https://moodle.oakland.edu/Campus_community_reacts_to_new_Moodle_update
Campus community reacts to new Moodle update Students and faculty had a brand new Moodle interface staring back at them upon logging in for the first time this Winter semester. Moodle 4.0 was released by the learning platform in April 2022 and implemented by OU in December. It introduced a new look for the platform that – according to Moodle’s website – was designed to both facilitate the prioritization and completion of coursework for students and to simplify the process of creating and editing course structure and content on the faculty side. For students, this update includes a revamped dashboard fit with an interactive timeline and calendar housing assignment due dates, a collapsible sidebar course index, “to-do” and “mark as done,” tabs to track activity completion, and collapsible content dividers and informational resource sidebars. As for faculty members, new features include the same collapsible content sidebars, plus the ability to restructure their course content by dragging items along the course index bar. This update also offers built-in video conferencing through BigBlueButton, which promises the same features familiar to Zoom users, plus the ability to share notes and interact on a whiteboard as a class. Additionally, Moodle 4.0 boasts advanced accessibility features, including an enhanced text editor which facilitates screen reader function and keyboard navigation. According to Dr. Nic Bongers, an instructional designer at OU’s e-Learning and Instructional Support (e-LIS) department, these features culminate in what he calls “the best version of Moodle he’s ever seen.” Bongers feels the new version is far more
intuitive than previous installments — and plenty of faculty are in agreement. “For the first time, I feel like I enjoy going on Moodle to post things,” Dr. Kwama Sakyi, associate professor of public health, said. “I do really like the interface. It is lively and easy to navigate. I love how you can collapse materials on weeks and content that are no longer relevant — it creates less clutter on the page.” From an organizational perspective, Sakyi identifies both pluses and minuses to the new version of the platform. While he misses the ability to indent certain pieces of content on the course landing page, he’s a fan of the collapsibility of content offered with the new edition, allowing class participants to hide materials from previous weeks to “create less clutter on the page.” Dr. Kenneth Mitton, associate professor of biomedical sciences, said he uses Moodle to the fullest extent in his courses – from preparing informative resources for each class day to accepting all written assignments through various file formats on the platform – and has been pleased with the way this update has facilitated his processes. “It is easier to access the design and settings for quizzes [with the new update],” Mitton said. “In the previous version of Moodle, the setup of quiz general settings and the building of questions for the quiz were accessed from completely separate menu navigations — now they are all in one set of tabs.” Associate Professor of Communication Dr. Rebecca Mercado Jones’ strongest feelings regarding the platform’s update have little to do with the nitty gritty details and more with