Digital learning is an amalgamation of moments, people, platforms, content, activities and tools that create learning experiences over time. Depending on your objectives and available time, you can intentionally plan and develop these experiences, with Moodle having a core role.  

The careful integration of synchronous and asynchronous activities, different platforms and approaches, different moments in your term according to learner needs and the module's learning outcomes can be achieved through learner journey mapping, and the advice given in these eight areas below. 

Checklist 

• The main “moments” (onboarding, teaching weeks, assessment, etc) of your module are mapped to your platforms   
   
• You selected digital tools and pedagogical approaches that will help students achieve the learning outcomes and these are visible in Moodle 
   
• Moodle is your students´ “starting point” for their digital learning  

How 

• Use your end of section time, or any freer moment to collect student feedback, analyse data on your digital approach, reflect on your goals and identify student needs, key moments, digital platforms, learning activities that will allow you to maximise student engagement 
   
• Create a storyboard to represent these moments and platforms, in any way you find best 
   
• Add an HTML block to embed or link the different platforms you use (Slack, Teams, etc.) 
   
• Consider using Announcements and QuickMail to send a start of week and/or end of week message, giving students an indication of what will happen, or a summary of the main points, with invitations to follow up with independent learning 
   
• Share this “map” with students at the beginning of term, to help them understand how to best navigate it 
   
• Check the sections below for more tips on building your learner journey map in Moodle 

The visual identity of your Moodle site can be a powerful motivator for students and help them navigate and engage with the module.

Checklist 

• The use of images, colour, multimedia and other resources help students identify, navigate and engage with your site 

How 

• Use a Course image to help students identify your Moodle site on the dashboard 
   
• Add an image to the General section Summary, that works as a banner inside your Moodle site
   
• Use labels and the highlighter tool in the text editor to visually create a topic-level structure  
   
• Embed media when possible, to facilitate navigation, engagement and consider the use of multimodal resources 

Moodle as a repository of files is a poor course structure, as it “obscures the interconnected nature of knowledge by presenting it to learners in a disembodied, inert, and superficial format;”  

Quinn, J. (Ed.) (2020). The Learner-Centered Instructional Designer: Purposes, Processes, and Practicalities of Creating Online Courses in Higher Education. Sterling: Stylus Publishing. 

There are three alternatives below. 

3.1 Moodle as a timetable 

When to use 

• Pressed for time:  is the simplest model, and fast to implement 
   
• When the knowledge and skills students are acquiring is hierarchical and/or learned in a linear way 

Checklist 

• Your topics are organised chronologically, according to the timetable of the course and key moments: onboarding, teaching weeks, assignment submission, etc. 
   
• The key moments are represented and clearly organised inside topics: pre-class/class materials/post-class materials, for example 

How 

• Name topic titles the date of the particular week/moment they refer to (e.g. Week 1, dd/mm/yyyy) 
   
• Use naming conventions that are clear (files, folders, links, etc.) and the order they are presented on the topic to organise navigation and a linear interaction with content
   
• Consider using labels, folders, pages and Moodle books to create a topic level consistent structure
   
• Help students organise their time and set goals by using a Moodle calendar and add the main moments to it 

3.2 Moodle as a cluster 

When to use 

• When your course is organised by themes, not weeks
   
• When you have some time, as this requires some planning and organising, so Moodle topics reflect your themes 
   
• When your course is organised by themes learned over many weeks each and this organisation is scaffolded to help students develop knowledge or a particular skill 

Checklist 

• Your topics are organised by learning outcome, or theme 
   
• The key themes/learning outcomes are represented and clearly organised 

How 

• Name topic titles the learning outcome, or theme 
   
• Use naming conventions that are clear (files, folders, links, etc.) and the order they are presented on the topic to organise navigation and a linear interaction with content 
   
• Consider using labels, folders, pages and Moodle books to create a topic level consistent structure 

3.3 Moodle as a toolkit 

When to use 

• This type of design makes sense when you want to make full use of a blended approach  
   
• When you have time: this is a time-demanding approach that requires planning on the structure, topic level and learning design 
   
• When the knowledge or skill students are developing requires considerable engagement with content and activities in an active, independent way 

Checklist 

• Your topics are organised in a meaningful way (see above) 
   
• Your content, activities, instructions, etc. are organised in a way inside topics so independent learning and engagement are possible, without oral instructions 

How 

• All of the above strategies apply 
   
• Map out content and activities, assessment and feedback so learners actively engage  
   
• Consider the careful use of Moodle and external tools so asynchronous activities (quizzes, wikis, blogs, etc.) can promote student-content, student-student, student-teacher engagement  

As a rule of thumb, a well-built Moodle site will allow and motivate students to navigate and engage with content and activities by themselves, without oral instructions. 

