The document discusses simplifying the Moodle learning management system. It argues that while Moodle cannot be fully simplified, institutions can take steps to configure it based on their specific needs and processes. This involves defining common requirements, use cases, and process definitions. Modularity allows individualizing Moodle through customizing activities, blocks, and other features. The document provides examples of simplification steps like reducing blocks and roles, customizing permissions, question types, and other settings. While some complexity will always exist due to the nature of teaching and learning, properly scoping a Moodle configuration based on institutional needs can increase simplicity.

1. The experts
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Simplify Moodle
Ralf Hilgenstock – eLeDia – eLearning im Dialog – Berlin | Bonn

2. The experts
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pedagogic and
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Is there only one way?

3. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
organisation.
Simplify Moodle
Simplification is about
reducing complexity
Where comes
complexity from?

4. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
organisation.
Why is Moodle so complex?
Is Moodle really complex?
Is the design of a learning process
simple?
Is your Moodle system configured
individually for your needs? And
what does this mean?

5. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
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Could Moodle be as simply as
Facebook?
What does Facebook?
●
Search for friends, confirm
friendships
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Publish status information, read –
answer to them
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Confirm 'like'
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Invite for events
Did this cover your needs
for your LMS?

6. The experts
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Did you try ever this on Facebook?
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Create fully seperated groups?
●
Uploaded files for a group
●
Create quiz questions
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Grade students
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Publish grades individually only
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Delete advertising
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Create common texts

7. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
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Facebook - Thesis
●
80 % of students and 95% of
teachers never tried
●
to publish files in a structured way on
facebook
●
to create private groups und protect
them against public access
●
to read and understand user policy,
data protection policy, copyright
policy.
If you try this, it will be (very)
complex or impossible.

8. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
organisation.
Moodle will not be fully simple. Never.
Why?
●
The process of learning und teaching is not
simple
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What is my learning content, syllabus?
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What is the context where I'm teaching (situation, learner
group, institutional context, learning pre-experience, size
of group)?
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How will I teach my topics?
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Which are my learning process steps?
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What should be teached onsite, what online? Most
eLearning is integrated in a blended learning scenario.
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Did I need options for invention during learning process?
Did I need alternative pathways?
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Which types of feedback I would like to use?
Assignments? Quizzes? Process consultation?
Do you have a clear process and design script
before you start to setup your online course?

9. The experts
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A Learning Management System offers
… every single teacher and
the colleagues teaching the same
topics
or across the topics
the required tools
for not yet defined learning
scenarios

10. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
organisation.
A Learning Management System offers
… every single teacher and
the colleagues teaching the same
topics
or across the topics
the required tools
for not yet defined learning
scenarios

11. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
organisation.
Simplicity is possible ...
… if it well defined,
●
whats really needed
●
what is not required
●
what typical learning scenarios
are that should be supported by
default.

12. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
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A Learning Management System offers
Knows what s/he need
Have defined common
requirements
Have defined common
requirements
Are well defined
Are defined
… every single teacher and
the colleagues teaching
the same topics
or across the topics
the required tools
for not yet defined learning scenarios

13. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
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Coming back to Moodle:
Learning Institutions needs
●
an individual configuration
based on the institutional
requirements, process and
concepts
That means:
●
The learning institution needs
(an) use case(s) and
●
process definition(s)

14. The experts
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Are there Alternatives? Yes !
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The LMS knows intuitively what a teacher
likes to do. An illusion nobody really wants.
or
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There are only three features:
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File upload
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Create assignments
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Grade
Is this enough?
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What teachers ask: 'I need links to URLs', ' Can I use
Comic sans as font in primary school?', 'Can we reuse
the course next year and delete all user data?

15. The experts
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Modularity of Moodle
… is the fundamental start for
individual configurations
Activities, Blocks, Filter, Quiz question
types, Repositories, Course formats, Editor,
User registration, Course enrollements,
Default settings, Advanced features
settings, Roles and Permissions

16. The experts
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User registration - Authentification
Disable self registration as user.
Use external systems if available.

17. The experts
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Start Page after Login
Define MyMoodle as start page after
login
Should user change settings or do
you want to use it for general
announcements?

18. The experts
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Course Enrollment
Activate methods that should be used. No more.

19. The experts
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Course Format | Course Settings
Define Defaults

20. The experts
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Use Default Settings for Activities

21. The experts
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Use Default Settings for Activities

22. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
organisation.
Use Default Settings for Activities

23. The experts
for technology,
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Blocks in new Courses :
Reduce to the Minimum
Do you use communication
extensively?
Do you announce any news
during the course?
Do you have course related
events?
Do you change course elements
during course?
Delete one block on
the right side
for each 'no' in your
answers.

24. The experts
for technology,
pedagogic and
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Admin, define a minimum of blocks in
new courses in config.php
// $CFG->defaultblocks_override =
'participants,activity_modules,search_forums,course_list:
news_items,calendar_upcoming,recent_activity';
//
// These variables define the specific settings for
defined course formats.
// They override any settings defined in the formats own
config file.
// $CFG->defaultblocks_site =
'site_main_menu,course_list:course_summary,calendar_month
';
// $CFG->defaultblocks_social =
'participants,search_forums,calendar_month,calendar_upcom
ing,social_activities,recent_activity,course_list';
// $CFG->defaultblocks_topics =
'participants,activity_modules,search_forums,course_list:
news_items,calendar_upcoming,recent_activity';

25. The experts
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Blocks – an endless list
Ask an experienced user
what the features for any
block are?

26. The experts
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pedagogic and
organisation.
Reduce Blocks

27. The experts
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Roles: Are you working
with the default Roles? Why?

28. The experts
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Howto?
Reduce: addinstance Permissions

29. The experts
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Permissions: Backup, Restore, Import

30. The experts
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Permissions: Backup, Restore, Import

31. The experts
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Role assignments

32. The experts
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Role assignments

33. The experts
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Switch between roles
You can see the course view
with they eyes
of an other person
in their role.

34. The experts
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Switch between roles
Define which role can switch to an other role.
Is it really required as teacher?

35. The experts
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Question types
Reduce number of question types
Think about question behaviour settings
Redefine order of questions types for selection

36. The experts
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Question Types
Reduce number of
question types
Reorder the question
types. Mostly used
on top.

37. The experts
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Assignment types

38. The experts
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Repositories
Which repository types are required?
Which role should get access
to which repository?
Did you ever switch between
different views?

39. The experts
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Some very helpfull Filters
Filters are disabled by default in Moodle systems

40. The experts
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Editor

41. The experts
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Editor

42. The experts
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Editor Settings

43. The experts
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Moodle 2.5 - some Highlights
Drag and drop for text from
word processor to course page
- also for URL addresses

44. The experts
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pedagogic and
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Moodle 2.5 – some Highlights
Quiz settings form

45. The experts
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pedagogic and
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Moodle 2.5 some Highlights
Create quiz
questions in
a much
simplier
form

46. The experts
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47. The experts
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What's missing?
●
Lets discuss,
what should be simplified in
future?

48. The experts
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pedagogic and
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Contact
●
eLeDia eLearning im Dialog
Ralf Hilgenstock
German Moodle Partner
phone: 0049 30 5056 1070
mail: info@eledia.de
www.eledia.de
www.moodle.de
●
My Blog: http://dialoge.info