Your friendly advice column for creative course and learning design. All questions in Moodle Mentor come from real Moodlers who write in through Edit Mode — our monthly newsletter for curious course builders, designers, and tinkerers.
Dear Moodlers,
Whether you’re preparing for a new term or simply looking to get more from your Moodle site, there’s always something new to learn. This month, we’re answering your questions about course payments, mobile apps, plugins, releasing content to learners, and finding the right integrations.
Let’s see what’s on your minds!
Quick note: Every Moodle site is a little different — version, hosting, theme, plugins, etc. — so what works in one place might not apply everywhere. When in doubt, check your settings or ask your admin.
Not everyone pays in the same way
Absolutely. Moodle’s Payment gateways (such as PayPal) work as enrolment methods. A learner chooses the course, pays through the payment gateway, and is automatically enrolled.
The good news is that direct payment doesn’t have to be the only way to access a course. Because Moodle platforms support multiple enrolment methods, you can offer different pathways for different learners. For example, individuals might pay online and enrol immediately, while schools or organisations could use Self enrolment with an enrolment key or another enrolment method that lets them access the course while payment is handled separately.
This flexibility also means you don’t have to decide everything upfront. Many organisations launch with manual or offline payment processes and add an online payment gateway later as their needs evolve.
What’s everyone installing?
One of the easiest ways to spot what’s popular is to sort by Most installed in Moodle Marketplace. This gives you a real-world snapshot of the plugins and integrations that Moodle sites are already using at scale.
You’ll find everything from authentication and enrolment tools to content creation, analytics, video conferencing, and themes. It’s a great starting point if you’d prefer looking at tried-and-tested solutions rather than sifting through thousands of options.
Have fun browsing Moodle Marketplace! I hope you find the plugin of your dreams. 🧡
The age-old question: Hide or Restrict?
It depends on what you’re trying to achieve: they solve different problems.
Hide removes an activity from learners completely. They won’t see it on the course page until you make it visible. You’ll need to remember to manually “Show” the activity when you’re ready for learners to access it.
Restrict access, on the other hand, allows you to let learners know something is there while controlling when they can access it. You can unlock activities based on dates, activity completion, grades, group membership, or other conditions, making it ideal for releasing content gradually or guiding learners through a sequence.
As a general rule, hide activities while you’re still building your course, and use Restrict access when you’re ready to manage the learner journey. It creates a clearer, more structured experience without overwhelming learners.
Which Moodle App is right for you?
The good news is that your learners aren’t choosing between two different learning experiences. The Moodle App and the Branded Moodle App are built on the same mobile app, so learners get the same core experience: they can access courses, activities, messages, grades, and even download content for offline learning.
The difference comes down to branding and analytics.
The Moodle App is Moodle’s standard mobile app. Learners simply download the Moodle App from the Apple App Store or Google Play, enter your site’s URL, and log in. It’s the quickest way to give learners mobile access to your Moodle site.
The Branded Moodle App is designed for organisations that want a fully customised mobile experience. Moodle creates, publishes, and maintains a dedicated app with your organisation’s name, logo, colours, and branding — giving learners a seamless experience that feels like an extension of your own digital ecosystem. It also includes additional features such as mobile engagement analytics and advanced privacy options.
Ideally, you’ll take the time to learn more about both options, but as a quick summary:
- Choose the Moodle App if you simply want to make your Moodle site available on mobile (or if you’re just testing).
- Choose the Branded Moodle App if mobile learning is a key part of your learner experience and you want your own branded presence in the app stores, along with additional enterprise features.
(And if you ever want to talk it through, our team is here to help!)
What exactly are they plugging into?
Not a silly question at all! The name is actually pretty literal.
A plugin is a piece of software that plugs into your Moodle site to add new functionality without changing the core platform. Think of Moodle LMS or Moodle Workplace as the foundation of your learning environment, and plugins as optional building blocks you can add as your needs evolve.
Want a new activity type? There’s a plugin. Need a payment gateway, authentication method, reporting tool, AI integration, or video conferencing solution? Those are plugins, too.
One of Moodle’s greatest strengths has always been this flexibility. Instead of every organisation using exactly the same system, you can tailor your Moodle platform to support the way you teach, train, and learn — and with Moodle Marketplace, it’s now easier than ever to discover the plugins that make that possible.
P.S. If you’d like to read even more on this topic, check out this blog post: Make Moodle LMS your own: The power of plugins.
Until next time…
Have a question you’ve been sitting on? Now’s the time. Submit it for next month’s Moodle Mentor — your question might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
