Orientation
This document provides a single resource to guide you through your orientation to the University of Divinity.
Preparing for study
As a student, you become a member of the University. The Code of Conduct applies to all members of the University of Divinity.
Take some time to look over the key dates for your whole
course and your units of study.
Allow some time to scan through one of the many university sites about
Academic Skills, such as
Before your first class
Take some time to consider the tools and resources you will need access to.
University of Divinity members have access to a number of
physical libraries and digital resources.
During your first week
Read through the Academic Integrity page which defines Academic Integrity, shows examples of breaches and links to policy and guides.
There are a number of policies designed to support your learning. The
Code of Conduct is important in creating a safe environment for all members.
As you progress in your learning, it is important that you maintain your
2 - Software
This document provides an overview of the software you may need during your study.
You will need access to a computer in order to access your unit’s resources,
produce assessment work, engage with others, administer your course.
System Requirements for ARK
ARK is based on the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS). To run Moodle
effectively, you should - as a minimum - use the following system components.
If you do not, Moodle may still work, but some functionality may be lost.
Workplace IT environments’ internal configurations can also restrict the
functionality of Moodle. Access to content may be affected, as may the ability
to upload files, and file size limitations may also apply. Workplaces may have
older versions of software, with which Moodle may not perform well.
Operating system - desktop and mobile
We recommend that you use a supported version of your operating system which
will receive security fixes:
Internet
Use a broadband connection through WiFi, 4G/5G mobile, NBN, ADSL2+, fibre optic
or cable with the speed:
- Viewing lecture recordings or conferencing - at least 5MB/sec
- Viewing images and webpages - at least 2MB/sec
Mobile devices
The Moodle Mobile app is supported and you can connect via the QR code found in
your profile after downloading the app from Google Play or Apple’s App Store.
The Moodle theme has been developed to scale to the size of your screen, but be
aware that not all content has been designed to be legible/useable at a small
screen size. It is not recommended to use older versions of operating systems
that are out of support.
Internet browsers
Compatible browsers include the following. We recommend that you keep your browser up to date.
- Google Chrome (recommended for optimal compatibility, this has been thoroughly tested on Windows).
- Firefox
- Safari (recommended for optimal compatibility, this has been thoroughly tested on Mac).
- Edge
Other browsers may work but have not necessarily been thoroughly tested. Note
that add-ons and toolbars can affect any browser’s performance.
If you have any difficulty accessing ARK, check that you are using one of the
supported browsers above before you contact support. Settings
We recommend that the following be enabled/not blocked (at least for the divinity.edu.au domain):
- Cookies
- Popups (in both internet browser and security software)
- Javascript
Assessments
Assessments typically ask you to produce something, a document, presentation,
video, speech, etc. Most of this can be done with access to an Office
Suite. Some example Office Suites are Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, Google
Workspace, libreOffice/OpenOffice.
A helpful tool is a bibliography manager, such as Zotero.