Information for Students

You will find quick links to Hub on the following web pages:

• QMU Student Portal
• QMU website homepage

HUB can also be accessed directly from hub.qmu.ac.uk

Password Problems

You can log-in to the Hub with your QMU matriculation number and password. If you have a problem with your password you can reset it using the self-service password reset service

Browser compatibility

Hub uses modern web standards and as such is not supported by older browsers such as Internet Explorer 6 or 7. We would recommend that you use Chrome. If you are having issues accessing the hub you can review your current browser settings using the Blackboard Browser Checker

Module Availability

All QMU-based taught modules will have an associated online area within the Hub, accessible through the Home page, which you will see once you have logged in. You will also find areas for:

• Learning Services
• Careers
• Student Services

You may also have access to a programme area, placement area, or other area in the Hub. Depending on your programme some of these non-teaching module areas may be visible and available from early September.

For students in collaborative partner institutions of QMU, your modules will be available from the start date of your programme.

If you believe that there are module areas missing from your 'My Courses', please contact the school office: schooloffice@qmu.ac.uk

Layout of Module areas

All HUB modules are based around a standard template customised by your tutor, a module menu typically includes links to:

• Assessments
• Learning Resource Area
• Plagiarism and Referencing
• HUB student help

All your module content and activities will be added by your tutor. You may also find other menu items linking to specific module material or activities.

The homepage of each module may be changed by the tutor.

There are some settings that you can change to suit your preferences and make navigating and using the HUB easier.

The 'My Course' area on the HUB page will display and give access to all the modules you are enrolled in. As you continue each year this list will grow with current modules and modules from previous years. You have the option to order the list and completely hide modules that you do not want to see.

How to organise your module list

• Hover over 'My Courses' module and click on the cog icon in the top right hand corner to access 'Manage My Courses Module Settings'. 
• From this page, you can choose to group modules by term, hide modules, by un-selecting them, and choose which information you would like summarised in your module list.

You can watch a short video showing How to organise your module List

For every HUB module you will receive email notifications to your QMU email account when:

• An assignment has been made available
• An announcement has been posted or edited

You can customise your notifications settings for individual modules, or all modules, by going to the Global Navigation menu at the top-right of your Hub screen, selecting Settings from the foot of this menu and then Edit Notification Settings.

Bulk Edit Notifications Settings allows you to edit notifications for all or multiple module areas. The column for Dashboard is set to show notifications to you through the Student Notifications area in each module – these settings do not need to be adjusted as these will provide useful information for you. To change the Mobile or Email notification settings, select/unselect the box in the Email column to remove or add notifications as required.

All changes can be verified by looking at that specific module under the heading Edit Individual Course Settings.

You may also wish to have any notifications sent to you in a digest form once a day at around 3pm. To do this, choose the Edit General Setting option and select Daily Email Digest in section 1, General Settings: Courses.

In HUB modules will have an assignment drop-box set up which can be accessed through the menu link to Assessments. The assignment drop-boxes are set up and administered by the School Office, and not by the tutor for that module. In addition to a link to the Assignment dropbox, you will see a link to the QMU Assessment Regulations.   

Please note: To ensure any submitted file can be successfully submitted, students are requested to minimise the length of the filenames. We recommend filenames take the following format:

• [Matriculation Number].docx
• For example: 01234567.docx

User guides The following resources are here to help students with locating and submitting to the assignment dropbox. There are two different types of submission drop-boxes which can be differentiated by their icons. Please select the applicable guide below:

Student Guides to Submitting your assignment to Turnitin

The Guides are available as .pdf's and .docs, you can choose to open in your browser or download. 

Turnitin student quick start guide - is the Turnitin support guide for students.

You can watch a video which shows how to Submit your assessment to a Turnitin Dropbox 

After submission you will receive an email digital receipt which you should keep safe in case of any disputes.

