Like many other students, when I returned to Carleton this fall I noticed that new changes arrived to Moodle over the summer break. Moodle will continue to expand and change to make education easier for students and professors. Here are some new features that I found useful to know about.
Completion Requirements and Status:
As a student, one of the most helpful Moodle features is listing the requirements for activities. Students can see specific requirements below all assignments when the professor turns on the feature. Any uncompleted requirements will be highlighted in gray and labeled “To do:”. Once completed, they will be highlighted green and labeled “Done”.
In my Math of Computer Science class, I’ve found this feature to be very useful in organizing what readings, videos, and labs I need to turn in. The check mark feature for requirements is also good for peace of mind when all assignments have been completed.
New Quiz Settings:
While I have not personally experienced this new setting (although I may for future English classes) , professors may be glad to know there are more specific settings for Moodle quizzes. This includes setting a minimum and maximum word count for essay type quiz questions. As a student this will be useful to know exactly how much I need to write instead of only having instructions about word count.
Personal Pronouns:
One of the most exciting new features for students and professors is the ability to add personal pronouns on your Moodle profile! This can help avoid misgendering on both ends of instruction and create a more inclusive classroom environment. To change your pronouns, you can select your profile on the top right of the Moodle home page, then click edit profile, and finally scroll down to the Carleton section and click expand.
Then find the Personal Pronouns option and type any and all pronouns you identify with.
Finally, don’t forget to click Update Profile! Your pronouns should now appear whenever you or another user clicks to view your profile.
Theme Changes:
The new default Moodle theme for all courses is the Fordson theme which includes a locked navigation bar at the top of your screen. I find these new features welcoming and more intuitive compared to the old Moodle format last year. However, if you prefer the old Moodle format Carleton Boost Theme you can change it. To change your theme you can click the course management button, expand the Appearance section and finally choose an option in the Force theme drop down. For more advanced formats you can use these instructions.
Overall, the new Moodle changes should improve the quality of learning for students and professors who want to personalize settings and features. Having Moodle as our central learning platform makes understanding assignments easier and makes life more organizable. While the constant changes and improvements for Moodle may be frustrating at times, many of the features will help students stay organized.
If you have any questions please contact at@carleton.edu
Information and pictures were sourced from this webpage by Em Palencia