Faculty Toolkit for Moodle

Forum: What It Is?

The Forum activity creates a space for asynchronous discussion. Students can post, reply, and share ideas, building engagement and critical thinking outside of class time.

Why Use It?

• Encourages peer-to-peer learning and community building

• Supports reflection and deeper thinking

• Gives quieter students a voice

• Extends class conversations beyond scheduled time

Practical Applications

• Icebreaker: Ask students to introduce themselves and share one fun fact.

• Debate: Post a controversial statement related to the topic and have students argue for or against.

• Case Study Discussion: Provide a real-world scenario and prompt analysis.

• Resource Sharing: Students post links or articles and discuss their relevance.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Set clear expectations for post length, tone, and deadlines.
✅ Model good participation by posting early and giving thoughtful replies.
✅ Use open-ended questions to spark deeper conversation.
✅ Encourage students to respond to peers, not just the instructor.

Variations

• Q&A Forum: Students must post before they can see others’ responses.

• Standard Forum for General Use: Good for ongoing discussions.

• Single Simple Discussion: Best for focused, short-term conversations.

Engaging students through visual collaboration

Moodle Board: What It Is

The Board activity is an interactive, visual “pinboard” where students post notes, links, or media.

Why Use It

• Encourages curation of digital content.

• Supports debate and discussion through comments/likes.

• Builds community by making contributions visible.

Practical Applications

• Students post examples of marketing trends or news articles.

• Brainstorming ideas for group projects.

• Sharing visual media, such as ad campaigns or infographics.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Set categories/columns to organize posts.
✅ Encourage short comments to deepen discussion.
✅ Use likes/votes to identify key resources.

Engaging students through collaborative collections

Moodle Database: What It Is

The Database activity lets students add entries (text, images, files) to a shared class resource.

Why Use It

• Promotes collaboration and resource sharing.

• Allows for structured contributions with templates.

• Creates a class library of examples.

Practical Applications

• Students submit case studies with solutions.

• Image gallery of historical artifacts or lab samples.

• Repository of useful websites for research.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Provide a clear template for submissions.
✅ Moderate entries if accuracy is critical.
✅ Allow peer rating for engagement.

Engaging students through co-created knowledge

Glossary: What It Is

The Glossary activity allows students to build a shared dictionary of terms and definitions.

Why Use It

• Reinforces key course concepts.

• Promotes student ownership of learning.

• Builds a reusable resource for the whole class.

Practical Applications

• Student-created definitions of discipline-specific vocabulary.

• Adding multimedia examples (images, videos) to terms.

• Weekly “term of the week” contributions.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Encourage examples, not just dictionary definitions.
✅ Allow peer comments to refine and clarify terms.
✅ Use the auto-linking feature to highlight terms in course content.

Engaging students through submissions and feedback

Assignment: What It Is

The Assignment activity allows students to submit work (files or text) for grading and feedback.

Why Use It

• Centralizes submissions in Moodle (no lost emails).

• Provides space for private instructor feedback.

• Supports multiple formats (documents, multimedia, online text).

• Can integrate with the gradebook.

Practical Applications

• Essay submissions with written or audio feedback.

• Uploading spreadsheets for problem-solving assignments.

• Recording video reflections and submitting as files.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Use clear instructions and rubrics.
✅ Enable Turnitin or plagiarism checking.
✅ Offer multiple attempts for drafts and revisions.
✅ Use the feedback comment area to guide improvement.

Engaging students through practice and assessment

Quiz: What It Is

The Quiz activity delivers online assessments with auto-graded or manual questions.

Why Use It

• Gives instant feedback to students.

• Supports varied question types (MCQ, essay, drag-and-drop).

• Can randomize questions for academic integrity.

• Tracks performance data in the gradebook.

Practical Applications

• Weekly low-stakes quizzes to reinforce readings.

• Exam review with randomized practice questions.

• Interactive self-checks with unlimited attempts.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Use question banks for variety.
✅ Allow multiple attempts for practice quizzes.
✅ Provide detailed feedback for wrong answers.
✅ Keep high-stakes exams timed and password-protected.

Engaging students through peer review

Workshop: What It Is

The Workshop activity supports peer assessment where students evaluate each other’s submissions using instructor-defined criteria.

Why Use It

• Promotes critical evaluation and self-reflection.

• Builds assessment literacy by using rubrics.

• Increases engagement through peer-to-peer interaction.

Practical Applications

• Peer review of essays or research papers.

• Students assess presentations with scoring guides.

• Draft review before final project submission.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Provide clear rubrics and examples.
✅ Allow practice rounds with sample submissions.
✅ Monitor peer feedback for fairness and accuracy.
✅ Debrief with the class on lessons learned.

