The Moodle upgrade is fast approaching and I thought now would be a good time to highlight a few of the new features that you can expect.

1. Collapsible course index and ‘block drawer’
2. Moving activities and resources just got easier!
3. Starred modules option
4. Main menu for easier navigation
5. New layout option

Why not take a look at what your course content looks like in the new version? Use this link to https://moodletest.lancaster.ac.uk/uat/ (staff only) to view your course. If you would like to add a course to this page, get in touch with a member of the team.

For more information on these changes, continue reading below:

1. Collapsible course index and ‘block drawer’

The option to collapse the columns on the left and right of the page helps to make the page look less ‘busy’. The new course index (on the left) also allows for easier navigation. A grey scroll bar follows you down the course index to show where you are on the page and you can jump between sections and activities. The blocks available in the block drawer and their function remain the same but if you as a user didn’t use them very much you may prefer to leave the drawer collapsed to avoid cluttering the screen.

2. Moving activities and resources just got easier!

Did you get frustrated trying to move things around on Moodle? This has just become a whole lot easier with the option to easily drag and drop content around the main course page either using the new course index or the central column.

3. Starred modules option

There is a new customisable drop down menu called ‘Starred Modules’. You can add modules from the new ‘My modules’ tab. By ‘starring’ a module, you add it to this list and you can add or remove modules at anytime to enable speedier navigation.

4. Main menu for easier navigation

There is a main menu at the top of your main course page. The different options were previously dotted around with Participants being on the left in the navigation drawer but settings being accessed from the top right of the page. Say hello to speedy navigation!

5. New layout option

There is a new option to organise your topics or weekly formats. You can use the ‘One section per page’ option to reduce the amount of material shown on the main course page. All of the activities and resources in a particular section will be shown on a different page. Hopefully an end to the ‘scroll of death’ which can lead to content near the bottom being lost or ignored as it is difficult to navigate quickly to the resources you need.

Check out this video for more details on the ‘One Section Per Page’ update:

[Moodle] Course Layout: One Section Per Page – Lancaster eStream: creating and sharing media – Powered by Planet eStream