.
If you are the list owner/editor, check that it says "Published" not "Draft". Consult the ORLO documentation if you're not sure how to do that.
Click on the list to view it. (Then click "View items" to expand all sections if you want to check the list contents.)
Click the "Share list" icon ( ) at the top of the page.
Click the "Copy shareable link to list" button (n.b. not "link to course") to copy it to the clipboard.
Warning: Do not copy the URL directly from the address bar in your browser - if the user is not logged into ORLO, they will be taken to the wrong login page. Links must end with ?auth=SAML.
Add the URL to Moodle
Go to the Courses site and make sure you are logged in - click "Log in with SSO" in the top right corner if not.
Navigate to the relevant course - either using the list on the homepage, the search box, or from "My courses". Make sure you select the course for the current year.
Make sure "Edit mode" is enabled in the top-right corner.
Editing an Existing Link
If there is already a "Reading List" link (which should be the case for most courses):
- Click the "Edit" icon ( ) next to the link
- Click "Edit settings"
- Paste the URL into the "External URL" field, replacing anything that was there before
- Expand "Common module settings" and make sure "Availability" is set to "Show on course page"
- Click "Save and return to course"
- Click the link to test it
Adding a New Link
If there is no "Reading List" link (e.g. a brand new course, or it was accidentally deleted):
- At the bottom of the "General" section, click "Add an activity or resource"
- Click "URL"
- Enter the Name "Reading List"
- Paste the URL into the "External URL" field
- Expand "Appearance" and set "Display" to "New window" (embedding lists doesn't work due to security restrictions)
- Click "Save and return to course"
- Click the link to test it
For consistency between courses, we recommend that you reorder the modules in the General section as follows:
- Announcements
- Lecture Videos
- Reading List ← Move to here
- Discussion Forum
Making Lists Public
By default, lists are published to "All students at the institution" - i.e. all members of the university with an eligible SSO account.
It is recommended that lists be set to All students at the institution as this allows more accurate usage statistics to be captured, however, you might prefer to create a public list.
Because most of our course materials are public, you may prefer to do just that:
To change the privacy setting, click the three dots menu and then select Unpublish list from the drop-down menu. You can then publish the list again and select the option 'Anyone'.
In addition, you must remove ?auth=SAML from the end of the URL in Moodle - otherwise users will be forced to sign in anyway. You should then test it in Incognito or Private Browsing mode, or a different browser where you are not signed into SSO.