Teaching with Technology

Moodle Update Summer 2024

During the summer of 2024, Instructional Technology Services updated Moodle to version 4.3.5 for the 2024-2025 academic year. In addition, Moodle has a new, streamlined appearance, including smaller icon sizes.

All the options you are accustomed to are still available, although you may find them in a different place now.

Expandable course index and options

• Options and information, such as the filtered course list, that were previously displayed in side menu areas are now available in an expandable panel, called the block drawer, on the right side of the screen.

• On course pages, you can find an expandable course index on the left side of the screen.

New menu locations

• The course settings menu is now located at the top of the course page, under the course title. Select the “More” option to see additional menu items. The names of some menu items have changed; for instance, “users” are now called “participants.”

• Some submenu options now appear as a drop-down menu at the top of the page after you have selected the main menu option. For example, to access group options, first select Participants, then in the drop-down menu at the top of the page, choose from the group options.

• Menus for activities like quizzes and assignments will appear at the top of the page, in the same location as the course settings menu, once you have accessed the activity. Select the “More” option to find additional settings.

More prominent Dashboard and My Courses

• The Moodle Dashboard and My Courses are now part of the general navigation menu that appears at the top of Moodle. By default, the Dashboard includes recently accessed courses, a timeline of upcoming assignments, and a calendar. My Courses displays a list of your courses with menus to search courses or display only in progress, future, or past courses.

• Faculty may wish to add an image for their course, as both the Dashboard and My Courses display course images where available. To add a course image, select your course, then choose Settings from the course menu, and add your image to the Course Image area.
  
• Students should know that, while it is possible to use the Timeline feature in the Dashboard to review overdue assignments, the Timeline only displays overdue assignments from the past two weeks. Older assignments that students have not yet completed will not be displayed on the Timeline. 

Improved course material management

• You can now turn editing on or off regardless of where you are in the course page by using the edit mode toggle switch in the upper right corner of the screen.
  
• Manage content availibility, groups settings and more easily from the main page of your Moodle course page using new drop-down options.

• Easily add new content anywhere on your course page. Click the red plus icon that appears when you hover between existing content to add new content.

• It is now possible to bulk edit Moodle content. This option can be useful to hide several pieces of content from students, for instance. Select the Bulk Edit option at the top of the page, choose the pieces of content you would like to edit, and then select the edit option you would like to apply at the bottom of the page. Other bulk edit options include duplicating or moving Moodle content.

In addition to these features, you will notice other changes to the user interface and activities in Moodle. We're available to help! Reach us at moodle@reed.edu.