Making online training go from ordinary to extraordinary with Moodle

Introduction

MOL, is an established learning and development provider that develops courses, incorporating self-study workbooks and online resources.

Specialising in subjects such as human resources, construction, property agency and more, MOL makes it their mission to change the careers of their students from “ordinary to extraordinary”.

Based in the UK, their programmes and learning styles offer flexibility through customisation to meet the individual needs of an individual or organisation, including study outside of work.

MOL hosts their training programmes off the Moodle platform.

Problem

MOL was previously using a free Essential theme, which they believed did not mirror their brand or create the look they wanted.

They wanted their site to have a modern look, be synonymous with their brand and to have an easy to use user interface.

Also, as is the case with many online course platforms, a proportion of their students access their courses using mobiles or tablets. MOL wanted to ensure their site is fully responsive for the 20% of students who access it via mobile devices.

To achieve these goals MOL sought help from our Certified Moodle Partner in the UK, HowToMoodle.

Action

HowToMoodle developed a new ‘Brand It’ theme for MOL. The theme matched the look and feel of the organisation’s main site, creating a consistent style and branding throughout.

As part of HowToMoodle’s standard theme service, the theme has been made to be responsive and a custom menu was created specifically for MOL’s mobile and tablet users.

HowToMoodle designers also developed a full width slider for the MOL’s homepage. This included design customisation features such as the option to change the background colour per slide, creating a visual appeal and giving MOL the ability to promote key messages to their users.

Quicklinks were also added to the homepage to reflect the style of MOL’s website, directing users to key areas.

Results

MOL’s Product Director, Paul Rogers, commented on users’ reaction to the Brand It theme, saying that “the response has been extremely positive by all users.”

HowToMoodle’s Brand It theme enables MOL to adapt to the current needs of their users.

The fully responsive design promotes an enhanced user experience though a seamless transition between the desktop and mobile sites, with consistent branding between the them.

In addition the slider, the new quicklinks and custom menus all work effectively to produce a clean, user friendly site.

Commenting on working with Moodle Partner, HowToMoodle, Paul adds; “HowToMoodle were extremely helpful and responsive to feedback throughout the process, resulting in a theme that we are really happy with.”

The MOL team are now working on updating the existing courses to further enhance user experience using the new design.