Engaging students through interactive pathways

Lesson: What It Is

The Lesson activity presents content in a series of pages with branching options based on student choices or quiz responses.

Why Use It

• Creates adaptive learning experiences.

• Provides immediate feedback.

• Supports self-paced exploration.

• Combines content delivery with assessment.

Practical Applications

• Interactive case study with decision points.

• “Choose your path” simulations for problem-solving.

• Step-by-step tutorials with knowledge checks.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Plan the flow with a storyboard before building.
✅ Use clear navigation options to avoid confusion.
✅ Keep branches short to maintain engagement.
✅ Add quizzes for formative assessment.

Engaging students through quick decision-making

Choice: What It Is

The Choice activity lets instructors pose a question and offer multiple answers for students to select.

Why Use It

• Collects quick feedback.

• Promotes engagement through polls.

• Supports decision-making in class activities.

Practical Applications

• Poll students on preferred project topics.

• Check understanding with a quick knowledge question.

• Vote on which case study to analyze.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Keep options clear and concise.
✅ Share results to spark discussion.
✅ Use for formative feedback, not high-stakes assessment.

Engaging students through standardized instruments

Survey: What It Is

The Survey activity uses pre-set, research-based questionnaires (e.g., COLLES, ATTLS) to collect data on student learning and attitudes.

Why Use It

• Provides insights into learning styles and experiences.

• Supports reflective teaching practice.

• Allows comparison across courses using the same instruments.

Practical Applications

• Gather student perceptions of online learning engagement.

• Evaluate collaborative vs. individual learning preferences.

• Use as a diagnostic tool at the start of the term.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Use for broad trends, not individualized feedback.
✅ Review data for patterns to adjust teaching strategies.
✅ Share key findings with students to build transparency.

Engaging students through custom surveys

Feedback: What It Is

The Feedback activity allows instructors to create surveys with customizable questions to collect information from students.

Why Use It

• Collects formative feedback to improve teaching.

• Supports reflection and self-assessment.

• Encourages student voice in shaping the course.

Practical Applications

• Mid-semester check-in on workload or clarity.

• Reflection surveys after group projects.

• End-of-unit evaluation of learning effectiveness.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Keep surveys short to encourage completion.
✅ Use open-ended questions sparingly but effectively.
✅ Share a summary of results and your planned response.
✅ Encourage anonymous responses for honesty.

Engaging students through interactive multimedia

H5P: What It Is

The H5P activity lets instructors create and embed interactive content such as quizzes, flashcards, drag-and-drop activities, or branching scenarios.

Why Use It

• Makes learning active and engaging.

• Provides instant feedback.

• Works seamlessly inside Moodle pages or lessons.

Practical Applications

• Interactive video with embedded quiz questions.

• Virtual flashcards for vocabulary or key concepts.

• Branching scenarios for case-based learning.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Start with simple activities (e.g., multiple-choice, flashcards).
✅ Use H5P for formative, low-stakes engagement.
✅ Combine H5P with other Moodle tools for variety.

Engaging students through packaged e-learning modules

 SCORM Package: What It Is

The SCORM activity delivers standardized e-learning packages (often built in tools like Captivate or Storyline) and tracks progress and scores in Moodle.

Why Use It

• Provides multimedia-rich learning experiences.

• Tracks completion, time spent, and assessment scores.

• Supports portability between systems.

Practical Applications

• Compliance training modules with built-in quizzes.

• Vendor-supplied simulations or tutorials.

• Self-paced learning modules with embedded assessments.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Test SCORM packages in a sandbox before use.
✅ Make sure tracking is enabled for completion data.
✅ Provide alternate instructions in case of technical issues.

Engaging students through collaborative grouping

Group Choice: What It Is

The Group Choice activity allows students to select which group they want to join for projects or activities.

Why Use It

• Empowers students with choice and autonomy.

• Simplifies group formation.

• Supports project-based and collaborative learning.

Practical Applications

• Students self-select into project teams.

• Sign-up for peer review groups.

• Create study groups with shared interests.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Set group limits to balance numbers.
✅ Provide clear instructions on group purpose.
✅ Monitor sign-ups to ensure fairness.

Engaging students through structured content delivery

Book: What It Is

The Book activity organizes course material into multi-page, chapter-based resources, similar to an online textbook.

Why Use It

• Provides a clean, structured way to present content.

• Makes navigation easier for students.

• Reduces scrolling in long course pages.

Practical Applications

• Course readings organized by weekly chapters.

• Step-by-step tutorials with screenshots.

• Instructor-written mini-textbooks for key topics.

Tips for Faculty

✅ Use short chapters for easier navigation.
✅ Add images, links, and media to enhance content.
✅ Provide a summary or reflection prompt at the end of each chapter.