Moodle Terms of Use

Moodle records the user’s most recent login. An account is automatically deleted if there has been no login activity for more than five years and the account was created more than five years ago.

Upon deletion:

• the user is removed from all Moodle courses
• all data associated with the account, such as course grades and submissions, is permanently deleted. Course results deleted from Moodle do not affect data stored in other systems. Official study records are retained in Sisu.
• messages in discussion forums remain anonymized

Deleted data cannot be recovered.

Unused Moodle areas are automatically deleted in accordance with the life cycle process outlined in the Instructions for teaching. Teachers must ensure that they save any necessary teaching materials and other course-related content before the area is deleted.

You may only upload materials to Moodle for which you hold the copyright or have sufficient usage rights. Unless otherwise agreed, the copyright for uploaded material remains with the author.

Confidential or proprietary information must not be handled in Moodle, such as:

• personal data unnecessary for teaching purposes
• health information
• business or professional secrets
• materials for which the user does not have the appropriate rights.

Confidential or specially restricted material in accordance with the national information classification model must not be uploaded to Moodle. This includes, for example, identifiable personal health data as well as business or professional secrets. However, Moodle may be used for processing personal data related to teaching and studying. Study attainments containing personal data, as well as teaching materials, may also be handled in Moodle, even though study attainments are considered confidential information under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

The teacher must ensure that the data protection of students and other individuals is upheld. Read more in Data protection for teachers.

The use of Moodle generates log data related to users’ activities. Log data are used to ensure the proper functioning and security of the learning environment, to monitor server and network capacity, and to detect, prevent and investigate technical problems and misuse. In addition, log data are used to support, analyse and develop teaching, learning and the use of the learning environment.

The processing of log data complies with the University of Helsinki’s data protection principles and applicable legislation. Log data are stored in Moodle only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described above. Further information on the processing of personal data is available in the University of Helsinki’s Moodle privacy policy.

The use of Moodle and the data processed within the service is subject to the University of Helsinki’s regulations for the use of information systems.

The University’s information systems, including the Moodle learning environment and user accounts, may not be used for political or commercial activities, except in separately permitted cases. In addition, data and materials stored in Moodle may not be disclosed or transferred outside the University without appropriate authorisation.

For more information, see the University of Helsinki’s regulations for the use of information systems, section Principles of Use. 

After the assessment has been completed, students and any other information no longer needed for teaching or assessment must be removed from the course area. Teachers must follow the university’s guidelines regarding:

• retention periods for study attainments
• methods of data retention
• the registration and deletion of assessment data

Moodle is not an archiving system for assessment records. Read more in Time periods and conditions for announcing and retaining study-related documents.

Users can view the terms of use they have accepted in Moodle via their profile:

1. Log in at moodle.helsinki.fi.
2. Open the profile view by selecting your name in the top-right corner.
3. Under Policies and agreements, you will see the terms of use you have accepted and their dates.
4. Clicking the “Moodle Terms of Use” link opens the terms.

If the terms of use have not been accepted, they will be displayed the next time you log in.

Before their account is deactivated in Moodle, students should:

• download their own assignments if they wish
• make sure that their course grades are visible in Sisu. 

If an account associated with a teacher or non-student role is deleted in Moodle:

• access to Moodle areas and administrative privileges will be revoked
• Moodle area content will be retained.