Moodle is Upgraded!

Note: This article will continue to be updated to include relevant links to the new features.

Exciting News: Our Moodle Upgrade is Now Complete!

We are thrilled to share that the Moodle upgrades for LSU, LSU Eunice, LSU AgCenter, LSU Lab School, and LSU Continuing Education sites are now complete! As of December 19, all Moodle sites are successfully running on upgraded version 4.1. We thank you for your patience during the upgrade process.

The following comprehensive information highlights the functional improvements and problem resolutions in Moodle 4.1, reflecting our dedication to improving user experience, performance, and academic integrity.

Improvements in Moodle 4.1

Curriculum Design and Course Management

Blueprint Courses: Your foundational course templates, previously known as "Master Courses," are now "Blueprint Courses." These templates are designed to streamline your course creation process and maintain consistency across sections (see GROK 20175: Request a Blueprint Course).

"My Home” Page: You will still have your My Courses page in addition to an improved “My Home” page that provides more options for viewing course information. There you can find a timeline, your recently accessed courses and items, and a detailed calendar.

Course Size Tool: This new tool helps reduce course load and improve site performance. With this visual aid, monitor your course size and ensure your students have a smooth learning experience (see GROK 20586: Moodle: Course File Size Tool).

Download Course Content: To enhance the digital learning experience, Moodle now allows users to download content from activities and resources. If enabled in the item settings, this feature is perfect for providing students with offline access to course materials. It is good practice to test each download to double check the content and accessibility (see GROK 20592: Moodle: Download Course Content).

Engaging Your Students

Updated Icons: The refreshed icons modernize the interface and will contribute to a cleaner look for your course materials.

Content Change Notifications: Keep your students in the loop on changes you make to course content with this new check box in the item settings, ensuring they're always informed (see GROK 20270: Moodle: Common Activity Settings: LSU Overview).

Turnitin Plagiarism Plugin Tool: Now integrated directly into Moodle Assignment, Workshop, Forum, and Quiz activities, this optional tool reinforces academic integrity by offering the full suite of Turnitin's capabilities within Moodle's common activities. Important Note: The Turnitin Assignment 2 Activity will no longer be supported after the 2024 Spring term (see GROK 20591: Moodle Activity Settings: Turnitin Plagiarism Plugin).

Timed Assignments: You can now impose a time limit on Moodle Assignments, giving you more control over how and when students engage with course assessments (see GROK 20184: Moodle: Activities & Resources: Assignment Overview).

Enhanced Question Bank: Enjoy a more robust question bank with features such as “draft mode” and integrated statistics, making it easier to manage your question bank.

Grade Summary Report: You can now get a quick glance at the average grades for each gradable activity in your course, allowing you to see if there are performance differences across activities.

Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) Updates

Wiley: The three Wiley LTI updates ensure a smoother, more integrated user experience with this key educational resource.

Addressing Feedback and Improving Functionality

Clearer Text and Headings: We've increased the visibility of text and headings to enhance readability and accessibility for all users.

Refined Grade Management: The "Extra Credit" feature in the Weighted Mean calculation has been refined, making it more intuitive for you to reward your students' efforts appropriately.

Detailed Grade Breakdown Reports: Now you can access more comprehensive reports that allow a deeper analysis of student grades, even those above the maximum score.

Resolved Student Identity Confusion: In the gradebook, students with common names are now easily distinguishable with the display of full names and email addresses.

Simplified Extra Credit Creation: Creating extra credit items is now more straightforward, eliminating the convoluted process that existed in the previous version.

Persistent Grade Item Visibility: We have fixed the issue of hiding and then unhiding a course section causing grade items to remain hidden. Now, your grade items’ visibility will update correctly with the visibility of the section.

Optimized Flashcard Activities: Changes to the Flashcard activity will result in a faster load time.

Consistent Board Activity Links: Updated functionality ensures that links to Board activities remain current when importing or restoring a course.

Journal Entry Sorting: Organize and review your students' journal entries efficiently with the now-functional sort by date feature.

Need Assistance?

We recommend clearing cache on your browser if you are having any issues (see GROK 6096). Our Faculty Technology Center remains at your service for any questions or assistance with Moodle. Reach the FTC at ftc@lsu.edu or call (225) 578-3375 option 2. We are here to ensure a smooth and effective transition to this enhanced learning environment.

Thank you for being a part of this exciting journey in advancing our digital education tools. Together, we are setting new standards in online learning excellence!

LSU Online & Continuing Academic Technology Team