Submitting your work to a Blackboard Assignment drop-box

Blackboard Submission Guide

Any queries regarding assignment drop-boxes should be directed to: schooloffice@qmu.ac.uk

In many cases you will receive feedback on your assignments through your module in the Hub.

Feedback Studio is a tool to mark Turnitin Assignments electronically. This means that you do not need to collect a paper copy of your feedback from the School office. Instead the feedback is made available by the School office once the Module tutors have completed marking. This allows for easy access and prompt release of your feedback, which can help you in your future submissions.

You can login to the hub and go to the assignment drop-box where you submitted the assignment to view your feedback.

Every HUB module should have a menu item called "Plagiarism & Referencing" and in this section you will find a link to a 'Similarity Checker Tool' and also a link to the QMU student guide to avoiding plagiarism. This resource provides information and resources in relation to QMU's approach to plagiarism prevention.

The tool link can be used to check your draft referencing before submitting your assignment to the separate dropbox for marking. 

Student Guides to using the similarity checker tool

The Guides are available as .pdf's and .docs, you can choose to open in your browser or download.

Similarity-Checker Tool 

Interpreting the Similarity Report links to the Turnitin UK support page containing advice on how to interpret the reports

Groups

If you sign-up or are allocated to a group for your module, it is likely that you will have a group space, available through My Groups, below the main module menu.

In the group space you will be able to see the other members of your group and may have access to some group tools. The tools can include group discussions, group email and a tool to allow members of the group to share work-related files.

The group homepage displays all the members of the group, together with any tools that have been assigned to that group.

Some tutors may also make a quick link to groups available from the main menu area - this is more convenient if you are accessing from a mobile device.

Discussion boards

Your tutors may use discussions in the Hub for you to communicate with each other and work in groups. For further information about using discussions please visit the Blackboard student guide to using a Discussion Board.

Netiquette is etiquette for the Internet: guidelines and good practices for online communication in emails, discussion forums, and chat rooms. Please adhere to the following guidelines when posting comments in your online course:

• Format your text so it is easy to read. Try to use standard paragraph spacing, indentation, and legible font. Try to be consistent with your formatting, including font size, colour, etc.
• Be concise and to the point in your communication. Limit discussion forum posts to a few paragraphs. Proofread and edit your work before posting.
• AVOID THE USE OF ALL CAPS as this may be interpreted as shouting. All lowercase letters also make the text more difficult to read. Use standard punctuation. Remember what your teacher taught you in primary school about good punctuation and spelling.
• Avoid 'texting' abbreviations such as OMG.
• Avoid using humour and sarcasm, as they are often difficult to detect in written communication. It is okay to sparingly use emoticons to communicate subtleties or emotions that are more obvious in spoken communication.
• Flaming (posting a rant about someone or some topic) is prohibited in our courses. Practice civil discussion.
• Respect the privacy of communication within a course. Do not forward the comments of classmates to others outside of the course or publish them on social media.
• Stay on topic in a discussion.
• Respect the fact that participants have varying degrees of sensitivity, and that even some well-meaning constructive suggestions (e.g., comments about broken links, typos, misspellings) may be misconstrued as public criticism. Therefore, please refrain from sharing comments in ways that might be misinterpreted, or do so privately when appropriate.

Ally integrates with Hub and checks uploaded resources against international accessibility standards. It creates alternative files that are easier to use by all students. Alternative files include readable text for screen readers and audio (MP3) files.

The video below introduces Ally to QMU students:

You can find more information and help on the Blackboard Ally Help for Students homepage.

Blackboard App - Access module content and more right from your phone. The Blackboard app is available to download from the below links:

Apple iOS

Google Android

Microsoft Windows

QMU App - links to your assessments, attendance and absence recording, library loans, and campus related information such as bus and rail timetables. 

Apple iOS

Google Android

For queries relating to:

• HUB (including log-in difficulties) contact: Helpdesk@qmu.ac.uk
• Module access or Assessments contact: SchoolOffice@qmu.ac.uk