Section 2: Profile Setup & Customisation

2.1 Editing Your Profile

Your profile on VirtualX is more than just your name and picture—it’s your professional space, where learners and fellow educators can see who you are and what subjects you teach. Keeping your profile up to date helps build trust and shows you’re actively involved on the platform.

🧑‍💻 What’s in Your Profile?

Your profile includes:

• Your full name
• Profile photo
• Short biography or introduction
• Subjects or grades you teach
• Contact details (email or school-linked info)
• Social links (optional)

All of this is displayed to learners enrolled in your courses and to other teachers on the platform.

🛠️ Steps: How to Edit Your Profile

You can edit your profile directly from the front end—no need to access the backend or admin panel.

1. Login to your VirtualX account (via browser or PWA app).
2. On the top menu or left-hand side, click on “Profile”.
3. You will now see your public profile page.
4. Click the “Edit Profile” button (usually top-right or near your picture).
5. You’ll now be able to update the following:

Section	What You Can Change
Name & Surname	Make sure this matches your teaching name
Profile Photo	Upload a clear, friendly image (like a staff ID photo)
Bio / About Me	Write 2–3 lines about what you teach and your passion for education
Subjects	Add tags or info about the subjects you handle
Contact Info	School-linked email or notice for communication
Social Media Links (optional)	Add LinkedIn or professional pages if allowed by your school

1. Once done, click “Save” or “Update” at the bottom of the page.

📸 Uploading a Profile Picture

A profile picture is important—it helps learners and parents know who is guiding them.

Tips for your photo:

• Use a headshot (like a school ID or passport photo)
• Dress professionally
• Keep the background neutral
• Smile 😊

To upload it:

• In the Edit Profile view, click the profile photo area.
• Choose an image from your device.
• Resize or crop if needed.
• Click Save.

🔒 Profile photos are saved securely and are only visible to learners and other staff within VirtualX.

🧑🏽‍🏫 Example in Action:

Mrs. Ngobeni, a Grade 9 EMS teacher, updates her profile with her picture, a short bio: “Passionate about preparing learners for the real world through practical EMS lessons.” She adds her subjects: EMS, Accounting, Business Studies. Now her learners know who’s behind their virtual classroom—and her profile looks professional too!

✅ Why Update Your Profile?

• It builds connection and trust with your learners.
• It makes it easier for your school admin to assign you to the right subjects.
• It helps parents understand who is guiding their children.
• It gives your teaching presence on VirtualX a polished, professional look.

2.2 Uploading a Profile Image

Your profile image is the first thing your learners, colleagues, and even parents will see when they visit your profile on VirtualX. It’s like your staffroom photo—but online.

A good photo helps create a friendly, professional classroom feel, even when you’re teaching remotely. Let’s walk through how to upload or update your photo using just the front-end (no backend or admin login needed).

📷 Why Your Profile Photo Matters

• It shows learners who is guiding them.
• It helps build connection and trust, especially in online learning.
• It gives your VirtualX profile a personal, human touch.

💡 Learners are more likely to engage when they can see the person behind the lesson.

🛠️ Steps: How to Upload or Change Your Profile Image

1. Log in to your VirtualX account (via browser or PWA app).
2. Go to your Profile Page (click “Profile” from your dashboard or menu).
3. Hover your mouse over the current profile photo (or placeholder image).
4. Click the “Change Picture” or “Upload Image” button that appears.
5. Select a photo from your computer or phone.
6. Use the built-in cropping tool to adjust the image if needed.
7. Click Save / Apply.

🔐 Your photo will now be visible to your enrolled students and fellow teachers—only within the school’s VirtualX platform.

✅ Image Tips: What Makes a Good Profile Photo?

✅ Do	❌ Avoid
Use a clear, well-lit headshot	Group photos or selfies
Face the camera directly	Blurry or dark images
Use a school-friendly background	Distracting backgrounds (e.g. beach, party)
Dress professionally	Casual or inappropriate attire

🖼️ Example in Action:

Mr. Naidoo, a Grade 10 Geography teacher, uploads a profile photo taken from his staff ID. It’s clear, professional, and shows a warm smile. Now when learners open his course, they instantly recognise him—and feel more comfortable engaging online.

📱 Uploading from Your Phone or Tablet?

No problem!

• Just log into VirtualX using your phone browser or the installed app.
• Tap your profile picture → select image from gallery or take a new one.
• Crop and save—it’s that easy.

Now that your face is part of your digital classroom, learners will feel more at home in your course.