Checklist 

• Instructions, learning outcomes, scaffolding, duration of engagement, links with summative assessment, link between content and activities in Moodle and campus sessions, feedback, etc. are salient inside your topics

How  

• Use labels, folder description boxes, pages and Moodle books to give instructions on how to navigate the Moodle site 
   
• Consider having resources and activities no more than 2 clicks away 
   
• Use a conversational tone to motivate, contextualise content and activities 
   
• Use quizzes, forums, and other tools to give students a chance to apply new knowledge and skills, ask questions, clarify doubts, etc. 
   
• Show students the breadcrumbs at the top and help then familiarise with the structure, instructions and other parts of your Moodle site  
   
• Show students how to expand the hamburger icon on the top-left, so they can navigate the Moodle site by topic easily without having to scroll 

Learning is a complex experience that benefits from active engagement. Promote student-student, student-content and student-teacher engagement to help learners achieve learning outcomes.   

Checklist 

• There are opportunities for students to interact with parts of your site, with each other and you, to ask questions, apply new skills and knowledge and receive feedback  

How 

• Use quizzes, forums, and other tools to give students a chance to apply new knowledge and skills, ask questions, clarify doubts, etc. 
   
• Use the Gradebook to check and promote engagement, and give feedback on diagnostic, formative and summative activities 
   
• Use the Activity completion settings, Completion progress block and the Course completion block to help students organise their time and set goals and check engagement with the module 
   
• Use course reports to check student access, navigation and engagement with your module 

Online environments can be alienating and impersonal, if not intentionally built. The way you design, facilitate and have direct contact with your students makes you visible in your Moodle sites. 

Checklist 

• The Moodle structure, content and activities are representative of your course, your teaching approach and student needs 
   
• You communicate regularly and give feedback and support online 
   
• Your contact information is available in Moodle 

How 

• Update your Moodle profile, adding your bio and picture, office hours, LinkedIn profile link, etc. 
   
• Use the Faces block to bring in the teaching team´s profile information directly into the Moodle site 
   
• Use Announcements and QuickMail regularly 
   
• Facilitate forums, giving feedback and asking follow-up questions 
   
• Create a Help topic, with links to guidance and FAQs, and a Support forum for students to ask for and receive help 

Removing obstacles to access and creating equal opportunities wherever possible are fundamental in education. In digital learning, this applies to: 

• Digital content 
• Teaching and learning activities 
• Assessments 

Inclusive teaching also: 

• respects the diversity of students  
• enables all students to take part in learning and fulfil their potential  
• ensures different students’ learning needs and preferences are met, regardless of their backgrounds, learning styles or abilities  
• removes any barriers that prevent students from learning. 

Universal Design for Learning a set of principles that promote inclusive teaching and learning. 

Checklist  
 

• You considered students' academic and digital capabilities when creating your digital materials  
   
• Your assignment briefs are inclusive 

How 

• Use Office 365 Accessibility checker to improve the accessibility of your materials 
   
• Caption recordings and provide a transcript when possible 
   
• Share a variety of content formats and use different activities for learning and assessment, when possible
   
• Share materials ahead of time, when possible, to give students time to prepare  

Assessment is one of the most powerful teaching and learning tools and feedback one of the most effective ways of helping students improve when developing knowledge or skills. 

Checklist 

• You provided information in Moodle to students on how they will be assessed  
   
• You shared marking criteria, rubrics, or guides in Moodle 
   
• You created opportunities, using digital tools, for students to apply new knowledge and skills, self-evaluate and receive feedback 
   
• It is clear what skills students are developing by engaging in different activities (graded and ungraded) and why these are relevant 

How 

• Create a topic for summative assessment and feedback activities 
   
• Consider using the best features of the Gradebook, activity completion and course reports to promote engagement and give feedback 
   
• Share materials and guidance that help students complete assessment activities (how tos, model answers, exemplars, etc.) 
   
• Consider using Moodle or Turnitin rubrics, sharing them ahead of time so students understand the criteria and can develop feedback literacy 
   
• Give students a chance to make a mock submission, so they get familiar with the tool and the workflow 
   
• Consider using a forum, or schedule a session using Teams to discuss how to assimilate and apply feedback received