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Getting Started with PulseLMS

Welcome to PulseLMS

PulseLMS is your comprehensive Learning Management System for online training and education. This guide will help you get started with navigating and using the platform effectively.

Table of Contents

  1. Logging In
  2. The Dashboard
  3. Navigation Overview
  4. Profile Settings
  5. Finding Your Courses
  6. Getting Help

Logging In

Standard Login

  1. Navigate to your PulseLMS site URL
  2. Click the Log in button in the top right corner
  3. Enter your username and password
  4. Click Log in

First-Time Login

If this is your first time logging in: 1. You may be prompted to change your temporary password 2. Complete any required profile fields 3. Review and accept any policies if prompted

Forgot Password

If you've forgotten your password: 1. Click the Forgotten your username or password? link on the login page 2. Enter your username OR email address 3. Click Search 4. Check your email for reset instructions 5. Follow the link in the email to create a new password

The Dashboard

After logging in, you'll see your personal Dashboard - your home base in PulseLMS.

Dashboard Elements

Element Description
Course Overview Shows all courses you're enrolled in
Timeline Displays upcoming activities and deadlines
Calendar Shows course and site events
Recently Accessed Courses Quick access to your recent courses
Notifications System messages and updates

Customizing Your Dashboard

  1. Click the Customize this page button (if available)
  2. Drag and drop blocks to rearrange them
  3. Remove blocks you don't need
  4. Add new blocks from the block drawer
  5. Click Stop customizing this page when done

PulseLMS uses a clean, intuitive navigation structure:

Top Navigation Bar

  • Home - Returns to the front page
  • Dashboard - Your personal dashboard
  • My Courses - All your enrolled courses
  • Site Navigation Menu - Additional site pages

User Menu (Top Right)

Click your profile picture/name to access: - Profile - View and edit your profile - Grades - View all your grades - Calendar - Personal and course calendars - Private files - Your personal file storage - Preferences - Account settings - Log out - End your session

The navigation drawer provides: - Quick links to your courses - Course-specific navigation when inside a course - Access to course sections and activities

Course Navigation

When inside a course, you'll see: - Course Index - All sections and activities - Participants - Course members - Grades - Your grades for this course - Course Settings (if you have permissions)

Profile Settings

Viewing Your Profile

  1. Click your name/photo in the top right
  2. Select Profile

Your profile shows: - Your name and profile picture - Course enrollments - Recent activity - Forum posts - Blog entries (if enabled)

Editing Your Profile

  1. Go to your profile
  2. Click Edit profile
  3. Update your information:
  4. First name / Surname - Your display name
  5. Email address - For notifications
  6. City/Town - Your location
  7. Country - Your country
  8. Timezone - For correct time display
  9. Description - A short bio

  10. Profile picture - Upload your photo

  11. Click Update profile to save

Changing Your Password

  1. Go to Preferences from the user menu
  2. Click Change password
  3. Enter your current password
  4. Enter your new password twice
  5. Click Save changes

Password Requirements: - Minimum 8 characters - At least 1 digit - At least 1 lowercase letter - At least 1 uppercase letter - At least 1 special character

Finding Your Courses

From the Dashboard

Your enrolled courses appear in the Course Overview block on your dashboard.

View Options: - Card view - Courses as visual cards - List view - Compact list format - Summary view - Cards with descriptions

Filter Options: - All - All enrolled courses - In progress - Currently active courses - Past - Completed courses - Starred - Favorites you've marked - Hidden - Courses you've hidden from view

From My Courses

  1. Click My Courses in the navigation
  2. Browse all your enrolled courses
  3. Use search to find specific courses
  4. Filter by category if available

If you're looking for a course to enroll in: 1. Use the site search (if available) 2. Browse the course catalog 3. Ask your administrator for enrollment

Understanding Course Layout

Course Page Elements

When you enter a course, you'll typically see:

Course Header

  • Course name and image
  • Course summary/description
  • Teacher/instructor information

Course Content

Organized into sections which may be: - Weekly - Organized by date - Topics - Organized by subject - Single Activity - One main activity - Grid/Tiles - Visual tile format

Activities and Resources

Each section contains:

Icon Type Description
Assignment Submit work for grading
Quiz Timed assessments
Forum Discussion boards
Lesson Interactive content
H5P Interactive activities
Page Text and media content
File Downloadable files
URL External links
Book Multi-page resource
Video Conference Live sessions

Activity Completion

Many courses track your progress: - Empty checkbox - Not yet completed - Checked box - Completed - Dotted checkbox - Completion pending (requires grading)

Notifications

Viewing Notifications

  1. Click the bell icon in the top navigation
  2. View recent notifications
  3. Click See all for full notification list

Notification Types

  • Forum posts - New discussions and replies
  • Assignment feedback - Graded submissions
  • Messages - Private messages from users
  • Course updates - Announcements and changes
  • System alerts - Important site notices

Notification Preferences

  1. Go to Preferences from the user menu
  2. Click Notification preferences
  3. Configure how you receive notifications:
  4. Web - In-browser notifications
  5. Email - Email notifications
  6. Mobile - Push notifications (if using app)

Calendar

Accessing the Calendar

  1. Click Calendar from the navigation or dashboard
  2. View events by day, month, or upcoming

Event Types

Color Type Description
Blue Course events Activities with due dates
Red Site events Site-wide announcements
Yellow Group events Group-specific events
Green User events Personal reminders

Adding Personal Events

  1. Open the calendar
  2. Click on a date
  3. Select New event
  4. Enter event details
  5. Click Save

Messages

Accessing Messages

  1. Click the message icon in the top navigation
  2. View recent conversations
  3. Search for users to message

Sending a Message

  1. Click the message icon
  2. Search for the person's name
  3. Type your message
  4. Press Enter or click Send

Messaging Contacts

You can add contacts for quick messaging: 1. Go to someone's profile 2. Click Add to contacts 3. Access them from your contacts list

Getting Help

Within PulseLMS

  • Context Help - Click the "?" icons throughout the site for help
  • Course Instructions - Check course introductions for guidance
  • Ask Your Instructor - Use course messaging or forums

Technical Support

Contact your system administrator for: - Login issues - Access problems - Technical errors - Account questions

Quick Tips for New Users

  1. Bookmark the login page for quick access
  2. Complete your profile to help others identify you
  3. Check the dashboard daily for updates and deadlines
  4. Enable email notifications to stay informed
  5. Star important courses for quick access
  6. Use the calendar to track due dates
  7. Explore the navigation to familiarize yourself with the interface

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Tab Move between elements
Enter Activate/select element
Esc Close menus/dialogs
Space Check/uncheck boxes

Next: Dashboard Overview