2.3 Updating Password & Email

It’s important to keep your login details up to date, especially your password and email address. This helps protect your profile and makes sure you receive important notifications about your courses, learners, or system messages.

Let’s look at how to change your password and update your email address—all from the front end of the VirtualX platform.

🔐 Why You Should Keep This Info Updated

• To make sure only you can access your teacher dashboard.
• To receive email alerts, messages, or announcements from your school or learners.
• To recover your account quickly if you forget your login details.

🛠️ Steps: How to Change Your Password

1. Log in to your VirtualX account.
2. From your dashboard or menu, click on “Profile”.
3. Inside your profile, look for the “Settings” tab or gear icon.
4. Click on “Account Settings” or “Change Password” (depends on your school’s setup).
5. You’ll see fields to:
   • Enter your current password
   • Type your new password
   • Confirm the new password
6. Click “Save” or “Update Password” to apply changes.

🔐 Choose a strong password with at least 8 characters, including a mix of letters, numbers, or symbols.

📧 Steps: How to Update Your Email Address

1. While still in your Settings or Profile area,
2. Find the field marked “Email”.
3. Delete the old email and type in your new school-approved email address.
4. Click “Save” or “Update Profile”.

📬 You may receive a confirmation email—be sure to check your inbox or spam folder to verify the change.

🧑🏽‍🏫 Example in Action:

Ms. Molefe notices she’s no longer receiving student queries via email. She realises her school changed her email from molefe.t@oldschool.co.za to molefe.t@newschool.org. She logs into VirtualX, updates her email in her profile settings, and everything starts working again—no IT support needed!

🛠️ Troubleshooting Tips

Problem	What to Do
Forgot current password?	Click “Forgot Password” on the login screen and follow the reset link sent to your email
Email won’t save?	Make sure it’s typed correctly and not already used by another account
Still not receiving emails?	Ask your school admin to check if system emails are reaching your address

Now that your password and email are up to date, you’re ready to work safely and stay connected.

2.4 Customising Your Dashboard Widgets (Instructor Sidebar)

Your dashboard on VirtualX is like your teacher’s desk—it shows you everything you need to manage your classes, learners, and course content. But just like your real desk, you can customise it to suit your style and teaching needs.

VirtualX uses what we call the Instructor Sidebar, where you can add, remove, or rearrange dashboard widgets. These widgets show things like your courses, student messages, announcements, earnings, or progress charts.

Let’s look at how to make it work for you.

🧱 What is a Widget?

A widget is a small box or section on your dashboard that shows specific information or tools.

Common widgets include:

• 📝 My Courses – list of all the courses you teach
• 📈 Course Progress – shows how your learners are doing
• 📢 Announcements – recent updates you’ve shared
• 📬 Messages – inbox for learner communication
• 🎖 Achievements – certificates or badges you’ve awarded

🛠️ How to Customise Your Instructor Sidebar

⚠️ Important: Only the Super Administrator can access backend settings. But as a teacher, you can customise your sidebar layout using Appearance > Widgets, if your admin has allowed it via front-end builder setup.

If front-end widget editing is enabled:

1. Log into VirtualX.
2. From the dashboard, click on “Appearance” or “Customize” (if visible).
3. Select Widgets.
4. Choose “Instructor Sidebar” or “Teacher Dashboard Widgets”.
5. You’ll see a list of available widgets. You can:
   • ✅ Add new ones (e.g., “My Badges”, “Recent Quiz Submissions”)
   • ❌ Remove ones you don’t need
   • 🔃 Rearrange them by dragging

If editing isn’t enabled:

• Contact your school admin and request widget changes (they can apply this in the builder setup or from backend).

🧑🏽‍🏫 Example in Action:

Mr. Dlamini, a Life Sciences teacher, only wants to see courses, student messages, and quiz progress. He removes the “Earnings” widget and moves “Messages” to the top of his dashboard so he can quickly respond to learners after each lesson.

📋 Recommended Widgets for Teachers

Widget	Purpose
My Courses	Manage course content directly
Messages	See and reply to learner queries fast
Announcements	Update students on lesson plans or changes
Course Progress	Monitor student completion %
Achievements	View badges or certificates issued
Student Activity	See recent learner engagement

🎯 Quick Tips

• Use only what you need—less clutter = faster navigation.
• Rearrange widgets to match your teaching flow (e.g., place “Messages” at the top).
• Avoid editing widgets that are linked to school admin tools or advanced data.

✅ You’re Now Dashboard-Ready!

Customising your Instructor Sidebar helps you focus on what matters most—teaching and engaging learners.