It’s coming up to the start of term and time to get Moodle courses ready for the new cohort of students. We have refreshed most courses and upgraded to the new theme so it’s the perfect time to clear out old material, delete and de-clutter!

The LTI Moodle audit identified many issues with layout and structure that could easily be rectified by following our suggestions below.

 

 

Common issues and how to solve them:

Poor structure

Many courses consist of one long messy list with content hard to find and often current material is hidden at the bottom of the page.

  • Consider a different course format. Perhaps the grid or collapsed topics if you have lots of content.
  • It may be worth hiding and revealing content as the course progresses so students see the most current information at the top of the page.  You can also highlight the most current section by clicking on the light bulb on the right hand side.
  • If you have lots of material on the same topic then it might be worth consolidating it into a Moodle page or Book.
  • Consider the order that you present material to students – you might want to move sections around so important information is at the top of the page and is quicker and easier to find.
  • You might want to add a table of contents block with links to each section highlighted.
  • When using the grid format Images can provide visual clues and signposts to students as to the type of material each section contains.

Inconsistent titles

Once you have chosen your course format make sure that you have consistent titles for each section or topic.

  • Try to use titles that are clear and descriptive rather than the default section 1, section 2.
  • Remember that you can add labels to clearly sign post material.
  • You can also use the text editor to add colour, or different text size if you want to emphasise certain text.
  • If you have a large course you may want to use the groups and groupings features on Moodle to ensure student can differentiate and access between the various resources and assignments.

Too much clutter

Many courses have old material hidden that dates back years and can clutter the page for editors – don’t be afraid to delete things!

  • Moodle now has a recycle bin so things can be restored within seven days if deleted in error.  LTI also keep back up copies of all courses every year and retain them in an archive so your current course does not have to contain a historical record of old course files.
  • If you have lots of sections that are not in use then delete them, you can always add more sections later.

Broken links
  • Check that the links on your course still work, if you are linking to LSE reading lists make sure you use the reading list activity and if you are linking to lecture recordings you will need to use the Echo360 activity and make sure that you have consented for your lectures to be recorded on LFY.

Deadlines and dates
  • Make sure that your course start date is correct in the Edit Course settings, this is especially important if you are using the weekly format.
  • Ensure that any dates and deadlines are up to date and check your settings if you are using the assignment activity.

Check enrolments

Automatic enrolments are now active on Moodle, so when students make course choices in LSE for You, they will automatically be enrolled in the corresponding Moodle course.  Choices for 2017/18 made by continuing students have already been processed.

Check your course is set up for automatic enrolment. This can be done by going into the settings: Administration block > Edit Settings. If the “Course ID number” field is empty. Please contact Lti.support@lse.ac.uk.

If using alternative methods of enrolment please check that they have been set up properly. This can be done by looking in the Administration block > Users > Enrolment methods.

Teaching staff may still be enrolled on the course from previous years.  Email LTI to remove any enrolments that are no longer accurate.

Lastly remember to make your course visible to students.  Even if students are enrolled on your course they will not see it in their list of courses or be able to access it if it is still hidden in the edit settings.