Creating an engaging and informative MoodleMoot presentation with Brett McCroary

July 5, 2017

By now many of you would have heard that MoodleMoot Australia 2017 is happening from 26 – 28 September at Sheraton on the Park in Sydney.

We here at Moodle HQ are busily preparing for this conference and have opened call for proposals to present your Moodle stories, projects and best practices.
You can now submit your proposal online.

This year there are three types of presentations that we welcome for MoodleMoot Australia 2017 – pico, short presentations and poster. You can find out the details on our website.

If you are wondering how to create a successful proposal and how to then turn such proposal into an engaging and “stand out” presentation, then we would like to help.

In this post we talk to Brett McCroary from TAFE Illawarra in NSW who has kindly agreed to share with us his tips for creating an engaging and informative MoodleMoot presentation.

If you haven’t had a chance to view Brett’s presentation on Our Future Builders: The Journey Continues from last year’s MoodleMoot Australia, you should take a look. It is informative, entertaining and energetic.

Let’s delve in as we ask Brett for tips to create a successful proposal and deliver a great presentation for MoodleMoots.

Moodle HQ: Brett, thanks for taking the time to chat to us! We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us about all things MoodleMoots!

Firstly, let’s maybe start with a bit about you – what is your involvement in Moodle at TAFE Illawarra?

Brett: I was given the opportunity to start developing Moodle within the Carpentry trade at first. We sold it to teachers that if you used it you wouldn’t have to mark as it was mostly self-automated (the quizzes that is). Once everyone was onboard, a colleague and I developed all the Moodle content within Carpentry.

From there we wanted to change the delivery of the Cert IV and have all the Institute working together/collaborating and assisting with students in regional areas.

Moodle HQ: When did you first submit a proposal for MoodleMoot Australia and what was your first presentation titled, and what was it all about?

Brett: I submitted my first proposal for Moot15 Melbourne – “Using Moodle for our Future Builders”. I wanted to present to my peers and the Moodle community the benefits of using Moodle and working together as an Institute rather than as separate sections. Also showcasing a different style of learning for our students.

Moodle HQ: How do you come up with an idea for an engaging presentation? What tips do you have for conceptualising an idea into a proposal?

Brett: Less is best, not too much writing in the powerpoint (if that’s what you’re using) and ensure you have pictures or videos. I’ve tried some humour but it doesn’t always work. Don’t do too many dad jokes – from personal experience!

Moodle HQ: When your proposal is accepted, what’s your process to turn your written submission into a presentation that is engaging and informative for the MoodleMoot?

Brett: I think of the audience who I am presenting to. What I want them to see and how is the most engaging way to show them. For example, I used a small video of how the students enjoyed the flexibility of the course.

Moodle HQ: What are some considerations that you think are essential before hitting centre stage and delivering your presentation?

Brett: I always have a plan B incase the presentation isn’t ready (i.e. Take a backup with you – USB or link of some sort), and I always have a sheet to fall back on incase I forget what I was going to talk about. And practice before the presentation – that always helps.

Moodle HQ: Lastly, Brett why do you attend MoodleMoots?

And equally important, why do you take the time and effort to submit a proposal and present at our conferences?

Brett: I love to see what is out there and the new products coming to fruition. For example – Moodle offline would be great for our remote students, or even the heat maps and advancements in learning analytics – I found very useful.

I embrace the opportunity to submit a proposal because I enjoy showcasing our successes and failures so my peers within the Moodle community can see how we are using it efficiently.


Thank you again, Brett, for taking the time to chat to us today about the process of proposals and presentations for MoodleMoots.

If you are now inspired and full of information to submit a proposal, you can do so on our website. While you are there you can also register for early bird tickets and find all the information about the upcoming MoodleMoot Australia 2017.