“How can you create learning objectives using Moodle quiz templates?”
Three years ago Scott Hallman and the team at Otago University, New Zealand, began a project to answer that question, with three goals in mind:
- To move away from multiple PDFs, powerpoints, videos and multiple choice questions.
- To empower their staff to create vibrant, interactive learning content.
- To make interactive learning to cover an entire textbook.
At the recent MoodleMoot Australia 2017, Scott looked back at how the team approached this challenge.
He explained that the team first identified several criteria that had to also be met to achieve their goals:
- Ability to integrate with the Moodle gradebook
- Multiple question types
- Good UX
- Cost effective
- Free access to all tools for all staff
- Ability to add text to questions
- Ability to share objects and modify
- HTML5 & mobile friendly
- Adaptive
- Advanced analysis of questions and answers
After evaluating different learning management systems (LMS) against this criteria, the team decided to chose Moodle as the platform for their project, and started using Moodle content pages, Moodle lesson and the Moodle quiz.
The next step for the team was to make templates to adapt Moodle to meet their needs of:
- Faster and easier creation
- A theme to “clean up” the screen and hide blocks
- Additional functionalities such as locking questions and sequential quizzes.
- Using Bootstrap for interactivity
- Additional plugins to give it “pizzazz”
The result? Over sixty templates which can be downloaded from Moodle.net.
Many of these templates are of the same type meaning you can find a template which best suits the look and feel of your Moodle course.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these templates:
Image Template
Image template lets you choose how many items you want, then add your picture and change labels.
Matching templates
Similar to image templates, matching templates are simple to use. You can select how you want learners to answer using drag and drop or drop down menus.
Sequencing template
Categorising template
The categorising simplifies a previously difficult task by reducing the steps to adding questions and changing their labels
True or false and rating questions templates
This template saves space on Moodle courses, improving usability for your learners.
Information page templates
Using Bootstrap interactivity, the learning objects within the information page templates contain pop-up menus.
Scott concluded his presentation by explaining that the templates can be used for learning objectives such as knowledge checks or making subjects more entertaining. Of course, the templates can also be used to fulfil your own learning objects which are personalised to your learners!
To find out more about Moodle’s quiz templates and the work that Scott and the team at Otago University did, watch their presentation from MoodleMoot Australia 2017.
