In this video, I\u2019ll show you an example of a well-designed Moodle course page. This page was built to meet the VLE Baseline Standards, which help staff create pages that are clear, consistent, and useful for students. <\/p>
Before we look at the example, let\u2019s think about what students actually want from Moodle. Research shows their expectations are simple and achievable. <\/p>
Students value consistency across modules. They don\u2019t want to relearn how to navigate Moodle every time they start a new module. They like it when key information like tutor contact details and assessment guidance is easy to find and always in the same place. <\/p>
Think about how you use websites. Most of us look for the search bar in the top right corner. If it\u2019s missing, it\u2019s frustrating. The same applies to Moodle. Students should be able to find what they need quickly and easily. <\/p>
Students also expect content to be well organised, clearly labelled, and accompanied by instructions. Why is this resource here? What should they do with it? A well-curated and structured selection of materials will have more impact than a long list of PDFs with no context. <\/p>
Now let\u2019s look at our example course page, designed for a fictional module in medieval history. <\/p>
At the top, there\u2019s a banner and a short welcome message introducing the tutor and the module. You\u2019ll also find the tutor\u2019s contact details and an Announcement<\/em> forum for sharing important updates. <\/p> Remember, your Moodle page is often the first point of contact students have with you, and sometimes their first impression of teaching and learning at UWTSD. What message do you want it to send? Share your enthusiasm and what excites you about the module. <\/p> This course page uses the Tiles<\/em> format, which helps reduce scrolling by hiding content behind clickable tiles. This is the recommended format at UWTSD. You can customise icons, images, and colours, but we recommend you agree on a consistent approach with your programme team. <\/p> We recommend including two key sections at the start: Module information<\/em> and Assessment information and submission<\/em>. <\/p> In the Module information<\/em> section, you should provide important details about the module. This may include: <\/p> In the assessment section, you should include assessment details and submission links. You might include a video brief, as shown here. You can also add supporting resources, such as guidance on referencing. Remember that students often feel stressed about assessments, so keep things simple and easy to navigate. <\/p> Now let\u2019s look at the other sections. In this example, the page is organised by weeks. Let\u2019s go into Week 1<\/em>. <\/p> This section is clearly laid out, using headings and subsections. Each resource includes instructions and context. Remember, students should know what to do and when to do it. Without guidance, even the most useful resource might be overlooked. <\/p> At the top, there\u2019s a copy of the slides. Try to share your slides before class. This helps any students with additional needs to prepare. Many also like to take notes directly on the slides. Below that, there\u2019s a series of tasks for students to complete before attending their seminar. This structure is used consistently across the module to build habits and set expectations. <\/p> This approach can improve how students engage with your Moodle page, but it needs to be reinforced during face-to-face teaching in the first few weeks, to help students connect what\u2019s online with what happens in class. <\/p> So there we have it, an example of an effective Moodle course page. Compare and contrast our example with your own course page. Which elements do you think might need a tweak and where are you already using good practice?<\/p>"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","subContentId":"6ddbff42-3f5e-4660-97b5-321406c501dc","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"}},"title":"Video transcript: What makes an effective Moodle course page?"}],"hTag":"h4"}