Lew's Moodle Playground

New Releases

Welcome back, readers, to my regular column, where I, Lewis Carr, write about all things new and exciting in the Moodleverse.

The next major version, Moodle 5.1, is scheduled for its initial release on October 6, 2025. Following that, Moodle 5.2 is expected to be released on April 20, 2026.

Moodle is preparing to roll out some exciting new features with the upcoming release of Moodle 5.1, which builds on the groundwork laid by Moodle 5.0. This new version focuses on improving the user experience for everyone, with the adoption of Bootstrap 5, making it cleaner and more responsive on all devices. You can also look forward to a new Activities overview that gives both students and teachers a single place to track course progress and upcoming tasks.

Moodle is getting smarter too with new AI enhancements. You’ll be able to use providers like Ollama to create content, and admins will have new tools to manage AI usage policies.

Plugin Spotlight

Say goodbye to manual form-filling! This issue, I’m highlighting a Moodle plugin that’s a potential game-changer for educators and trainers, it’s called AutoPDF Form (mod_autopdfform).

This activity plugin is an effortless automation tool that integrates seamlessly into your Moodle courses. It allows you to upload a PDF with pre-set fields and, with a single click, it generates and downloads a personalised PDF for each student.

The magic of this plugin lies in its ability to automatically populate the PDF fields with a student’s personal information directly from their Moodle profile. This includes details like their name, student ID, and email address, saving you countless hours of manual data entry. The generated PDFs are also automatically named with the student’s details for easy organisation.

Now, although initially it sounds like a custom certificate plugin, and it could be used for that, it does have other real-world applications too.

Teachers could build customised lab reports and generate personalised lab sheets for each student. Or generate individualised instructions or unique feedback or forms tailored to each learner. It could even be used for personalised assignment cover sheets, custom checklists and much more.

Developed and maintained by Tangat Baktybergen and Ivan Volosyak, the Auto-PDF Form plugin is a fantastic addition to any Moodle site, bringing a new level of professionalism and efficiency to your courses. It’s early days yet, and the plugin has only recently dropped into the plugins database, but I suspect that when more placeholders become available, the creative opportunities will be limitless.

News

The Global Moodle Moot 2025

There’s still time to grab a ticket for the upcoming Moodle Moot in Edinburgh, 16-18 September 2025. With three days of discussions, workshops, and networking, attendees will gain insights into the future of learning, including AI and digital transformation, connecting with a global community focused on equitable education.

AI Plagiarism Updates

Originality.ai is stepping up to the challenge with its new and improved Moodle Plugin, an advanced tool designed to combat both plagiarism and AI-generated content.

This plugin integrates seamlessly into Moodle’s core modules, including Assignments, Quizzes, and Forums, providing teachers with a comprehensive system for verifying submissions. It boasts impressive accuracy, with a claimed 99% rate for detecting AI-generated text and a 99.5% rate for identifying plagiarism.

The plugin not only helps institutions maintain academic integrity but also empowers students by allowing them to view their own scan reports, promoting a culture of self-awareness and accountability. With support for over 30 languages, including Arabic, Spanish, and Chinese, this tool is ready to serve the global Moodle community. The launch of this advanced plugin is a significant move in the ongoing effort to ensure that student work is a true reflection of their own knowledge.