With Induction week drawing to an end, it already seems a while since the summer months.
During that time, we have upgraded to Moodle 3.0, and we also have a new look Moodle theme. I’m sure you will have already had a chance to start trying out new version.
Here’s a quick roundup of some of the new features and developments:
- The user Profile screen has been improved and displays all profile information (course membership, user logs etc.) on a single page
- A new Preferences screen groups together all of the user defined account preferences (such as message preferences), into a single location
- Users will now find a My courses menu in the horizontal menu bar—enabling rapid access to any (unhidden) course from within any Moodle page
- Editing tools have had a make-over. Topic specific functionality is now accessible via a single Edit menu
- This edit menu includes the option to delete (not just hide) entire topics - this is something that staff have been asking for some time
- Table formatting via the text editor has been improved, with new Appearance options that let you customise the look of your table through an easy to use interface
- In terms of new features, the most significant changes are to the Quiz activity, with four new question types
You can access a handy summary of the new developments in PDF format.
Yvonne Moore and I (Learning Technologists, Faculty of Engineering) also had the chance over the summer to run some Getting familiar with Moodle workshops. The workshops aimed to give staff in the Management, Specialist and Administration team an overview of some of the key activities and resources in Moodle, and give them a chance to try out some of the activities they may not have used themselves. This means staff can more easily answer initial Moodle queries, or direct you where to find more help.
As part of these workshops, we set up a Moodle course (FED Moodle Examples) which introduces some key Moodle tools, and gives examples. To self-enrol as a student on the course, follow the link above, and enter the enrolment key – fedtel02
If you are still getting familiar with Moodle, you might find it useful to view the course and try out some of the activities in your own Moodle space. There is also a section on Advanced Editing which shows you how to add some nice web design to your courses using documentation from the developer of the new theme.
Don’t forget you can ask for your own Moodle ‘sandbox’ course if you want a space to try things out, by contacting the e-learning team. You can also find tips about getting your Moodle course ready for the new academic year in the Moodle Service Blog.
Coming soon
Next month we will be busy collating the responses to our Faculty Learning Technologies survey (it closes today so there's still time to respond if you are quick!). We will be sharing the findings soon, including future plans for development projects and improvements to the support we offer.
Try me out… tips on the latest useful TEL resources
TELU (Technology Enhanced Learning for you) is a collection of free online micro-courses designed to help you use technology to support your teaching and learning. Sign up for a free account to access over 150 courses designed by experienced educators and designers, based on case studies from real teachers, and collated in useful topics. They are designed to be easily digestible and to save you time. We would love to hear from you if you try any of the courses out and would recommend them to other members of staff.
